What's Inside

When doing an outreach for the homeless one winter, I met a man who I will never forget. Like the others, his clothes were torn and ragged. But instead of going with them through the food line, he sat down at the dusty old piano in the corner of the room. His old fingers began to glide over the keys and the most beautiful music I'd ever heard filled the air.

Looking around in astonishment, I noticed that no one seemed to notice him. Not one person even glanced his direction! I nudged the woman next to me and said "Lisa, do you hear that guy? Oh my gosh, he should be playing in some concert hall to a crowd of thousands, and he's homeless!" She responded that his name was Joseph and he was well known in the city.

Finally, he stopped playing and came through the line. Holding out his tray, I put a scoop of mashed potatoes in the corner. "You're amazing," I smiled. 

He leaned forward and with the wink said, "so are you!"

After that, I couldn't stop thinking about people who slept on benches and under bridges, gifted with incredible wisdom and talents that would never be discovered. Like helium balloons of all colors, it's what's on the inside that makes them soar, even if no one was there to notice .

During the time of Jesus, leprosy was a common disease. By law, those infected had to walk around announcing "unclean, unclean!" so that no one would come near them... until Jesus came along. Those who were intimately acquainted with shame and discrimination would come to know the great Physician who, with a single touch of compassion - would take away their shame forever.

"First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean." Matthew 23:26





Comments

  1. Those of us who have learned, or are learning, what's on the inside of you, will never be more blessed.

    This is, as always, beautifully written.

    Thank you.

    John

    ReplyDelete
  2. Even what you read about someone is not what is real. When their eyes speak love to you, that matters more than anything. That is what is really on the inside.

    ReplyDelete

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