I have discovered the epicenter of wealth in London. I have seen jewelry, furs and automobiles that alone cost more money than I will see in my entire lifetime. I have met families whose household help include drivers, secretaries, nannies, maids and cooks no less.
I have also discovered that amidst all of this opulence, there are others living in heartbreaking conditions.
On our school runs each morning during our hotel days, the boys and I would pass a gentleman that was obviously homeless. As hard as it is to admit, I would try to steer our crew so that G might not notice him. I was hoping the gentleman would not draw G's attention as I knew the questions would start coming, and I was just not prepared to explain homelessness to an 8 year old. I still grapple with it myself.
G does not miss anything, and on the 2nd day of passing this same gentleman, G informed me that we saw him there yesterday. I just nodded and tried to walk a little faster, hoping the conversation would go no further. Something else caught G's eye, and our conversation ended there.
Until the next day.
Then the questions came flying. We saw him there yesterday. Did he stay there all day long? Did he sleep there? What's in his bag? What does he eat? Where is his family?
Where is his family?
This one really got me. And got me thinking.
Before this point in my life, the only homeless people that I had ever encountered were the few panhandlers that I would see as I was driving into downtown Dallas. I am terribly ashamed to admit that I now realize what preconceived notions and misconceptions I had that were more than undeserved. I thought that those panhandlers could get a job if they really wanted to, that they were taking the easy way out by panhandling, and that they would use the money they received to purchase alcohol or drugs. I thought most were as Ronald Reagan succinctly put it, "homeless by choice".
Seeing this gentleman through G's eyes helped me see him as a person. He is someones son. Probably someones husband, probably a father, maybe a brother, maybe an uncle, definitely someones friend.
Then I began to wonder about him. How he got to this point in his life. I'm sure he held a job at some point. Maybe his company experienced a downturn and he was a victim of their lay-offs. Maybe his family pulled together and lived on their savings for awhile. Maybe that got difficult as the money ran out. Maybe they lost their home, maybe his wife left with the children, maybe he had nowhere to turn and no one to turn to.
This could be any man I know.
That realization has been a tough one to digest.
I now see this gentleman for who he is, not who I thought he was. G and I have had many conversations about this man, about homelessness, and about being stewards of God's blessings. I have tried to answer all of G's questions with honesty and empathy. Through these conversations, our eyes have been opened, and our hearts have been purified. We have both learned about God's mercy and grace and unconditional love. I'm just wondering who has learned more.
