Yeah, I know that it has been a few months since I last blogged about anything, I've just been going through some stuff and haven't thought about it, but I'm back.
A week ago I was sitting at my laptop doing some stuff on the Internet and watching television, when I had this suddenly noise of the gate slamming between the building that I live in and the one behind it. At first I thought that it was someone who had either just entered or left, so I didn't think much about it. Then suddenly I heard the noise again, then the loud chanting. Then their was noise coming from the front. I jumped up and looked out front to see a bunch of police vehicles. I quickly went into the chatroom where I was on the Internet and told everyone that I had to go as it appears that their was a riot going on in my neighborhood.
I grabbed my camera and went out front to see a line of police in front of the parking lot and hundred of police up and down my street. I stood there looking in amazement. Police officers, police vehicles, crime scene tape. One thing that I did know for sure is that I wasn't going to be going anywhere anytime soon.
I stood outside for a little but, then an officer said that I should go back into the building. I went back up, grabbed my laptop and positioned myself near a window. Yeah I will admit that I did become scared, as I had no idea exactly what was going on. I turned on the television and they showed short blips of what was going on, as my mind was blown away form the activity that I was seeing live.
The police came from different areas of the Bay Area, as they knew that something might happen that night. It was the day of the sentencing for the cop who had been convicted of killing a guy on the platform of the one of the local transportation systems.
Let me jump ahead in time.
After the all of the police had left, I went down to take a look to see if there was any damage done to the building. I got down to the corner and saw trash all over the place. The protestors had turned over trash cans, pushed a dumpster into the street, and even the police left trash. Three of us went over to the dumpster and pushed it back to where it belonged, then I went back and picked up all of the crime scene tape that they police had thrown into the pile.
Some people who lived on the block came over and we stood around talking about what happened. most of us didn't know each other, but together we began to clean up the mess, as we were not sure if the city would send a crew to clean up or not. I noticed some TV vans still there as we cleaned, and I just knew that they would only report on the events of the arrest. We got the area clean as best that we could, but it was dark out.
As we stood there after cleaning, I jokingly said to the others that it's a shame that the press could cover the bad, but when neighbors help each other to clean up after the events, they would be nowhere to be seen, as they had left by then.
I walked down to the store to get some stuff, and one of the owners looked at me and said that he had just seen me on tv cleaning up the mess. I was floored. After I got home and did some stuff, I checked out the local coverage of events, and sure enough one of the stations showed the group of us cleaning.
After thinking about the events of the night, Jesus' saying of “Love They Neighbor As Thyself” came to mind, along with the story of “The Samaritan”. I had just lived those sayings. Here were people who could of simply walked away just like those who didn't help the person, but they came and helped there neighbor not expecting anything in return. we didn't ask them to come and help, but they did. it was a great reminder to myself as to what I should be doing as a Christian.
How many times have we been in a situation where we could of helped, but yet sat back and did nothing. Yes, there are times when it is better not to do anything, but they are really few and far apart in the whole skeem of things. I think back in my life and remember those times that I in a way took the easy road and did nothing. haven;t we all done that at some point in our life. We also must remember those times where we each needed help and others did nothing to help us.
What have we done by just walking away and done nothing? Who have we harmed in our actions like this? But also, how much have we also hurt ourselves be refusing the help when it is offered? Why do you and I let our egos get into the way from accepting the help that is offered? Why do we say one thing, but yet do another? How are each of us loving our neighbor love themselves, and how are we really honoring the Holy Trinity when we don't but yet know that we can?
I as each of you to do something. I am sure that each of you have seem or know someone that is homeless. The Holiday Season is coming up upon us. Go out and buy something for that person and give it to them on December 25th. “But, I gotta buy this, that or the other for someone...” I am sure you are saying in your mind, along with “Well, I'll let someone else do that...” Be a Neighbor and a Good Samaritan to someone that could really use some joy into there life.
