homeless...

Interesting thing happened last night. We were just walking outta Winners and this old man, threadbare clothes, smelling of alchohol and unwashed body asked us for some change to buy a coffee. I felt gripped by compassion, mercy, sorrowfulness and frustration at the state of our world, and the complete irony that this man was asking us for change for a coffee as we were heading for the nearest Starbucks to enjoy a $4 drink on our ride home. I didn't need to know his story. Obviously if he's wandering the streets at thirty below, his story pretty much sucks. I just needed to remember that judgement isn't mine to give, but mercy...yes. As I told this story today (to the comfortable middle class) I was disheartened to hear the bitterness and hardness that some people harbour. "He's only going to drink it away, or buy cigarettes" Actually, I don't care what he does with it. My business is not deciding for him what he will do when grace and mercy fall on him, rather it is my job to make sure that grace and mercy are there for him...isn't that what we're supposed to do here on this earth? What would Jesus have done? Likely taken him out for coffee...and loved him because of the simple fact that he was born. I think I can spare some change.