A cobblestone street in downtown Belem before the morning traffic starts

                He was drunk.  Not just a little drunk.  He was so drunk that he had difficulty walking straight.  He was mostly incoherent.  And he picked our church.  He wandered in off the street into our church service.  And he had lost his shoes somewhere in his unguided wandering. 

                Some people when they get drunk get quiet and pensive.  This guy was the exact opposite.  He was talkative and, even more concerning, he was grabbing a hold of everyone that he passed by – men, women, and children.  He was making quite a scene in the back of the church. 

                I walked from my seat to the back of the church and suggested we step outside so we could talk.  I lead him to the door as we dialogued about his lack of footwear.  It was a concern but, unfortunately, there is nowhere in our town to buy anything like that at 9pm. 

                I put my arm around his shoulders to help guide him as I walked alongside of him.  His shirt was soaking wet and sticky.  It was an unpleasant sensation to say the least.  As we walked, I shared with him about the love of Jesus and how there is so much for us in life. 

                It was a simple 20 minutes.  We walked together until we encountered a taxi to take him home.  I paid for the taxi which took him to an unfamiliar address.  Along the way, I had also bought him some food from a street vendor. 

                In the back of my mind, I realized that whether he remembered it or not, others would.  The people we passed on the street, the food vendor, the taxi driver – how do we treat those that undeserving?  How do we treat those that are unlikable?  Where is our heart when we are confronted with a difficult moment?  Even more important than others, how I respond in such situations shapes my soul, it forms who I am.  I want to be a little more like our Jesus who touched prostitutes, accepted people unclean with illnesses, reached out destitute beggars, and extended his Kingdom to the demonized.  And sometimes others feel God through the hand of His children.  

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