Thirsty On The Magnificent Mile

The Magnificent Mile is the upscale shopping and residential district on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. There, affluent native and visitors shop, eat, and live in a manner that would make even Marie Antoinette enviously desire some of their opulent cake. By definition, since I was there walking around--and boy did I walk while in Chicago --I qualify as at least an adjunct member of that class, if not more.

One thing about walking around, is that interaction with the street is continuous 24-7. While walking Michigan Avenue, it is impossible to miss the wealth and privilege. Yet even there--whether it is a whiff of sewage from some under-ground pipe or the beggars on the sidewalks--it is not possible to be blinded by the gold. I am not much of a shopper but I did eat well while in the Windy City.

After a long and hot day of walking up and down Michigan Avenue, I  stopped by a 7/11 to buy some green drink plus a quart of cold water like Aquafina. After guzzling down the green drink, I came face to face with a homeless white young man on the way to my hotel. I asked him if he wanted my water and  he said "yes" so I gave it to him, figuring that I could just repurchase the water at the store next to the hotel. It was no sacrifice.

After giving him the water, I continued to walk. But, then I turned around and went back to him. At that point, he had already open the water and taken a big swig. I told him that I gave him the water in Jesus's name and that the thirst that he had for physical water was only pointing to a bigger thirst in his soul for meaning that only Jesus could fill. He nodded his head in affirmation.

I have no illusions that the dude's life will be turned around by my small act of generosity but I know that when I call on Jesus's and do a good work in His name, He shows up. The bedraggled young man looked at me with piercing eyes that were intensely focused on my own eyes. I thought that he might just have one of those looks like "I have heard it all before, whatever." Instead, he was entirely engaged when I explained why I gave him the water. His intensity really caught me off guard. I left it at that and then went my way. A small seed perhaps, watered.

Further up the road I came across another dude shilling for cash. He said that he was homeless but almost finished with college. He was actually rather convincing in his presentation despite his condition. Unusually talented as a con artist, but I knew that he was not telling me the truth. How could he be? I told him that I just don't dig dishonesty and that I could not help him. And walked away. I am not sure that was the right thing to do, I could have engaged him more on why truthfulness is the starting point for any progress. Lies are the Devil's trade and when we work that angle, the Evil One ensnares. But, I didn't and he moved onto his next con.

Jesus told us that the poor would always be with us. Because we live in a broken world with broken people, we will never eradicate poverty entirely. The poverty of the rich is in the cravenness of their souls, fully committed to the belief that the best things in life can be bought. Jesus can't be purchased but He can be shared by all. He had abundant riches for our poor condition.