“As you do for the least of these ….”

By Eric De Barros

I hear you quote Jesus and tell me how good his word is. Yet, I see you put your head down when you walk by homeless people. I see you hold your breath to prevent the smell of alcohol and shower-less odor from permeating your nose. You murmur to yourself,  “drug addicts, bums, go get a job”. But would you say that to your savior, Jesus? He too was homeless and dirty. He was far from being materialistic.  You ask what would Jesus do, but seem to not know the answer.

The Jesus character would feed, hug, and help that homeless person you ignored and judged. When those wrinkled, oily, and tar stained hands beg for money, we scoff at them. “Why would I give them money, it’s just gonna go to drugs or alcohol!”

In this society of work and more work, we find solace in those happy hours, the joints when we get home, or place ourselves in front of the TV to zone out the drudgery of the day. We rub elbows in bars and dance in overpriced clubs before Monday comes. We suck cancer sticks to kill the stress.

The alcohol and drugs suppress the realities, the stresses of life. Many of us shop and shop to ease our misery or to increase our enjoyment. Malls are the new church where the God of status and materialism is worshipped. We certainly keep the sweatshop workers going — would Jesus do that?

So think about this next time you believe your dollar is higher and mightier. Chances are, this homeless person is going to be spending it on the same pain masking products as you.