Just the way it is

You don’t see them as often as you once did. Perhaps they moved on to greener pastures or to a better life. Maybe they’ve just gone, leaving only the hauntingly indelible image (Exodus 3:7) of what it looks like to be poor, destitute, alone and needy in a world where everything is conspicuously consumed. Our downtown is undergoing a major facelift, a popular revival, and becoming what city founders envisioned years ago – a place where people from all walks can work, play and engage. But, even as silk suits have been replaced by casual business attire, the poor man’s eyes see the same sad scenario repeatedly re-staged (Proverbs 14:20). No conversation, no physical contact, no helping hand extended to one that’s attempting to grasp a glimmer of hope or the possibility of righting a ship silently sinking into the abyss. Sadly, the rules of engagement don’t appear to have changed over time. No spoken words, no connection between people who have much more in common than they might imagine. Those called into God’s kingdom are to serve, with righteousness and justice, the oppressed, the exiled and the downtrodden (Isaiah 58:7-8). In so doing, blessings will be bestowed on both parties involved. You may not think you can make a difference. You may hear some say that things will never change, that it’s just the way it is. Don’t you believe them.