"Them"

"Lord, when did we see You hungry
or thirsty
or a stranger...
and did not minister to You?"
Matthew 25:44

They are everywhere these days,

Begging on every street corner.

Waiting for a handout, they seem to have no shame.

I always wonder when I see them,

Why can't they get a job?

I work for my money

I earned it all myself,

I never took a handout

I always “helped” myself.

Thank God I'm not like them.

On my way to work today

He asked me for a dollar.

I looked him over carefully

To see if he was worthy

To see if I should bother...

He failed to meet my measure,

He just looked so lazy, so worthless,

So far from where I knew that he should be.

Nickels in my pocket, beside the bills I treasure.

I threw them in his bucket, and saved the rest for me.

I saw another one rolling down the street

In the dead of winter, sandals on her feet.

I hesitated when I saw her,

In a moment's weakness, I stopped and gave her thought.

I had to shake myself to wake me up and remember what I was taught.

There are places for these people,

There are places they can go.

There are places that are good enough.

Places they can take a shower, once a week, or so.

Places that are meant for them, but not for you or me.

I do wish they all would go there,

So we didn't have to see

Their empty eyes,

Their filthy clothes,

The terror on their faces.

Life is what you make of it, that's what I always say.

God helps those who help themselves.

I read it in the bible, just the other day...

Or did I make that up myself?

Oh, well, you catch my drift...

Something happened to me suddenly,

I didn't have a choice.

They fired me, they let me go,

They cancelled out my voice.

I lost my job, my car.

Today I was evicted.

They say that it's the economy.

It's really not my fault.

Everyone is hurting.

But, its the first time I ever found myself

On the other side of certain...

I haven't had a bath in days,

The stench of shame encircles me,

It follows me everywhere.

I know there are places I could go

But, that's for “them” you know.

Not for me, not for me,

Oh, please tell me I'm not like them.

Please tell me that I'm better,

I'm not like all the rest...

Tell me, when you look at me, 
You see the very best...

I'm not like “them”, 
I'm not like them,

I cried in my despair.

I looked in the mirror and saw “them” standing there.

In a broken voice I whispered out a prayer.

Dear God, forgive me

For my cold, indifferent heart.

Forgive me, Lord, forgive me,

Oh, give me eyes to see,

My desperate, needy brother

Is just the same as me...