Can You See Me Now?

It's 3:30 AM La Paz time as we load our micro bus with suitcases for the flight home. At 11,000 feet above sea level it's chilly, even if we are south of the equator. It's dark, the streets, usually flooded with people, are empty.

About 30 feet away, on the dirty sidewalk is a dark, hard to notice bundle of trash, wool and newspaper. I probably wouldn't see it at all if it weren't moving. Someone has been sleeping, make that living, under that wool blanket.

There is no way that blanket can protect against the cold. It's too thin, too old and too small. The man under the blanket seems to be combing his hair, using his fingers.

I'm not sure if anyone else notices him or not. Most of us are busy dragging our sleep deprived selves and our suitcases through the hotel door. That's one of the pitfalls of being poor. You aren't noticed. In fact often it's like the poor are invisible, except when they are panhandling us.

I'm wondering as we drive away, how can there possibly be hope for him? It would be hard enough to trade that blanket for a room with four walls if you lived in the United States. But in Bolivia? I can't even figure out how to pray for him. Pray he stays warm, finds enough to eat today, avoids muggers for another 24 hours? I'm wishing he had just stayed invisible.

What does God see as he looks down at the street in front of Osira Hotel in La Paz? Fourteen Americans, most of them teenagers, with a world of hope in front of them? And.......a homeless Boliviano with little to hope for. Does He pay more attention to the Americanos because of their bright futures, thinking the Boliviano is just too far gone?

No, He values all. His Son died for all. The fact I even ask the question is evidence of my own poverty. Believing somehow those who fit my description of success are more worthy of notice. Sometimes I agree with person who said " I'm so poor all I have is money."

The East Mountain population outside Albuquerque has an extraordinarily high number of those the census says are poor, and at the same time, a higher than usual number of the very affluent.

I'm wondering if we've noticed that. Followers of Christ have a mandate to notice, to care and to act. I've learned from Food for the Hungry that it is not enough to just notice and care.

They have also taught me that the way we react must be right........ or we do more harm than good.

But if I'm going to act at all,....... I first must notice.