"god bless you of so kind heart. you make us feel human."
this is what one of the guests at the shelter wrote on a thank you card tonight.
you make us feel human. the phrase continues echoing in my head. in rhythm with the quiet snores of folks sleeping. and what does it mean to feel human? and what does it mean to not feel human?
feeling human seems to connotate dignity. and honour. and recognition. of being a person of worth. of value. and not feeling human... that seems to imply the opposite.
and the idea that i might be a small part of someone feeling human brings hope. its all i really want to be a part of. honouring. and listening. and loving. and the idea of people facing situations where they feel less than human. is. well, more terrible than words.
so open our eyes to our common humanity. that we might see each other. really see each other. hear each other. truly hear each other. to recognize one another. as people. simply people. worthy of love. worthy of grace. worthy of hope.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
remembering.
my heart had been forgetting. amidst overflowing calendars. and incomplete to do lists. and moving in too many directions. and thinking in too many directions. and continual feelings of inadequacy. and uncertainty.
my heart had been forgetting. amidst abstract words. and talking in circles. about issues. and causes. and ideas. and growing overwhelmed by the scope of it all.
my heart had been forgetting. how to be present. how to be still. how to listen.
my heart had been forgetting. until the first folks walked in the shelter this evening. one who brought his large print harry potter book that he found at the thrift shop. one who always seems overjoyed to see me but can never remember my name. one who looked so relieved to be in from the cold. one who wandered in at three in the morning. with no where else to go. postponing sleep for a little conversation. for a chance to be heard.
and amidst the cold frigid temperatures outside. my heart was strangely warmed. and began to remember.
and something like thankfulness. and something like hope. and something like passion. began to stir again.
my heart had been forgetting. amidst abstract words. and talking in circles. about issues. and causes. and ideas. and growing overwhelmed by the scope of it all.
my heart had been forgetting. how to be present. how to be still. how to listen.
my heart had been forgetting. until the first folks walked in the shelter this evening. one who brought his large print harry potter book that he found at the thrift shop. one who always seems overjoyed to see me but can never remember my name. one who looked so relieved to be in from the cold. one who wandered in at three in the morning. with no where else to go. postponing sleep for a little conversation. for a chance to be heard.
and amidst the cold frigid temperatures outside. my heart was strangely warmed. and began to remember.
and something like thankfulness. and something like hope. and something like passion. began to stir again.
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