Hand of God

I still have lots of thoughts and feelings swirling around from the weekend ~

Saturday I spent the day serving in the Tenderloin ~ a square mile of the inner city, home to 30,000 disenfranchised human beings; some homeless, some substance abusers, some mentally ill, all poor, and all needing hope and help.  It would be disingenuous to think that 550 volunteers could change things in the course of 8 hours, but miracles do happen.  It would be more realistic to think that we simply touched lives that day with a hot meal, a haircut, some clean clothes, basic medical services and a message that they, too, are God's beloved.

The word that stood out to me that day was dignity.  These people want to be treated with a little dignity because they, too, have value as people, despite their circumstances.  I went expecting to hear a great message from Francis Chan and to serve.  I came home with my heart full of the people I met and the ardent hope that I treated them with the dignity they deserve as children of God.

Saturday night I returned to my safe, clean neighborhood and spent the evening with friends.  It was bit surreal after the day's experience, but I honestly welcomed the return back to my normal.  We saw a movie about 30,000-year-old cave paintings in France that were discoverd fairly recently and have never been seen by the general public.  The director had convinced the scientific/government community to let him make a documentary about this incredible vision back into the heart and mind of paleo man.

The beauty and the artistic flair of these cave paintings are stunning.  As I watched the story unfold, I couldn't help but think about the lives of the painter(s).  They must have had some of the same survival challenges that the 30,000 folks from the Tenderloin meet on a daily basis ~ food, clothing, shelter, safety.  And they must have faced these challenges both individually and within their community.

It's clear to me that the strongest link between the "tribes" of the Tenderloin and paleo man is their need to know and believe in their self-worth as more than another creature struggling for survival during their brief sojourn on earth.  As the documentary came to a close, the scientists were speculating about the "why" of the paintings.  Why did paleo man need to paint on walls of caves that were obviously not their homes?  Why were they done with such incredible beauty and craftsmanship?  Why were they done throughout the length of the 1,400 foot cave in the dark with only fire torches for illumination?  Were they, just as we are today, looking for meaning; for a connection to something far greater than ourselves?  Were they, too, reaching out for the hand of God?

On Saturday, I pray that the Tenderloin residents, the Reginalds and the Daryls, that I spoke with, gave food to and prayed with felt the hand of God on them, even if it was but for a brief moment.