Come to the Water

It seems only when tragedy strikes, we see the abundance of people helping others.  Like when COVID first caused families to be quarantined, people rallied to raise money so people who relied on food programs would continue to have food available to them.  Or when there is a hurricane or tornado and entire cities are wiped out, people band together to get whatever they can to support and care for the families who have been affected.

I know there are people who live and work in rundown, impoverish parts of the world every day.  They prepare meals and beds for those who are unable to do for themselves.  There are some who dedicate their lives to provide basic medical care to people who live in rural and undeveloped areas.  People who work with agencies to bring clean water, teach children to read, and help villages become self-sustainable through jobs programs.  Overall, there are thousands, perhaps millions of organizations and people within those organizations whose sole mission is to serve and build up others.

So when I hear words, such as the ones in Isaiah 55:1-3, where God is calling out to all people to come to eat and drink without price, my heart breaks.  It breaks because I see in the world, those who show hospitality each and every day through their life’s work, giving and giving and giving.  Then I see those who only rise to the occasion when the situation is REALLY dire, as in the tragedy situation, when there is an obvious crisis.  

In both situations there is great cost.  Those who are serving often wear out, burn out and lose hope after a while; some get jaded and begin to think the work they do and have done hasn’t made a difference at all.  Then those on the other side become skeptical about which organization is actually going to use the donated money or goods to serve the people intended.  Sometimes becoming so disgruntled they don’t give at all believing that if you give to the person on the corner, holding a cardboard sign, they will only use the money you give them to buy booze or drugs.

It’s heartbreaking because we are closing off our hearts and not sharing what we have with those who need what we can give.  It’s heartbreaking because we lose hope.  It’s heartbreaking because instead of coming together for good, we are building walls of division.  It’s heartbreaking because it becomes harder and harder for all of us to feel satisfied by life.

I heard about an exercise those preparing for the priesthood in the Jesuit Order had to participate in near the end of their studies.  It’s purpose is to give the participants a first hand experience of being poor and relying on the hospitality of others.  The interesting piece of this for me is that no one chooses to be poor or to have nothing, it’s our human nature to seek security.  So, this exercise forces the participants to literally walk in the shoes of someone without. 

It’s a real eye-opener as you can imagine.  They let go of all the comforts we take for granted such as a roof over our head and a refrigerator full of food.  The experience is humbling to say the least and affects how you see things, how you think.  No longer can you just grab your wallet and pay for bus fare to get you from point A to point B or reach in your pocket for change to grab a soda from the vending machine.  These actions become luxuries.

Since I don’t know anyone personally who participated in this experience, I can only contemplate the challenges they face.  Things like being discriminated against, hearing the word no, being overlooked and being treated as ‘less than.’  I am witness to these actions when I see homeless people in my own city and am confident those who engage in this exercise can affirm.

However, the exercise is also meant for the participants to learn how to rely on the hospitality of others as Jesus did.  When Jesus lived on earth, he traveled from town to town, sometimes being welcomed into someone’s home and other times, needing to sleep on the dirt.  Though as Jesus began performing miracles and healing the sick, more and more people wanted to repay Jesus for his deed or kindness.  It became easier for him to find people willing to care for him because he was caring for them as well.

Through the experience of Jesus, the same scripture passage no longer breaks my heart, rather makes me rejoice.  I am able to open my thinking to give to my neighbor without expectation, to share what I have because they have none, and see that in my giving, I am following in the footsteps of Jesus.  Like those preparing to be Jesuit Priests, we all must walk in the shoes of the poor in order to receive the blessings in return.

An example from my life is when I worked at a nonprofit organization and we were able to help a woman through a few obstacles she faced in her life.  She was so grateful for the help we were able to give, she came to volunteer her time with the organization.  She said it was her way of saying thank you.

I believe this is the lesson we are supposed to learn from this scripture.  We are supposed to come to God and receive the grace, mercy and love he pours out on us.  The gifts he gives are abundant and we are quickly filled.  The thing is, like when Jesus came to town, people just couldn’t wait to open their doors to him, when we are filled with the love of God, we just can’t help but open the doors of our hearts to others!

Can you imagine if every person on earth opened their hearts just a little bit and showed more hospitality to others?  Imagine if people gave consistently to organizations who provide support, education, healthcare, and food, instead of only during a pandemic or state of emergency.  Think of how things would change if we started to breakdown the walls that separate us and work together to build lives of hope.

I’ve heard the complaint that there are just too many things that need changed, people don’t know where to start.  Then in response I’ve heard the suggestion that people should find the one thing they are the most passionate about and give 100% to that one thing.  There are other complaints and responses to all of problems of the world from poverty to global warming to racism.  The bottom line is that if we all turn to receive the hospitality of God into our lives, then we can turn around and serve those near us, in our community, those within reach.  We don’t need to think globally, especially if everyone is opening their hearts and serving those within reach.  Eventually, the world could become heaven on earth!!!