I wanted to take a minute to tell you all a quick story about a man i met today. His name is Kenneth and he was hanging around the church today when i struck up a casual conversation with him. Its not uncommon for guys who live on the street to come up to the church and ask for work or money or food, and i didnt expect this guy to be any different than the majority. Our conversation didn't lead to much and i didn't chat with him again until this evening. When we came back from sunnyside, i saw him again as he was walking home. I offered him a lift and gave him a ride to where he was staying. He told me about how he had been falsely accused of house breaking and was in prison for 2 months before they released him. After getting out, he had an extremely difficult time finding a job. About this time we came to where he was staying. It was actually just the back side of a hill that barely concealed him from a busy road near the church. It had a few clothes and belongings strewn about the grass and a black spot where he had obviously made some fires. I suggested that he come back by the church tomorrow to speak to Riaan, our pastor, who typically can find work for those who genuinely want it; Kenneth was definately genuine. As he was getting out of the car, he showed me his ID. I guess he wanted to prove to me that he was a South African or to somehow further prove his sincerity in finding work. When i looked at it, i was a bit taken a back. His birthday is Jan 13 1986: 3 days after mine.
I dont think this point could have hit home harder. Here i am, driving a vehicle, wearing nice clothes, living in a great house where i am never going hungry. I have a college degree, a loving family, and a loving girlfriend. Kenneth because of lifes circumstances, fate, divine will, whatever you want to call it, was living outside in the middle of winter with no job and only 1 pair of trousers. What seperates me from Kenneth?
I was truely humbled by the uniformity of people tonight. We are all the same. Everyone deserves to be treated with the same respect. God tells us never to show favoritism (James 2). Kenneth and I are linked by a common birthday but more so, we are linked by a common Creator and a common Salvation despite the differences our lives have produced.
