"Eric" is new to this blog community.
He posted a most interesting and insightful comment last Tuesday, October 23. You may want to go back and take a look at what he said.
Eric is exceptional.
He is also homeless here in Dallas.
He signed off on his comment by offering up this bit of counsel to those of us who are well off, especially those of us who take exception to people like him:
"my inconvenient existence may be a glimpse of your eternal reward. . ."
Don't like the way that sounds?
It occurs to me that Eric's been reading the words of Jesus, since that is just about what Jesus told his critics through the words of his parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. You may want to check the passage out at Luke 16:19-31.
I have this hunch that Eric has a lot in common with Jesus.
I mean think about it.
Jesus was always upsetting the voices of reason of his day.
He made the religious leaders and the church folks mad as could be on a regular basis. Usually it was by pointing the inconsistency of their ways.
Or, even more, it was by simply telling them that they had missed the whole point of "doing God's will" in the world.
Eric's just carrying on a great tradition.
"my inconvenient existence may be a glimpse of your eternal reward. . ."
Something to think about the next time you feel inconvenienced by a poor person who has no place to live in a city of incredible wealth like Dallas, Texas.
3 comments:
Sometimes my children seem wiser than me. On Saturday, I was running some errands with my 12 yr old. Upon arriving at a stop light, an older man with a sign asking for help approached my car. I rolled my window down and gave him a couple of dollars. As we drove away, my son asked me why I always give money to people on the street corner, and I told him that when I look into their eyes I see someone's son or daughter or father or mother who has not had the good fortune that we have experienced. My son responded, "Dad, he is God's son". Such simple words. Such a simple concept. I thought about my 12 yr. old's insight all day. I will never ever forget that when I look into the eyes of a man on the street corner asking for money, that I am looking into God's son's eyes. Perspectives shape compassion. Compassion shapes our lives. I love my son.
Eric writes like an educated and articulate person. Could you give us a hint as to why he finds himself homeless?
Anonymous 4:50 PM, what you can read on my post last Tuesday in the comments section where his words are posted it all I know about Eric. Hopefully, we will learn more.
General rule of the City #1: poor does not mean stupid, evil or flawed.
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