Dr. Craton’s “wisdom from the homeless”

I’ve just begun delving into Neil Craton’s “Wisdom from the Homeless,” and his preface has resonated with me. I want to share it with you.

“Sometimes the world seems like a very dark place. Partisan grievances have increased exponentially. Left and Right find new ways to vilify each other, hardening points of view into the points of a spear. To disagree with someone is to hate them. A new cycle is not complete without a tragic tale of someone killing their neighbor or themselves. Children are terrified that the planet is ecologically doomed, where every breath of wind is perceived as the first whisper of the apocalypse. We are increasingly fearful of one another, drowning in a toxic soup of racial tension, political gamesmanship, ethnic marginalization and the vicious habit of ‘depersonalizing everyone into a rival.’ The affluent seem increasingly obsessed with ‘small minded and lop-sided pursuits.’ Now more than ever, we are suffering from a deficiency of kindness and hope.

I feel the world’s pain, and I am part of it. I think tears filled my eyes. Dr. Craton continues, “In this dark and angry world, I see a glimpse of light. I have seen kindness, care and hope at a homeless Mission…the source for hope, light, care and kindness is Jes…us of Nazareth…People of all walks of life need hope and every problem is easier to handle if we have it. Hope is hard to serve without the garnish of kindness. The present cultural context seems to know little of kindness. I have witnessed far more hope and kindness at Siloam than I see in many celebrities, newscasters or politicians.”

Yes, if you and I pay attention to the world around us, we should be able to see a glimpse. The call for us is to be the small candle(s) revealing a glimpse of light that helps our neighbors see Jesus and find hope in him.