The People of Wal-Mart

The weirdness of this life happens when we least expect it. I was in Wal-Mart today shopping for some necessities and like everyone else I was quite entertained by the number of lower income/poorly dressed folks that seem so abundant in Wal-Mart. It’s interesting how sometimes you see these folks working at trying to look odd with their funky hairdos and crazy clothes and I was a bit appalled honestly by the whole production of it all. I tend to be quite critical of others most of the time and like most everyone I am very harsh in my judgments of those who were shopping today…

As I was tootling along with my cart, a very strange thing happened… I began to think about what it was like in the streets of Jerusalem during Pentecost when Jesus was a boy… All I could think about was what it must have looked like?? Was it different than this? I mean… sure there was no A/C, but were the people much different??
I can’t tell you why I had such a thought, but it was weird… I did. I began to think of the mothers who had been remanded to come to the City of David to make an accounting and the fathers who were herding goats or whatever animal was the flavor of the day. I thought about all those people who were going in and out of the city gate, skipping over animal feces, walking in the hot sand, smelling to high heaven of sweat and B.O. and just doing their best to survive in that day. I was reminded that 2000 years later we are no different, in the way we do things. We may have the ability to stay cool indoors and buy movies and magazines while we wait for cashiers who make the beeping sound instead of typing in numbers these days… but essentially?? It’s still the same.
I saw a mom who was shopping for back to school clothes and supplies with her kids and she was using food stamps, cash and a debit card and I was totally taken back. I noticed the food stamps and was amazed at how colorful they were. I had never seen them before today and I think she was a little irritated because she caught my stare and probably thought I was judging her. I wasn’t judging her, but I was amazed at the strength of this woman who struggled to make ends meet and her two children who seemed to be so well mannered were standing besides here asking for candy that wouldn’t fit the budget and gum that would not be good for anyone actually. I heard the woman say “not today sweetheart, we’ll get that on a day when momma isn’t buying so many clothes for school” and I was heartbroken immediately that I wasn’t able to help buy gum or candy for the woman. I didn’t want to create the feeling of judgment for her by giving the gum to the little girl. I know it would be hard to know the rest of the world was able to provide and to not be able to give your children all they desired would be hard.
I immediately began to be filled with compassion for everyone I saw. I think God was allowing me to see them as his children and not white trash or rednecks like I had so quickly imposed judgment on them because they had different value systems than me. I sat in my car and as I type this I still have a hard time with it… I began to shed tears for the broken and beat down people who I had been poking fun at only minutes before. I was completely taken back by the thought that I have absolutely nothing in this world to judge or compare myself to any of these folks with. I am saddened we as a nation lift ourselves to the place of judge and jury for the way we look down upon them. We are so harsh and critical for the way we treat people who live their lives the best way they know how and just because they aren’t the same as we are, we look at them as if they could never measure up. I began to think of my friend Katherine in California who is involved in inner city ministry and was sitting on the hot sidewalk talking to George a local street dweller who happened to be an African American man in his 50’s who had no teeth and he was a regular in her visits and when the sidewalk grew so hot that it hurt to sit on it, George offered her his blanket to sit on. His only worldly possession besides his clothes and it was stained with blood, urine and sweat from his hard life on the street. She was so moved to compassion she kissed him for his act of kindness. This man offered his only material possession to her in her time of need and it was greater to her as a gift than a thousand dollars from a wealthy man. She told me the story of how God had changed George’s life and yet he remained on the street to minister to others who were hurting because of the harshness of this life. I felt myself needing to repent of my judgments and my finger pointing for those who were doing their best in this life to cope. Me with all my education, 2 degrees, years of schooling and ministry and seminary training… undone completely by the story of a homeless Black man who hadn’t finished high school and he was doing more than I have ever accomplished by trying to share the gospel message of the God I so boldly serve and brag about all the time. I am not beating myself up, but I am being changed daily because of the world I live in. George is on the streets in San Diego tonight; sleeping on cardboard… stinking to high heaven and it’s a scent that our lord in heaven loves to fill his nostrils with because of the love for the lost that fills George’s heart. Maybe one day I will become more and more like Christ, but for now I struggle to stop judging, and learn NOT to be critical of those whom Christ called me to find worthy. Jesus never came to the church folks… but to those who would love him freely, like George, and if I ever meet him I’ll be glad to shake his hand….