Yesterday, I met an African American woman on the streets of Los Angeles. I was surprised because her little daughter was with her. Thankfully, they seemed all right. She said that her daughter was going to private school (probably visiting mom on a Sunday?), and that she was able to live-stream her church services during this pandemic. If not for the whole homeless situation, she’s like most people I would meet—friendly, polite, intelligent, caring and protective of her child. I didn’t pry into her story, as the sun was going down fast and I had more meals to distribute. But her gratitude and prayers of blessing meant a lot to me.
As I was about to drive away, I observed another African American woman, who was clearly our of her mind, via my car’s side mirror. I didn’t want any problems, but also didn’t want to discriminate, so I got out of my car to offer her some food. She was talking out loud to no one in particular, and flashing her breasts too. I covered my eyes… her lack of modesty due to mental instability was like that of a rebellious child running around naked… except she’s a grown woman, probably raped and taken advantage of, compounding her disturbed psychological state.
She wanted food, but glared at me with angry eyes as I offered. She flicked what seemed to be a small piece of dirt into the trunk of my car, where the food was. I got a bit upset by this but pressed on. She demanded extra juice, so I gave her another. Yet she still reached into my stash, grabbing a whole bunch of juice boxes. I tried to stop her, but at this point, social distancing and safety precautions were going out the window. In the end, I just let her walk away with her hands full. I hoped that this feral woman would know how to feed herself. Shockingly, I’ve encountered a few who seem like they wouldn’t even know how to use a spoon or a fork.
Flashback to Saturday evening, I was trying to drive around a man who was walking in the middle of the road. I didn’t get a very good look at him, and couldn’t really tell if he was homeless or just out for a walk. An impatient driver in a truck pulled over to his side to shout obscenities… not realizing that he himself was blocking the road by stopping there to criticize a complete stranger. I didn’t want to scare the guy by stopping myself, but wish I had done something to undo the hatred spewed at him.
The verbal abuse given to the homeless must make them feel more alone in the world, and more like they’re a burden on society. Maybe the man didn’t care if he lived or died, was beaten or arrested, hence why he was walking in such a dangerous way. It’s ironic that yesterday was the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. We also have a pope who’s named after this saint for the poor. And yet, our brothers and sisters on the streets seem to keep increasing. I’m dumbstruck… how can we call ourselves Christian or pro-life if a certain section of society is abandoned and forgotten? We may profess ourselves to be socially conscious humanitarians for giving to various organizations, but when it comes down to our own people, our own streets, the limits of our love are truly tested. Do we simply want to pass Jesus by in those He most identifies with? Do we not want to clothe, feed, and shelter Him? Or are we letting our fear be stronger than our faith and love? I’m sorry, Lord, for my failures. Please help me to care for You in every person I meet.
2 Comments
Add Yours →I googled “Broken world” and came upon your blog.
There’s a point at which i have to accept that neither God nor the devil is with us. Mind you, I’ve always been skeptical. I tried though, (within my limits) to reach out to God. Rarely a moment of peace did i have, even when confessing my terrible sins, receiving communion, attending Adoration. Now i have come to terms with it, my current sins, the world of chaos we live in , the i’m a better Catholic than you crowd (especially on social media) fighting among each other due to politics etc. Those who once were on friendly terms, suddenly turning on one another, even family members too in some cases. If Lucifer is real, then he is has the upper hand. He must be laughing, grinning at us all right now. If the story is true that he descended from heaven because God chose us, dirty, loathsome creatures over the angels, he must have had at least some just cause in believing that. The reality is though that we are what we are, what we want to believe is subjective, often to use God as a tool for our own needs, earthly needs. He won’t answer in a tangible way, he won’t speak to us when all others have rejected us, neither will the devil. Prayer? I tried as best as a doubter could to reject my darker sides. Prayed for the sick and dying. Most remained sick or died. The worst form of prayer is to pray for those you reject here on earth. ” Our friendship is merely superficial, Simon, i will still pray for you” After 2 yrs of knowing said person, that was her reply. I replied with “If your praying for me is just so that i reach heaven and be a real friend only there to you, then what do expect when i reject that concept in how you view me here on earth?… I replied ,”Your prayers are as superficial as our friendship was then.”
I now just site back to watch the chaos continue to unfold. I t hasn’t changed from the beginning and never will.
Good day to you,
Simon
Hello Simon, I really appreciate your commenting on my blog. My heart goes out to you, and lately I’ve also been feeling quite lonely even among fellow Catholics. It’s a real concern, the division in the Church… priests, bishops, and our pope must have a harder time, due to the responsibility of being our shepherds.
If I may, I would recommend a couple of testimonies on YouTube. The first is from a young man named Oswaldo Sanchez: Part 1 – https://youtu.be/OosEqWgBLCs and Part 2- https://youtu.be/pplHNjdNny4
The second is from Zachary King, a former Satanist high wizard: https://youtu.be/MW-2ti4DOD8
These two talks illustrate the reality of the devil but also of God, Who is ultimately sovereign. I hope I can be of help to you. My best advice though would be to go to our Blessed Mother Mary, since she is the closest to her Son.
May you have a blessed week and feel free to contact me again. My e-mail is davyface@gmail.com, if that’s more convenient.
Sincerely,
Davy