There are many reasons why I chose to write about Jeff, but the main one is that I felt like he possessed a type of wisdom not many people do. I think that individuals who have experienced homelessness possess a unique knowledge. No one else knows the struggles they went through and what caused them to end up on the streets. Ever since I went on the retreat, I have taken all the advice given to me to heart. I understand what Jeff said about staying in school because now, looking back on my previous mindset, I felt like I almost deserved to be educated. The fact is, I don’t deserve anything I have. Jeff inspired me to have a change of heart on the way that I look at school because I now have a nuanced appreciation for education.
On this retreat, I feel that I truly did encounter Christ in these people through their wisdom and knowledge. I was able to see Christ in the people that I met through the advice they gave me because they truly know what they are talking about when they give someone advice. Also, I have newfound sense of respect for the homeless. At the end of the day, homeless people exist everywhere around the world and it saddens me to think that most people don’t even acknowledge their existence. I, for one, know that before the street retreat, if I were driving in my car and I saw a homeless person, I would turn up the music and try not to make eye contact. Now, everytime I see someone on the side of the road, I try to smile or wave so they know that someone cares about them and knows that they are human. Overall, the street retreat was an eye-opening experience for me because I now want to change some things about the way I live my life so that I can be a better person.
Through my experiences talking to these people on the streets, I have come to learn a very important thing. I have been told this forever, but I am finally beginning to actually understand it. We are all one in Christ and we are all his children which makes us part of his one body. Christ dwells within each and everyone of us because we are inherently part of his family and congregation. If this is true, we should treat others as if we are interacting with Christ himself. In the Bible, it says, “For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me” (Matthew 25: 42-43). When Jesus says this to his congregation, they are confused because not of them ever saw Christ needing help. In reply to this, Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25: 40). In this quote, Jesus basically tells us that he lives within each and everyone of us. Therefore, when you don’t acknowledge or you treat someone disrespectfully, you are doing that to Christ. I think this is the greatest lesson I could have learned from the retreat because I am now going to treat everyone with the dignity and respect that they deserve.
–Thomas McCarthy, 9/24/18
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