The poor will always be among us.

It poses a challenge for me to write about the streets I live in. My neighborhood. The people I encounter daily. The looks I get. You see, I live in South Bogota. South Bogota is one of the most dangerous places in all Colombia. It is the '"ghetto", it is the dark alley you don't want to walk down. It is not uncommon for me to hear gun shots, to be told to watch out for a murderer on the loose, to see gangs, to watch drugs being distributed, and to have the crime scene unit arrive because of a murder. This is the "dangerous" part of my world. But, those are just some of the faces I see on the street.

The other day I encountered 2 homeless gentlemen. One was dressed in a pair of pants that had been duct-taped down the seam, his clothes were dirty and he had tied a suitcase to his hand (so it wouldn't be stolen) and was just standing, waiting for someone to show compassion on his situation. The other was walking around looking for items that people had thrown out, he carried a pair of shoes, computer parts, and plethora of other peoples trash.

I also see the poor-working class. They are hard workers. One man is a car repairman. Everyday, he is out repainting or soldering...but the other day, he stopped just to tell me how beautiful my eyes were. (And unlike most of the guys who do similar things here, he was genuine, and not creepy about it!) Then you have your bakery, where maybe 5 customers come in all day, but the prepare as if it would be 1000. And hairstylist, and the fruit market...the list could go on and on...and the poor-working class people have one thing in common...THEY AREN'T GOING TO RIP YOU OFF. They work hard for their measly wages.

But, what the Lord has been stirring in my heart as I walk the streets, are the homeless people I have seen. When was the last time that you were so desperate for money that you duct-taped you pants? Or when was the last time you went digging through the garbage to find food, or something to sell? The Bible says that the poor will always be among us. I knew that was true, but now it is my world. What brought them to this place of having no home? Would you ever hire someone who was dressed up in their finest clothes that were duct-taped? Would you get angry at one of them for sitting in front of your high dollar business trying to make some money? How do you respond to the homeless?

Over the last couple weeks, the Lord has broken my heart for their souls, for their lives. My judgments, my perceptions, my fears of them have all had to come into account. What I wonder is how are we, the "rich", taking care of the poor? Are we being like the rich man who only fed crumbs to Lazarus? Are we trying to be "safe" by not letting one into our homes? Or are we offering a cup of cold water in the name Christ? Are we laying down our perceptions, so that we can think of them as better than ourselves?

I'm still fighting with all these thoughts, but I just wish you could see what I see every day. Souls in the balance. Men and women who have no hope of heavenly or earthly success. Many of the people I encounter are born into street life, others you may know may have made some wrong choices so now this is their lot. But let's not base a person's soul on past decisions. But instead, let's change the lenses in our glasses and begin to see them as God sees them.

What are you going to do for the homeless and the poor in your community?