I had the privilege of preparing and serving dinner at a local soup kitchen this weekend with the youth confirmation class from my church. I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the young people had trouble finding anything in common with the people whom they were serving. Honestly, this is probably a fault that I am guilty of many times as well. When I am stopped and asked for money, I often find myself distrusting and reluctant to share the wealth I have because I struggle to see the poor, the homeless, and the less fortunate as equals.
There was a woman at dinner that reminded me of the lady who ran the dry cleaners around the corner from where I grew up. As I was becoming overwhelmed at seeing this lady, who I thought had been so kind to my sister and me growing up, I decided to find out this woman’s story. Although this woman bore a striking resemblance to the woman from my childhood, she had a different story. She had been married to a clergyman before spending the last several years on the street. She has since found a safer and more suitable place to live.
I have been finding this reality slightly haunting, possibly because I work with several clergy men and women and their families, or maybe because I know a little bit about the woman from the soup kitchens story. If a clergyman’s wife could end up homeless, than a youth minister certainly could. I believe as Christians we are called to work with the poor, the homeless, and those who suffer. However, if we place people into categories by labeling them poor, homeless, or suffering, we can become subject to never seeing them as equals. Sunday reminded me that we are all equal regardless of the clothes we wear, the homes we live in, or if we are serving or being served.
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