Good afternoon, and welcome.
I know I’ve visited with you before regarding the topic for
today. But I think it deserves another
look. As you know, I work at a downtown urban
church set on the banks of the Arkansas river.
This location gives us plenty of opportunity to see what goes on in the
downtown area as well as to sometimes participate in it.
As the warmer weather has come on us, we see more of the
unhoused walking the streets in front of and beside our building. They are usually easy to spot and set apart
from the business people and residents of the area who are walking the streets
as well. They usually have large
backpacks or are pushing or pulling some kind of cart or wagon. If they happen to have a bicycle, they often
will have it loaded down with bags, or will be pulling some kind of cart behind
it. Their clothing is often ill-fitting and
out of season. They have a generally
disheveled appearance. They often look
as if they’ve just come in from the wilderness and are in need of hygiene
services.
Now, I say none of those things in order to denigrate or
make fun of anyone. Rather, I say those
things because you too have seen such people, and most likely don’t have the
best thoughts about them when you see or encounter them. The thoughts of most of us who encounter
these folks range from, “Why don’t they get a job?” to “Why don’t they just go
away?” Sometimes the thoughts and even spoken
comments are more mean-spirited than those I just mentioned, reducing these
people to something less than human and worthy of nothing from the rest of us. We treat animals better than some of us treat
these people.
The sight of an unhoused person or couple walking the street
with all of their worldly possessions on their backs is familiar to me. I’ve seen it hundreds and hundreds of times. They’ve come to our church door hundreds and
hundreds of times looking for food, water, a restroom, clothing, gloves, or
something else that will help them get through the day. Some of their requests we can help with…others,
not so much.
Just a few minutes ago, John came to the door. He shows up about once a year and always
wants to go through the Lions Club donated eyeglasses box we have in our foyer
to see if there may be glasses in there that he might be able to use. He also usually uses the restroom facilities. A decent and friendly man, John never needs
much, and is always polite and well-spoken.
Rocky comes by more often.
He never needs much either…some Gatorade or maybe a pair of socks, a
tube of Fixodent denture adhesive or perhaps something else small. Sometimes he needs the restroom…sometimes
not. The last time he came in, he used
the restroom. I went in afterwards and
found the Jeans he had been wearing in the trash, along with a lot of paper
hand towels. He had evidently soiled
himself and used the restroom to clean up and change his pants.
Many others walk by and never stop, except maybe to check
out the Paxton’s Blessing Box we have outside our door. Most of them I don’t know. Many of them will be in this area for awhile,
then go somewhere else either in the Wichita area or another city. A very few will put together what it takes to
get permanent housing, and will get off the street. Jim and Arlene are two examples of that. I’m grateful they were able to navigate the
sometimes byzantine requirements for a government identification card and then
succeed in running the maze of government agencies and qualifying for housing
and other resources.
Even though I’ve seen hundreds of scenes of the unhoused on
the street, each time I see it I get a twinge in my soul and am at once both saddened
that we as a society can’t seem to get a handle on the issue, and yet grateful
that I’ve been given what I have in life and can go home to a real house with
turned-on utilities, comfortable furniture, and a great neighborhood.
I don’t have the answers.
I’m not certain at this point that anyone does. But I know that those who I see on the street
are people…human beings…worthy of the dignity and respect that comes with that
designation. Unhoused, disheveled, mentally
ill, jobless…it doesn’t matter. When we
begin to disrespect or at minimum ignore any class of human beings, we cheapen
the meaning of human life and make it more expendable. As humans ourselves, we need to continually,
ferociously guard against that tendency.
The next time you see an apparently homeless individual on
the street, think about what it is that you think or say when you see one. Maybe, just maybe, you need to develop a
little more kindness and empathy, and see them for who they are…humans made in
the image of God.
Blessings,
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