Something's Changed...

While walking down the streets of Lima, there are some things that you don't often see in the US. You see things like kids who walk up and ask for money or to buy whatever it is they are selling. Also, there are often older women that beg for money and they have as many as three or four small children sleeping in their laps. The last site that you might see occasionally in the US if you travel down the wrong street but you see it more often here, is prostitutes. Even on the main street there will be prostitutes on the corners.

Last year, I saw these things but did not think too much of it. Sure it made me a little sad, but I was in Peru giving my time and money to be in missions and so I couldn't help everybody. This year, however, something has changed. When I see these things, time...seems...to...stop.

As I stand frozen in time, looking at these children and women, different words and images run through my head.

The first place I go is scripture. (These are paraphrases of a few that came to mind)

-What you do unto the least of these you do unto me
-I was hungry and you fed me, naked and you clothed me...I was hungry and you did not feed me, naked and you gave me no clothing.
-Who is my neighbor
-The first shall be last and the last shall be first
-The church is one body but many parts
-The greatest of these is love
-You show me faith without works and I will show you my faith through my works
-Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head
-Who is my mother, who are my brothers

Next, I think of various quotes, and prayers

-Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours
-We have not done your will, we have broken your law, we have rebelled against your love, we have not loved our neighbors, and we have not heard the cry of the needy
-Lord make me a channel of your peace
-Lord help my disbelief
-Be the change you want to see in the world
-Each of them is Jesus in disguise
-We can do no great things, only small things with great love

Lastly, I thought of my experiences that I've had and people I've come in contact with

-The orphans in Ayacucho, Huaraz, and Iquitos
-The people of Brazil
-The church in Guatemala
-San Carlos Island in Venezuela
-The homeless community in Columbia, SC
-Various immigrants to the US both documented and undocumented

All of this ran through my head at once and I was almost brought to tears. My heart was aching because I no longer saw children begging, a homeless woman, and prostitutes. Instead, what I saw were my children, brothers, sisters, and mothers in need. I thought of the various verses and from my experiences and realized that each and every one of these people is part of the body of Christ whether they know it or not. One slight change and I could have been just like them. One second more on the streets, and any of the orphans I have worked with could have been in that same spot, and some of them were, and others still may be.

You see, sometime over the past year, I've learned what it means to live the Gospel. Sure I don't do it every second of every day, but somehow, for that moment, I understood. When I saw those people my heart broke. I wanted to help them; I wanted to find a way to give them all they needed. But what did I do? I prayed, because at that moment I simply didn't know what to do. I often think that I should give them money and I convince myself that is what Jesus would do. But frankly, I don't know what to do. Sometimes Jesus would stop and give the people what they asked for, like when he fed the thousands, but then at other times Jesus simply passed through on his way to the next town.

I'm not Jesus; I don't know what to do. So, what I did was prayed. Only this time, it wasn't the typical prayer I would say when passing by someone who was homeless. As usual I prayed for them and that they may find what they need and that God would protect them, but I didn't stop there. Instead, I continued praying for all who were in the same situation, for everyone around the world who didn't have food, or clean water, or shelter, for those who have turned to prostitution because they feel there is no other option, that they have been abused in their past and feel that is all they are worth. I pray that they may see and feel the love of God. But then, lastly, I pray for myself. I pray that God may help my disbelief. That somehow I may begin to see exactly what it is I need to do. When Jesus said "I was hungry and you fed me...I was in prison and you visited me" was he saying that he was embodied in each and every person and we are called to meet the needs of everyone? Or maybe he was saying we are called to do what we can to help the hungry as the whole population. Maybe Christ is like a secret shopper and we never know when that homeless person is actually Christ in disguise. Frankly, I don't know...that's why I'm putting this out there and hopefully we can help each other sort this out.

What I do know is that my heart broke for them, that although in the past I would have just kept walking, instead, for a brief moment, I felt their pain. I don't mean to sound like a masochist, but I liked it, I liked being able to be one with them at that moment, that I wasn't praying for them, I wasn't praying for myself, I was praying for US as a body of Christ. I'm somewhere different now, I'm not the same person I was last year, or even the same person I was yesterday. I've been intentional with my dailt life and, like a good Methodist, I've been using the Wesleyan Quadrilateral of Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience in order to reflect on my life and the world around me to see where God is in all of this, or better yet, reflect on God and see where I and the world fit in. It's my prayer that I continue to be aware of what's going on around me and to see that we are all in this together.


Updates:

-I went to church the other day and it was evangelical free and the pastor kept talking about "God's Plan" but didn't seem to say were we fit in.

-I went to some of the other ISA students' house because it was their house mom's birthday and we at cake an had some discussion. It turns out that she is a public attorney and she and a coworker discussed how they are fighting for young people's rights and that much like the US the older population is large but retiring and so more young people are now looking for jobs but can't find them. We also discussed problems of drugs, violence, gangs, and homelessness.

-I went to the offices of the Methodist Church in Peru and, like in the US, there are formalities so the lady told me to send her and email and I am now waiting for the response

-I have my ticket to Ayacucho and I leave tomorrow at 10:15pm which puts my in Ayacucho around 8:00am. I'm going straight to the orphanage and then I'll figure out all the church stuff once I get there.

Peace,

Brandon