today...

Imagine this. You retire to your room after a hard days work. Outside, you hear the soft sounds of rain falling. You dim the lights and pull out your favourite book reading page by page until you slowly begin to feel tired. You place your book back on the bedside table as you switch off the lamp. Pulling your thick, warm 1500 thread count Egyptian blanket over your head as you place your head on your soft duck feathered pillow... you slowly fall asleep in your snug, cosy room...

Now imagine this. It's 1am on the same Friday night and the streets are still bustling with people walking in groups. The sound of music pumping from the bars and clubs nearby. You're tired, but you can't sleep as there is so much commotion. Girls are constantly squealing and running across the street to avoid getting wet from the rain. Taxi's are coming in and out, horning at pedestrians who take their time to cross the road. You're cold. Not just cold, but kinda freezing cold. Your socks are wet from and you didn't get a chance to dry them - so your feet are cold too. You wonder when things are going to quieten down. You look around you and see people smiling, laughing and having fun on a Friday night. The plastic bag next to you are all the possessions you have.

Stark constrast right?

But it's happening right here in Perth. Not to mention every singly city in the whole wide world. Not one place on Earth is immune from poverty and it's a growing problem in our society as the rich get richer and the poor get, well, poorer.

I'm always so moved when I see a homeless person sleeping on the streets, no where to go, no source of stable income, begging. I wonder how they ever ended up in that situation, what point in their life turned so bad that they only had to streets to look to as their home? Sometimes we, we as in those who are comfortably living with a roof over their heads, food on the table and with a stable income, sometimes we overlook the needs of the poor.

I haven't travelled to many places around the world, but when I was old enough to understand the meaning of poverty and homelessness, every single place I've been to, I've experienced it. I can remember the faces of these people whom I've seen sleeping on the street, yet I felt so helpless to help them. Their faces are seared into my heart and every now and then I will think about them. What for? They're just strangers, people I don't even know, less should care about right? But no, God knows them. God knows them personally and he cares so much for them, like we should. I think we all need to have a heart of compassion. It's not enough to say that these people got themselves into this poverty-stricken situation in the first place. They may have, but what we can do is lend a helping hand to help them out of that situation.

Last year I went to Melbourne and as much as there were many happy memories, one of the things that really stood out in my mind was this homeless poet (above picture). Amongst all the memories that I had in Melbourne, this would be one of the first few memories that I would recall from my trip there. That night, I cannot even remember the people I dined with upstairs, all the while, this homeless poet was outside on the streets wondering where his next meal would come from. He was busily writing a poem with his coloured chalk on the floor, trying to get enough money that would last him for the next week? Trying his best, which was all he could do with what he had.

I went to Sydney in 2006 and 2007 and both times I saw this homeless man on Pitt Street Mall (above picture). It's not enough to say that this is just a person. He has a name too and he also has a story. His name is Brian by the way. Not that I went and talked to him or anything, but I watched a newscover by Monique on Sunrise. She went and talked to him about his story and how he ended up on the streets. It's a sad story... and I was on the verge of crying listening to his plight. He's not bitter about where he is. He just wants some respect because he's part of society too. There are so many discontented people out there who on the surface, may seem to have everything, yet Brian, who has almost nothing makes the best of what he has. He's a business man. He's also the CEO of his shoe shining business if you want to look at it that way. If you want to see his story click here and scroll down to Shoeshine Brian.

It can be all fine and dandy when we don't see these homeless people right? We won't even know they exist. But it's not enough to say, "Oh poor guy..." and then proceed to give googling stares at his plight and walk away. What can you do about it! Helen Keller once said, "I cannot do everything, but still I can do something."

Justice cannot be reduced to a project, a protest or a crusade. Justice is a HEART. It was injustice that compelled Jesus to the cross. He stepped into humanity's desperation; stood for what was right; healed the sick and lifted the oppressed. Wherever there was injustice Jesus responded. We're called to do the same. Injustice demands our response!

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