Christmas Devotional - Day 9

Today's devotional is written by Michael Goeke, Executive Director of the Mabee Foundation. 

God Who Sees. Genesis 16:13

My family moved to San Francisco in 2013.  I was struck by the wide array of services provided to the homeless in San Francisco.  In fact, it seemed to me that San Francisco was a pretty good place to be if you were homeless.  I saw advertisements and postings all over the place for free meals, and homeless people were free to be wherever they wanted to be. It was politically incorrect to speak ill of the homeless in any way. 

Yet, in the midst of that environment, I soon realized that the homeless community was, by and large, invisible.  People threw money at that community and, it seemed, assuaged any personal uncomfortableness they might have felt by funding organizations that seemed willing to get their hands dirty.  But even worse than what all those ‘other people’ were doing, I began to realize that I was turning my eyes away from the people I saw on the street.  I distinctly remember the day that I got to my office at the church, from the train station, and realized I had intentionally looked away from the many people I passed on the street.  I did not want to look at them. 

I’ve always had a fear of poverty.  It may be my greatest fear.  But as I thought about my own reaction that morning, I felt an even deeper ache at what it must feel like to know that no one wants to look at you…to watch people intentionally avert their eyes from yours when they see you. I wondered what sort of shame and sadness and loneliness and isolation they must feel at watching people intentionally turn their gaze away.

My heart began to soften.  Our church had taken some steps to attempt to help the homeless that we served to find community.  Homeless people mixed in our congregation, but we intentionally limited our specific homeless outreach to a size in which we could connect with them more intentionally and also help them build community among themselves.  Less were served, but they were served more intentionally.  We wanted them to be known We wanted them to be seen. Soon after moving back to Midland to be the Executive Director of the Mabee Foundation, I discovered The Field’s Edge and it spurred in me a great hope that Midland’s homeless community might find true community amongst the tiny homes and in their interaction with the broader Midland community - that through eye contact and relationship, they may be truly seen. 

I love the story of God meeting Hagar in the wilderness after Hagar had to flee from Sarai, and God looking after her in her isolation.  Hagar called God “the God who sees.”  He saw her, and He sees me, and He sees the ‘least of these’ among us.  For us to truly reflect God to our homeless community, we must do more than meet their physical needs.  We must see them.  My prayer is that Midland will gain the reputation as the ‘city who sees,’ and that boundaries would be broken, community would happen, and lives would change.