Is there anything better than people watching? I’ve always enjoyed quietly sitting unobtrusively watching a passing parade of people. There is no better spot on earth than a table in a food court where I become almost invisible as I take note of the incredible variety of the people who walk to and fro. Of course I laugh at the idea that in all probability there is someone who is also watching me, but I suspect their interest will wane rather quickly because I tend to look rather ordinary and uninteresting.
I was at an HEB Central Market store recently in the Highland Village area of Houston, Texas. The gathering of people ran the gamut from millionaires to laborers and so did the clothing and demeanor of each individual. I began to play a mental game with myself wondering if I would be able to accurately identify the wealthiest people who had come to the store. I quickly realized that clothing is not always the best indicator nor is appearance in any way indicative of a person’s net worth. It became fun to note that I probably would not be able to find the person who owned the brand new Aston Martin parked near the entrance until he or she was entering the car.
Here in Houston there are often few clues to a person’s financial worth. We tend to be a casual city and one where wealth matters less to us than the content of a person’s heart. We loved J.J. Watt because he was a good football player but mostly because he proved to be a very kind and generous person. The same is true of Jose Altuve. It is very much the Houston way. We are not all that impressed with person’s of power and success as much as we are with a humanitarian.
I suppose that the whole world witnessed the Houston spirit during hurricane Harvey when our city was inundated with more than fifty inches of rain in only a few days. I saw countless acts of compassion and generosity that renewed my hope for our society. With all of our societal and cultural divisions it’s often easy to believe that we are living in a very dark time. The truth is that good people will always overwhelm those with bad intentions and they prove that over and over again.
I live on a rather small cul-de-sac. There are only seven homes on our street but there is an abundance of love and concern shared by all of the residents who represent many different races, ethnicities and sexual preferences. We don’t care about any of that, but we do care about each other. We celebrate together, endure hurricanes together, check on the well being of each other. Ours is a wonderful neighborhood family of almost infinite variety.
I read about a new documentary that touts the power of love in making the world a better place to be. I thought of people that I know who go out of their way to help others. I found myself thinking of one of my former student ministers to the homeless. As I reorganized a closet and set aside coats that we have either outgrown or used less and less I thought about Martin and wondered if he would like to have the jackets to share with the people that he feeds.
A former neighbor doesn’t seem to even sleep while she flits from one admirable cause to another. She is constantly baking for some group or charity. I surely don’t know where Melissa gets her energy but she uses it to nurture the less fortunate among us. I am in awe of her dedication to helping those in need.
Some other former neighbors traveled all the way to India to adopt a little girl. Sonia already had a beautiful family but they all wanted to do more. They looked for a child who might benefit from their good fortune. At a time when their children were growing older they might have thought about spoiling themselves rather than starting over with a toddler but that is not who they are. They took on the task of loving a little girl whose life may not have been as joyful without them. She has thrived with them in ways that are almost miraculous.
I’ve often thought about how much the world would change if all of us were less critical and more concerned about those in need. If we were all dedicated to doing good works and making sacrifices for the welfare the poor in spirit we would become richer in our own spirits. There should really be no argument or hesitation to simply love the people that we encounter as well as those that we have never met.
The Beatitudes say all that we need to know when it comes the ways that we should view our fellow humans. Each of us should read the wisdom of those words regularly and ask ourselves how we might be more humble and giving like Martin, Melissa and Sonia.
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Nothing in those words praises wealth or power. We should all be seeking to fill our lives with love and understanding rather than rancor and judgement. We all have something to share. Why don’t we quit arguing about who or what is to blame for the suffering among us and simply begin to live a life of love and understanding?
All It Takes Is A Little Love 