I caught sight of him as I pulled up to the traffic signal. Sitting up on his knees, leaning slightly forward to keep his balance, the young man (maybe early twenties) held his sign as he perched on the side of the busy intersection and watched the line of cars pull up to the red light. His eyes passed from car to car as he lifted a faded, white bandana to wipe away the sweat from his face on this sweltering summer afternoon. His sign was partially obscured by tufts of grassy weeds, but two words written in black bubble letters read travelin and hungry.
As I sat in my air-conditioned car and watched him, my initial thought was how hot he must feel sitting outside in the sun. But that turned almost immediately into a feeling of criticism – why are you sitting on the side of the road looking for a handout instead of looking for a job. Words like lazy and irresponsible went through my mind as I sat in my car and passed judgment on this stranger without knowing anything about him or his life story.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a young woman coming up the sidewalk, walking toward the young man. She was carrying a small paper take-out bag from a local restaurant in one hand and a large plastic cup with a straw in the other. As she neared the man, he stood up to meet her, and she handed him the bag and drink. I saw him mouth the words thank-you as he gratefully accepted it. As I watched the exchange, I wondered if she was his girlfriend, but as she turned and walked away I realized she didn’t know him at all. I turned my attention back to the young man who was again sitting on the cement; his sign lying next to him on the ground as he slowly began eating French fries one by one.
Immediately I was convicted of my judgmental attitude. Whether this young man was lazy or truly in need was not my place to determine. Out of all the people who passed him by the side of the road, only one lady stopped to give him food. That young woman demonstrated the love of Jesus as I sat in my car and mentally condemned this man.
Although I didn’t voice my opinions aloud, God knew my thoughts. He knew I wasn’t showing love to others as I so often profess: Love God and Love People. God used that brief 30 seconds at a red light to remind me again not to judge others, but to think about how I can truly live out His command – in thought as well as action.
1 comment:
You are so right. That is the person Jesus probably would have had lunch with, not the well-dressed business man walking down 8th street. Thanks for the reminder.
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