New Years Week 2014-5 was an interesting week at The Phinney Ridge Men’s Shelter. On the first of the month some of the men get a little money so they get a real room somewhere, take a shower, watch some TV. Hopefully they stay out of trouble. New Years is a time of reflection for most everyone. That can be depressing if you don’t have much going for you. Or you can “Count your blessings, count your many blessings see what God has done”, so says the old hymn. I like it when a man says that he doesn’t know what he would do without the Shelter. It makes me feel like I am part of the blessing.
This week a man at the Shelter said, “I just treat others the way I want to be treated.” Although this man professes to be an atheist, or at least a non-theist, he very nearly quoted what Christians call the Golden rule. Grandpa used to say King James style, “Do as you would be done by.” We say, “Treat others in the same way that you want to be treated.” Matt 7:12. Jesus said it, but it was not new when He walked on earth. Humanity was born with it. I believe that God wrote it on our hearts. I don’t know where an atheist thinks it came from. From nothing, I guess.
Have you ever wondered who “the least of these, my brethren” is? Jesus said it. But I don’t think He meant the greatest sinner. The Apostle Paul laid claim to that one. I wonder if it’s a mid- twenties man with addiction problems and no home who points to the ceiling and says, “I’d be dead if it wasn’t for Him. I know I’m forgiven.” “How do you know you are forgiven? How can God forgive you?” I said. “Because of what Jesus did on the Cross.” he said. “You got that right.” I said.
Ben Paul