Walking in His Shoes

There was a time when my life had fallen apart and wasn’t yet laying in pieces but was still in mid air. The jagged shards of dreams shattered were shredding every aspect of my life. I was an emotional disaster area, and I began spending my emotional reserves. Soon I would run out, and would be in need of medication, counselling, and time off work. In the midst of that confused, dark cloud I was grasping for help, just to keep my head above water. I know in hindsight that I wasn’t yet ready to learn, nor be taught anything. I still had the world by the tail, and I was straining for vindication and to be avenged of all the wrongs being done to me. I was without stain, and had the notion that what was happening to me was part of what the bible speaks of when it speaks of persecution.

That may seem vague, and it’s deliberate. If you’ve gone through it, or you are going through it now, you’ll see yourself in that whirl wind of a first paragraph. Now let’s see if you can see yourself in the other guys shoes, those who were in a position to help me, who could only stand on the sidelines out of fear, and ignorance.

One such person, who shall remain nameless, is a friend of my older brother Andrew’s, and a sort of acquaintance of mine at the time. Let’s call him Freddy, no . . . that’s too happy a name. hmmm, let’s call him Arthur. Arthur and I first crossed paths in elementary school. I have vague memories of him bullying me. His father was a social worker, and later on when I was in Jr. High School (grades 7-9) we took in a foster child through Arthur’s father. Fast forward to me and what I described in the first paragraph. I was homeless, and had few options. My brother Andrew suggested I call up Arthur, who had just graduated from a seminary overseas, Scotland I think, and had acquired a master’s degree, maybe even a doctorate in Divinity. He’d been hired on as a professor at a local Christian University, and lived near where I needed to be. I called him. And his not so carefully thought out answer was,

“What did you ever do for me?”

He continued by pointing out that I’d had lots of time to befriend him previous to my time of need, but had not done so. If only I’d done that, then I’d have a place to stay. Was that Christian love? Was that what Christ meant when he said, “love one another” ?

He was the first of many who passed by on the other side – yes, I’m alluding to the parable of the Good Samaritan – So, I vowed that when I got out of the present mess, I would do for others what had not been done for me. I had an opportunity a couple of times now to be there for folks who didn’t deserve a hand, but got one anyways from me. I suffered both times. I guess that’s why Jesus included the terms of such loving manoeuvres, “lay down your life for others . . .” taking his example who laid down his life for us.

I learned through the years that overcoming one’s fears in order to love others isn’t as easy as it seems. Courage takes faith, and faith takes courage. It also takes knowing, and truly believing all this stuff we talk about in our bible studies, Sunday School classes, and Sunday morning sermons. And now when I find myself with paralysed hands unable to reach out and help, I find myself praying, “help me lord, help my un-belief!” Give me a faith so strong, and a willingness so full that I can reach out to them, counting on you, and not loving my own life, more than another’s.

So, that young man I'd turned to back about 12 - 15 years ago. His youth was his excuse? Of all the theory of theology, and correct splitting of hairs on scriptural context . . . the lesson's he'd learned added up to, "What have you ever done for me?" And I think that most of us who have been steeped in Christendom all of our lives have missed the point as well. That passage from Matthew 25 is so vividly in view for me once again.

• Matthew 25:³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?' ⁴⁰ And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'