Ears to Hear

I have my share of feeling fear, annoyance and confusion when I'm around people who are homeless, addicted, or unstable.  I question their judgment and their motives.  I'm always ready for things to take a turn into nonsense.  Rightly or wrongly, it keeps me from being too shocked when the winds shift.  When things start sounding weird, I can hold myself back and say, Okay, this person's a little off. 

What I was reminded of today, though, was the no-nonsense insight that often comes from people who live on the edges of society.  This was the second Friday I've gone downtown and helped with a morning meal for the homeless.  It was a vibrant experience.

This morning some people on the streets reminded me that I love people.  As I took trays of food to individuals on the church patio, one lady began trying to ask me a question in broken English.  When I skipped into Spanish with her, a big grin broke out on her face.  Oh such relief!  I described how the process worked and later she got a meal.  She thanked me again and again.  Every time I passed, she smiled.  Whether sweet Rosie who claimed she'd "never forget" me or Tom who reads the Harry Potter books or tough Lisa who grumbles and smiles or Dax who makes jokes and talks about his granddaughter-- I enjoyed people this morning.  We all found big or small reasons to smile.

I smile at the way these friends told the truth.   Some walked up to me and asked if I was Irish.  Some told me I look 17 years old.  (Ouch.)  One sang me a love song.  One told me it was okay to serve the Lord by having conversation with people in the courtyard-- hoping I didn't "get in trouble" with the other volunteers for talking instead of clearing tables.  One told me not to stop smiling. 

It was the way Tom, Dax, Rosie and others looked straight at me and said what they thought-- that made me think about the repeated times in Luke when Jesus talks about those who have ears to hear.  Jesus says something that invites those who have ears to hear-- listen!  Immediately, the spotlight turns to this unruly bunch called "tax collectors and sinners" and puts them in a scene hanging out with Jesus.  This crowd is bumping into the Kingdom.  They hear what's true.  They know it.  They say it.

In community development and church outreach circles lately I've been praying for us (usually middle-class, well-meaning people) to have God's eyes for neighborhoods here-- "eyes to see."  What I've thought less about are the people who offer US their seeing eyes and their hearing ears.  And not just what they hear on the streets that we're interested in, but what they hear in us.  What they hear from Jesus.

At those fun gatherings around Jesus 2,000 years ago, the ones listening didn't cease to be tax collectors and sinners, but they stopped being left out of the conversation.  They became a crucial part of good news listened-to and understood. 

People without houses, people without money, and people without clear minds don't cease to be people with problems in the presence of Jesus.  Yet, they can be people with ears to hear his voice and his truth.  In their listening, and our listening with them, we could all be people of promise.

Godly Cancellations

I took a chunk of time on Tuesday for prayer, study and reflection, and one of the driving factors (other than the fact that those are all good things to do) was that I wanted to be more in tune with God's direction for my days.  I like to work hard and be productive, and as a result I am very capable of filling a schedule until I feel busy and accomplished.  I've done much too good a job of this lately. 

In the two days since, plans and meetings have cancelled right and left, and it's been beautiful.  That's right: beautiful.  Though I am sad that I didn't get to see 5 or 6 wonderful people, each cancellation opened me to something else, and in that, God gave me joy and freedom.

For example, on Thursdays I have a weekly meeting at the doughnut shop around the corner with a college student I'm helping to prepare for a summer in Mexico City.  I had done reading and prepared some scripture study in Amos for that meeting, and so I could have been grouchy when a text came through saying he wouldn't make it -- feeling sick.  Instead, there was a sense of openness, like , Okay, how will this morning go now?

It went by tackling a few little projects, having a fantastic conversation and time of prayer with a roommate, and slowing down the pace of the rest of my day.   Mmmm.  As much as I would have savored a string of meetings and "tasks accomplished," this is sweeter.

May God bring you the pace that you need and the peace that you seek, today and every day.