i was on my way yesterday to grab lunch with one of my guys and as we were stopped at a red light, we saw a man who appeared to be homeless on the street corner. he had the typical scruffy, homeless appearance and was holding a piece of cardboard with “food” written in all caps. as he walked by, he and i held eye contact for more than a few seconds, but he just walked on by and i just drove off.
after a few seconds of driving i just couldn’t get his eyes out of my head so i turned the car around and went to go pick him up. a fellow wanderer taught me that it is much greater to share a meal with someone who’s hungry than it is to throw money at the problem thinking it’s going to help. i pulled up the car beside him as he walked along the side of the road and rolled the window down. i told him that i saw his sign and that my friend and i were on our way to grab a bite to eat. i said he was welcome to join us. and his response knocked me off my feet.
he said “thanks, man but i’m actually on my way to get a pack. i haven’t smoked in an hour and it’s starting to get to me. but i did get some food earlier so don’t worry about that. i’m kinda out just hustlin’ right now and i know i’m addicted but i can’t help it. but i did eat already so thanks anyways.”
just… wow. his response hit me on so many different levels i still don’t know what to think about it. he knew that he was addicted to smoking and had probably given up all hope on ever quitting. he had already eaten but still he held up the sign for food so that he could get some money for his addiction(s). he was a hustler and he knew it. i can’t decide if i’m angry at the fact that he was cheating people out of their money or if i’m broken-hearted that he was so addicted and he didn’t seem to care.
i think what really struck me is that he was honest about all of it. even in all of his sin, he didn’t see the need to cover it up or make it out to be something that it’s not. never in a thousand years did i think i’d be following the example of a homeless man.
p.s. – or did i?