Sorry, this blog is a few days late…the past week at NMSI has been rather chaotic. The second week in January is our “blackout week." All Florida based staff are required to be in the country at this time for crucial meetings, discussions, and vision casting for the year. We were able to get a lot accomplished in our division meetings and I’m looking forward to what this year holds!
The weekend prior to blackout week was one that I won’t soon forget. Ryan and Kyle (two of my housemates and closest friends) nearly share a birthday (Kyle’s is Jan. 10 an Ryan’s is Jan. 11) so we were looking for something great to do for a celebration. The week before, I wandered to http://www.spiritair.com/ and found flights to Atlantic City NJ for $57 round trip! Since neither of these guys had ever been to New York City we decided that it would be a great place for a celebration. We combed the internet for a couple more deals needed to complete our journey ($50 bucks for 2 nights at a hotel, and just over $100 for a rental car) and set our sights on the frigid northeast.
So now, I could write, telling you of the sights we saw, the food we ate, the sketchy place we stayed, the convoluted NJ highway system, or the adventure of driving a PT Cruiser full of 5 guys…but I’ll pass. I’d rather tell you about where I saw Jesus while we were in New York/New Jersey.
I saw him at 3am in the kind smile and cheery disposition of the server at Denny’s
I saw him in the eyes of the 4 strangers who sat across from us and kindly gave us directions on the subway. (yet never spoke to one other)
I saw him in sincerity and sharp mind of the older man wearing the preverbial “NY” hat who spent several minutes telling us the best way to get to Washington Square.
I saw him in the moment when we got immediate seating at the ESPN Zone in Times Square during a Saturday night NFL playoff game after being told the wait was 90 minutes. (it was like God's birthday present for Ryan and Kyle)
Where I saw him most, however, was on the subway at 11PM, while headed back to Jersey. The five of us jumped aboard the train, our bodies tired and our bones chilled from 17 hours of devouring NYC. I took my seat and several seats down, a man caught my attention. His white, unkempt hair fell to his bony, slumping shoulders that didn’t so much support his thickly bearded, blank face, as it did keep it loosely attached to the rest of him. The man’s clothing was tattered and disheveled, partially falling off his frail body. I confess, my immediate reaction was not good…I assumed he had drunk himself into a stupor and was now suffering the hell that comes with that sort of abuse. How arrogant of me. After a couple of minutes of seeing this man sway and shake with every movement of this subway, his body giving no resistance, my heart softened. Kyle, Ryan, and I shifted eye contact between us, each feeling that we had to do something. After a few minutes, Ryan made his way over to the man and asked him a few questions. Turns out he was sick and weak…so weak that he said he could hardly move and probably needed to go to the hospital that night. Though his body suggested otherwise, his mind was sharp and his speech articulate…he was in bad shape and needed help. Our stop approached and we had to get off the train, but not without giving him a couple of jackets and covering him up. As he thanked us, we made eye contac and his vibrant blue, coherent eyes struck me as strong, competent, and well. As soon as we got off the train we found a subway employee who directed help to this man. And that was it...
I’ll not soon forget this moment…we had compassion…but could we have done more? I feel like I was directly confronted by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
So did we deny Jesus? Did we deny man? Neither have defense. This question remains.
Grace for me abounds...should my grace for others not also abound?
The weekend prior to blackout week was one that I won’t soon forget. Ryan and Kyle (two of my housemates and closest friends) nearly share a birthday (Kyle’s is Jan. 10 an Ryan’s is Jan. 11) so we were looking for something great to do for a celebration. The week before, I wandered to http://www.spiritair.com/ and found flights to Atlantic City NJ for $57 round trip! Since neither of these guys had ever been to New York City we decided that it would be a great place for a celebration. We combed the internet for a couple more deals needed to complete our journey ($50 bucks for 2 nights at a hotel, and just over $100 for a rental car) and set our sights on the frigid northeast.
So now, I could write, telling you of the sights we saw, the food we ate, the sketchy place we stayed, the convoluted NJ highway system, or the adventure of driving a PT Cruiser full of 5 guys…but I’ll pass. I’d rather tell you about where I saw Jesus while we were in New York/New Jersey.
I saw him at 3am in the kind smile and cheery disposition of the server at Denny’s
I saw him in the eyes of the 4 strangers who sat across from us and kindly gave us directions on the subway. (yet never spoke to one other)
I saw him in sincerity and sharp mind of the older man wearing the preverbial “NY” hat who spent several minutes telling us the best way to get to Washington Square.
I saw him in the moment when we got immediate seating at the ESPN Zone in Times Square during a Saturday night NFL playoff game after being told the wait was 90 minutes. (it was like God's birthday present for Ryan and Kyle)
Where I saw him most, however, was on the subway at 11PM, while headed back to Jersey. The five of us jumped aboard the train, our bodies tired and our bones chilled from 17 hours of devouring NYC. I took my seat and several seats down, a man caught my attention. His white, unkempt hair fell to his bony, slumping shoulders that didn’t so much support his thickly bearded, blank face, as it did keep it loosely attached to the rest of him. The man’s clothing was tattered and disheveled, partially falling off his frail body. I confess, my immediate reaction was not good…I assumed he had drunk himself into a stupor and was now suffering the hell that comes with that sort of abuse. How arrogant of me. After a couple of minutes of seeing this man sway and shake with every movement of this subway, his body giving no resistance, my heart softened. Kyle, Ryan, and I shifted eye contact between us, each feeling that we had to do something. After a few minutes, Ryan made his way over to the man and asked him a few questions. Turns out he was sick and weak…so weak that he said he could hardly move and probably needed to go to the hospital that night. Though his body suggested otherwise, his mind was sharp and his speech articulate…he was in bad shape and needed help. Our stop approached and we had to get off the train, but not without giving him a couple of jackets and covering him up. As he thanked us, we made eye contac and his vibrant blue, coherent eyes struck me as strong, competent, and well. As soon as we got off the train we found a subway employee who directed help to this man. And that was it...
I’ll not soon forget this moment…we had compassion…but could we have done more? I feel like I was directly confronted by Jesus’ words in Matthew 25:
“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
So did we deny Jesus? Did we deny man? Neither have defense. This question remains.
Grace for me abounds...should my grace for others not also abound?
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