Richard Grove's Blog
People Actually Care / May 6, 11:28 AM
So, I’m pretty convinced that human beings actually care about/want to help each other, there are just too many distractions out there so people get their priorities confused. I was thinking about this the other day when I heard that Mayor Daley stated that there are only 20 homeless people in the downtown Chicago area. I don’t think this is a miscalculation on the city’s part, I think this is a lie. But I think they are lying less the the people of Chicago and more to themselves. The city of Chicago will never admit that it has failed. That it can’t solve its own problems, that it can’t make everyone happy and content. So what can it do? It can tell you that you’re happy anyway. And you believe it. I believe it, until I wake up at 3:30AM to gunshots. Until my roommate comes home with a story about her personal experience with police profiling and harassment. Until I look down the street and see the drugs changing hands in the middle of the freaking day, and the women selling themselves so they can afford those drugs.
So the thing is, people actually do care. But caring hurts too much, so we surround ourselves with these comforts, and we stack these comforts so high around us that we eventually seal ourselves off from reality. When I met Jesus, he laughed in my face. He made me feel so silly and stupid, the way I was trying to follow him. I had this huge caravan filled with my possessions, Jesus didn’t even have a bag. Jesus doesn’t even OWN a bag.
I’ve probably done a good job so far of making everyone feel guilty and depressed. I’m really good at pointing out all the things that we’ve done wrong, and I would like to change that about myself. So, what I’m going to do now is offer an observation followed by a solution. See, people naturally want to associate with those who are most like themselves. This allows them to be comfortable and go on thinking their lifestyle choice is the right one. But this is crazy, especially for people who believe in God, because God made everyone. This means God made all colors, all cultures, all skills and all gifts. So why do we form communities in our own image? The community that truly reflects God’s image is multicultural and multiethnic with equal representation of all skills and gifts. So I would encourage you to make some friends who look different than you, who have a different income than you, who have a different FAITH than you. Not because you’re such a good person, but because you actually need them to better understand what God looks like.
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I really enjoyed reading this Joe. And chatting last night. I’m glad you’re my friend.
By Sarah / May 7, 10:55 AM / #
Great blog, Joe-G. I really appreciate that last line. It’s true. And I appreciated the pre-my-reading-this-blog conversation. You’re fantastic.
By lindsey / May 7, 01:18 PM / #
p.s. happy 8 months!
By lindsey / May 7, 01:21 PM / #