If you are familiar with the movie Pursuit of happyness starring Will Smith and his son then you would most likely understand the reference that was made in my title. A short synopsis of this movie is simply this, a broken hearted man is left behind by his wife and mother of his child, she was a woman tired of his big dreams that seemed to hold no results. From this they move from a livable apartment to a the bathroom of a subway station where they must both sleep, father and son, for one unforgettable night. Soon the father finds his way up again for a fresh breath of hope as he receives the opportunity of a lifetime: working on Wall Street. Its quite the challenge at first as he must beat out all competition for the only position available in this mecca of a company in the stock market. Eventually he is chosen for what he was meant to do all along, blessed with what seems to be a super brain he gets past all the many hardships and survives.
This movie is a true story and this man still lives today never forgetting how struggle and despair feel. I guess I reference this movie because on my first trip to D.C. I was shocked by the homeless men and women who slept on the very sidewalks and park benches that were merely miles away from our Capitol.
I was perplexed, I didn't understand how this could be?! Men and woman walk around in there fancy dresses and Italian suits and never look this pain in the eye.
Even I couldn't look this pain in the eye, it hurt to much and it made me realize that our nation will never understand the plight of poverty not even when we live amongst democracy and the well being for all people.
But there was one man who brought great hope to me, when I could feel the very heaviness of despair. There was a guy in the center of one of the en-campents where some men and women were sleeping one night who suddenly came my way as 3 other friends and I stood at the crossing lines.
He began to tell his story how he had been sent to jail, was released then sent back again with a sentence for 15 years but was thankfully was released because he was wrongfully accused. You may ask what sparked such a conversation, well it was the simple response that many Christians know how to give, "God bless you"
At the very moment he was enthused, he began to say "God bless you too! I dont know if ya'll know him like I do but he is good!"
Wow, God was his actual lifesaver, his all in all and he could not help but share his testimony on how God saved his life and turned all that was bad into good.
Even in the midst of the in-between moment of his life now living on the streets he had great hope! He had such a joy that NOTHING and I mean NOTHING could take that away, and he could not help but tell of this life changing God to people he never knew and might never see again.
That's when it hit me how could I not speak of this life-saving God who brought me out of such darkness and death that I almost lost my way totally. How could I not tell perfect strangers such as that man did about the grace of God who could restore all and any?!
I always say that there is someone out there with a story to tell but the question is who will listen? Seeing these people who have now made the streets their homes I realized they all have a story to tell, but who will tell them of redemption?
Will it be you or I?
Will we realize that Christ came to save the entire world and especially those who were seperated from society because they weren't smart enough, religious enough, or rich enough?
It is our duty and our challenge to become who we profess to be: followers of Christ.
Sometimes it takes a reality check to again realize such things, and to see that it must become our way of life until the day when perfect shalom will reign.
