Second Chances

Sitting at a table with a good friend of mine we ae simply enjoying a lunch together. He asks me in a sort of casual way, "What is the biggest problem with the world that you see?"

The question of course catches me off guard but I've come to expect this from him and so I sit and think about it for a while. I begin thinking about what the problems of my generation seem to revolve around and I answer, "Apathy. It is the one thing that keeps us from action and even caring about the hurts and pains of others. Love becomes trivialized because of it and it changes us completely from what God intended us to be."

He nods his head and we talk for a little while longer about it. As we're speaking I see a man with a long scraggly beard and a baseball cap. Other than noticing him, nothing else registers. Fifteen minutes later I see him walk out of the Chick-Fil-A with several bags around him made of old shirts. He was a homeless man and I didn't even care enough to realize it. I beat myself up about it quite a bit the rest of the day and even the following day I had a conversation about it discussing my own hypocrisy with another good friend. This time as I'm talking with her, she points behind me and standing just a few short feet behind is the same man from the day before. I turn around, smile, then get up and walk over to him having absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I say to him "Would you like to have breakfast with us and can I get you anything?"

He humbly replies, "Sure let me set this stuff down."

We walk up to the counter and the previously friendly cashier suddenly seems much more stern and almost irritable. I pay for his meal and we sit down to eat. We talk for a while about his plans and where he is headed. He tells us about his life and shares with us his past. He mentions that he is trying to get to Manassas just 20 miles north of where we are but trains don't run on Sundays or at least harder to get to as fewer people take them. I begin thinking and praying, "What is it that you'd like me to do Lord?"

"Take him to church with you."

"I can't really do that God. Maybe I can give him a couple bucks and pray for him."

"Take him to church then take him to Manassas."

"No, no you're not listening God, I can't do that. I only have a little time to Spend with my friend here and I don't want to waste it."

"Alright, Ryan I'll lay it out for you so its easy to understand. You do have things to do today. Just like I had things to do the day I was crucified. Now take him to church and then to Manassas." That officially ended the conversation.

It finally comes out that we are going to church soon and he asks if he can go with us. I simply reply, "Sure and afterwards we can head up to Manassas."

We head to church where I secretly hope someone will see him and ask if they can do something. I am shocked and a little disappointed to find much of the church ignore the person we have brought. Then I begin to realize that they are also ignoring each other. They had gone to church but had no real desire to have fellowship with each other. Only the Pastor and a friend of mine chose to stop and talk with both myself and this man.

The three of us get back into my car and drive 20-30 min. north to Manassas. The whole time I grow more and more impatient with his talking and I begin to think again about how much time I will be wasting and not getting to spend with my friend. It becomes a struggle to stay focused on him and what he is talking about despite the fact that he is pouring out part of his life story. We finally get to Manassas and we get him situated and we leave. It was a relief at first to be done with this task, but we are then both filled with awe at what had just taken place. It is amazing that an event that lasted 4-5 hours can affect me so greatly and that despite knowing him only a brief time, this man, David Owen Johnson, will have forever impacted my life.