Goodbye, Hypocrites!

Yesterday Jordan and I went downtown to James Bute Park to participate in the daily worship service for the homeless men and women there. We were late (we’re youth minister’s, we’re not supposed to be on time), so we just sat down in the plastic chairs among the dozen or so men gathered. We listened to a man talk about a faith without deeds. He called the men to repentance for their sins and challenged them to start their lives over again for the glory of God.

We chatted with Dave Alvarez from Glimpse of Reign, a praise band that often plays at the park. As we were leaving a man sat on the wire fence near my car and as we walked past he smiled and waved. I waved back and he said, “Goodbye hypocrites.” He had a fairly thick Spanish accent, so it came out, “Goodbye Heepocreets.” I couldn’t understand what he was saying so I walked over to him. I smiled and said, “What did you say?” He said it again – “Goodbye hypocrites.” I extended my arm to shake hands with him when it registered what he was saying. As my hand went out, he quickly drew his arm away and shook his head, refusing to shake my hand.

As Jordan and I left I wondered aloud why he thought we were hypocrites. Was it because we were obviously not homeless? Did our wealth indict us? Was it because we participated in the worship time and this man has a disdain for Christians? Was it because we didn’t give any money when an offering was collected (I always forget to bring cash or change with me)? None of the above? All of the above? I have no idea.

What occured to me was that we cannot possibly know what is in people’s hearts. Jordan and I were there to participate in worship, but also to scope out our plans for this Saturday when we take our high school students to the park to feed the homeless men and women there. I was initially offended, thinking to myself, “That guy doesn’t know me! Who is he to judge me?” But I’m just as guilty.

As a homeowning, car owning, clean clothes-wearing, shower-taking, grocery-buying “ordinary” American, I tend to make assumptions about the poor and the homeless. They’re probably lazy. They’re probably hooked on drugs. They’re probably alcoholics. They’re probably uneducated. They’re probably mentally and/or emotionally disabled. Who am I to make such judgments? How do I know that every man and woman living in that park aren’t the Godliest, most humble, servant-hearted people on the face of the planet? How do I know that the men and women in that park aren’t serving God even MORE faithfully than I am on a day-to-day basis? How am I to know that?

Are you guilty of these feelings from time to time? Do you wrestle with what you SHOULD feel toward the poor versus what you ACTUALLY feel about them? What are your thoughts?