Soapbox

This picture and its story have been making its way around the internet lately. Have you seen it? The gist is that the new pastor of a mega church disguised himself as a homeless man before his first Sunday service. Since no one had ever met him, the pastor stood out only as a gritty, dirty man asking for money. During the 30 minutes that he walked around, only 3 people out of 7,000 to 10,000 acknowledged him. Not just to give him money, but to even say hello.

After the "mix and mingle," the pastor took a seat in the back of the church. Eventually, he was introduced and began walking towards the pulpit. Everyone stared, shocked and shamed, as the "homeless" man unveiled himself as the newest leader of their congregation. The final words to this story read, "Being a Christian is more than something you claim. It's something you live by and share with others."

Initially, I read this story and "liked" it. I read other comments that read, "Awesome message!" "Really makes you think!" but for some reason I couldn't shake a feeling of irritation. I told the story to my husband, and then again to my mom, but was unable to put a finger on why this parable really annoyed me. My final discussion with Mike led me to the conclusion that I do like this lesson - I just wish that it had gone a little deeper.

My bet is that many people left church that Sunday pondering whether or not they would talk to the next homeless man they meet. Maybe it was discussed over lunch, with some people boasting, "I bought McDonald's for a homeless guy a few weeks ago" or compensating with a statement along the lines of, "I hear what the pastor was trying to say, but he didn't take into account that homeless people can be dangerous. And they really don't want something to eat, they just want the money for drugs and alcohol."  At some point, these church members were able to convince themselves that they are not bad people, and were able to talk themselves out of the guilt and shame they may have felt that morning.

I think this story is a great way to make people examine their prejudices and perhaps consider a different reaction in the future. But what is really changing? If we all walk around smiling and saying hello to the homeless people on the streets, what is that going to do? Are we going to have a a bunch of cheery homeless people?

Every weekday, I drive to a house 40 minutes south of my home. For at least eight hours, I sit in an office and work with individuals who are homeless. I can assure you that a smile or a kind word would definitely have helped my clients when they were living on the streets. During that moment, they might not have felt so invisible and alone. That McDonald's lunch DID help - they were starving and you gave them something to eat. But at the end of the day, they were still homeless, with nothing to show for the life they have led.

I get annoyed when I hear people insinuating that being homeless is a choice. That it could have been prevented. What person would choose to live on the streets and be treated like the dregs of society? To be branded as a dangerous criminal when life veered off the path you originally planned? Can you imagine watching someone cross the street so that they do not have to acknowledge you? There are so many issues involved when someone is homeless and unfortunately, a smile or a McDonald's lunch can't fix them. There are mental health issues and substance abuse issues combined with a lack of education and a broken family structure that is most likely completely foreign to you and me. Mix it all together and you end up with a mess that is very hard for one person to sort out alone.

And yes, I am generalizing. I am very aware that one bad apple can ruin the bunch. But what if, instead of assuming that all of these individuals are bad, we assume that they are good? What if, instead of talking about giving someone on the streets a nod or a smile, we begin considering how we can offer both good and affordable mental health and substance abuse treatment? Sound crazy? Even crazier still, how about making sure that all children are receiving the same quality education, whether they are in public or private school, rich or poor. Maybe then, mental health issues would be caught and treated early, before someone starts hearing voices at work, is fired, misses some mortgage payments and ends up on the street.

Still crazy? Perhaps. But imagine it was you sitting on that street corner this afternoon. Today it is 105 degrees in Texas and I am chugging water to stay cool indoors. If I were searching for shade in this heat, carrying my life's belongings on my back and dealing with depression or another mental illness that I can't afford to take medication for, I would hope that there was someone else in my corner who was not just going to offer me an Egg McMuffin.