The Man with Dirty Hands

I watched him from afar the first two Sundays he came to church.

He sat all alone, in the front row. Layers of tattered clothes covered his body, a plastic grocery bag was on top of his head.

During the sermon, he would often stand up, or begin to giggle for no apparent reason.

He didn't fit in. He was different than all those around him. Most of the people cut a wide circle around him, because his smell was so strong that it would stay in your nose for some time.

Until the Sunday I sat behind him.

His smell was still strong..his clothes were filthy. His hair had bits of grass and dirt all through it.

As I sang chorus songs along with the congregation, I couldn't help but wonder what brought him back to our little church, Sunday after Sunday. None of the usual draws of free tea and cookies, or even a small parcel of food handed to those in need seemed to even phase him. In fact, I can't remember seeing him for even 2 minutes after he walked out the church doors. It touched my heart to see him carefully guarding his few worldly possessions: an empty match box, a folded piece of paper, a torn piece of cloth. When the offering was collected, he gathered a few copper coins out of his pockets, then when the bag didn't come down his pew, he placed them carefully in the tray at the back of the pew in front of him.

In his world, one where the basic needs of life are found in bits and pieces, does he find peace and hope within the doors of our church? Does he feel the love of God coming from those seated near him? Is it the singing that brings stillness to his obviously troubled mind?

I tried to imagine what his life is like. And to see our church through his eyes. To see me through his eyes.

In the Bible, (Matthew 25) Jesus talks about the differences in those who call themselves His followers
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 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.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

This man with dirty hands, and tattered clothes, hungry and confused is searching for the peace and love found only with the God. Somehow, perhaps instinctively, he knows that it can be found in our little humble building. Am I, and are those around me, going to be the ones to step outside of their realm of comfort and show the love of God to this man, and to those like him who live in the streets outside our church? It may cost me - time, comfort, and maybe more - but what is that compared to what it cost Jesus when He gave Himself, in order to show us God's love. What does it really cost us to offer those different from us respect..consideration..love? What kind of sacrifice is it...really?