Outsiders

We have grown accustomed to beggars at traffic lights and literally at every second corner. If you stay in Johannesburg, chances are that you regularly get people who ask for clothes and/ or food. You get rather used to it and you get to know people a bit. There are the opportunists, the sincere, the exploiters, the arrogant and so forth. And you help them all if possible. Sometimes there really is no food to give. Sometimes there are no clothes to give, but you just give something, even though it's something small.

Then there are days that the situation and circumstances of people just rattles you and you realize that we have such a long way to go in this country. The media are flooded with stories about the poverty of the black community and the white community, but there is a silence about the other minorities in our society. Let me explain what I mean.

It was time for our weekly Adoramus (meditation) service and just as we were about to enter, a young Indian man stood at the gate. He talks fast and explains he is looking for a jacket or blanket. The security of the community forum has burnt his belongings and he has nothing left. His clothes are full of holes, but clean. He is clean. He explains that he is trying to rebuild his life after his rehabilitation of drug addiction. He is struggling to find a job and he does odd jobs just to eat. He sleeps in someone's yard in a broken vehicle. And he tells of his faith that keeps him grounded.

Well, after many stories, I'm rather sceptical, because it's the standard explanation if someone comes looking for help. However, it is not for me to judge whether he is sincere or whether he is just telling stories to be helped. We help everyone if we have the necessary resources at our disposal. I turned around to find him a jacket and with a quiet voice in my head I returned with more than just the jacket. But the heart-wrenching part is the picture before me as I walk out the door to give him the clothes. He sits on the wall where nobody is around him, unaware of my presence, and cries while praying aloud. When he became aware of my presence, the tears were quickly wiped, he jumped up and couldn’t thank me enough.

The more I think about it, I realize this young man is a victim of a society where he is actually an outcast. He is a total minority in terms of race. He may also come from another religion and was rejected because he accepted the Christian faith. He is rejected by people because he was an addict.

This young man literally has to fight for survival and because he is a marginal figure. He is not part of the mainstream population groups. He has to deal with prejudice on many levels. And now he is standing at our door ....

What are we to do? Not only in terms of this individual but also the bigger picture. How do you and I treat those who are in the minority and marginalized? Those who are different from us? Those who, according to our preconceived ideas, are supposed to be properly self-sufficient? How do you and I fail in the wake of our calling in this world? Yes, fail. We certainly do not get the gold medal for outstanding performances, because 99% of the time we fail ourselves and our fellow human beings. Our prejudice towards others results in classifying people and then we decide whether we are willing to help.

It is in circumstances like this when we have to turn towards our God and act according to what we believe. See, Jesus did not turn people away just because they were different. He drew them closer and embraced them. He had more empathy with the marginal figures. He attended to everyone in need of healing. We must do the same. We must allow people to also heal with us. No judgment. Just love. Love becomes deeds of compassion and those deeds become Jesus' hands and feet here on earth.

May we become more and more like Jesus every day. May you and I embrace people with love. May we truly become Jesus' hands and feet.