As wave after wave of unmarked cars with out-of-state plates circle my neighborhood, I see the eyes of many of neighbors fill with fear. I hear stories of a child left alone on the street on the way to school, the father snatched away by armed, masked men dressed in unidentifiable tactical gear; of a cyclist roughly pushed down to the sidewalk and threatened with pepper spray, their bicycle thrown into the bushes, because they got a little too close to group of agents hauling someone out of a van; of construction workers pulled out of their truck and detained because they were not carrying proof of citizenship on their way to work.
I hear other stories, too – stories that remind me of Fred Rogers saying that when he was a little boy, scared by things in the news, his mother would tell him to look for the people who were always ready to help. And when I look for the helpers, I notice that there was a neighbor who looked after the child who was left alone; that lawyers are offering pro bono help for people who have been detained and have no one to defend their rights; that people are patrolling their neighborhoods at night, carrying medical kits, blankets, and water to share; that neighbors are offering food, diapers, and other essentials to families who are in need; and others are working hard to find housing for people who have been sleeping on the sidewalk.
When I squint my eyes, all of these helpers are the living hands and feet and heart of Jesus, sent to help others by the God who loves the world* and cares for everyone who lives in pain and fear. Seeing so many helpers in so many difficult circumstances gives me hope, reminding me that God loves everyone. Who are the helpers that live in your neighborhood? Who has helped you in a time of need? What are you willing to do to help others?
-- Deborah Sokolove, Seekers Church
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For further reading about God’s love for everyone, see Working Preacher, and for more about Fred Rogers and his mother, see here.
