For some New Years Day is just another day. Since Eileen and I have failed to stay up until midnight to welcome in the new year for the last several years, I suppose that means we don’t care as much as we used to about that day. It’s just another day. Or maybe we are just getting…older. My internal clock puts me to sleep before midnight and gets me up at 7am whether I like it or not. At the Men’s Shelter on Phinney Ridge the men must be out the door at 6:30 am and in this cold weather that makes bedtime come early. But there is some time in the evening to come in, warm up with a good meal provided by some of our excellent volunteers, and to talk about the day, perhaps get some help figuring out how to exist with limited resources, or give an opinion about Star Wars. (The official opinion, mine, is that the movie is a good “shoot-em-up” scifi film with a plot line we’ve all heard before and minimal character development. Enough said.)

You’ve probably heard that it’s all about relationships. It’s all about community. It’s all about connecting with our fellow human beings whether one thinks they were created by God or just happened into existence. It is a basic human need which is impossible to deny. At the Shelter we’ve been open long enough now that we are getting past the “who are these men sleeping in our church basement”, and “who are these people who come and serve dinner”. We are getting to know one another. We’re connecting. What exactly is that connecting?

I recommend that we use our imaginations to think about what it is really like to be someone else. What is their world like? “Walk a mile in my shoes” as the song goes. You’ll need a little information. Don’t assume you know. The Shelter holds 20 men and there are 20 different life stories. In our 4 years of sheltering there have been almost a thousand men come through our doors. There are similarities. You and I have similarities. The problems I have with pride are the same basic problems you have with pride. And so it is with all people. But start small. The smallest piece of information can be a path to show someone you care about them. A lot of our serving revolves around food. Learn what someone likes to eat. Try to remember a food allergy someone may have. Jesus said that even a cup of water given to the least of these my brothers will not go unrewarded.

That’s the news from The Men’s Shelter on Phinney Ridge.

Ben Paul