PG rated post

I read a quote this morning from "Miracle on Centre Street: The Story of Calgary's Mustard Seed Street Ministry" on the train to work (it's a great little book about the story of The Seed).

To explain a little bit, Waldy is/was a chaplain at the Seed, and has just finished relating a heart breaking story about the loneliness homeless people experience. He shared several stories of people dying alone in the streets; a body found in an alley way behind some boxes, frozen to death from the bitter chills of Calgary's winter season. Waldy has conducted numerous funerals where the only other person in the room with Waldy and the deceased is another staff member of The Seed. This is common...people who have died alone, with no trace of family or friends...discarded from society... I would argue that perhaps their journey towards death was not necessarily due to the cold weather, but perhaps the coldness of human nature:

"It's a strange paradox, but many street people despise 'the Church' for any of a number of reasons, yet they often have warm feelings towards Jesus. In a discussion once with several guests, someone came right out and asked Waldy the question, 'Why are Christians such assholes?' There are a plenty of answers, with words like hypocrite, pompous, and self-righteous being expressed. Then Waldy asked them, 'What about Jesus? Was He one of those?' They answered He was not. 'The more i get to know Him, the more i like Him,' someone said.

Waldy is coming to the conclusion that street people have more depth and insight than we give them credit for. They know they are sinners and in one sense have more integrity than many of us straight people who keep ourselves carefully protected in a thick envelope of pride. Waldy claims that more street people are Christians than we would ever believe. 'They have learned to have faith in God because there is no one else to trust,' he says" (Hankins, 94-5).

ouch... i think it hurts to read that because i know i am guilty of being those words at one point or another in my life, if not this very morning. geez, i need to be more like Jesus, and not like me...cos im ...an asshole. there's so much i can learn from my brother and sister on the street...i just need to let down my pride and open up a little.

talk about an intense transit ride eh? i had to close the book pretty much right after i read that cos it was firstly, so sad to read about people dying alone, and secondly, a challenge to the start of my day.

much love,
dL

PS: im starting to feel Stampede fever...it's growing, my friends. the cowboy hats, the jeans, the cattle and oh, the horses....it's coming....and i don't know where to hide :| might as well embrace it!