I was walking outside of the world headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland, with Faith, one of my col-leagues. She suddenly stopped and walked back to the bus stop in front of the building. There, sitting on the curb, was a woman smoking a cigarette. I backtracked and joined Faith as she talked with the woman. Faith lovingly asked how she could help her. The woman was homeless and was waiting for the bus to take her to her son’s apartment, where she was staying for a while. She also said she could use a grocery store gift card and a candle to light so she could remember her mother’s death, which was several years ago on that very day.
Faith wrote down the son’s address and said she would come by with the gift card and candle. I thought to myself, Here is this very needy woman and I just walked by. It was as if I was blind and didn’t even see her. She was like an object but not a real person as I passed by. I was like the blind man whom Jesus touched, and the blind man, at first, saw people as objects (Mark 8:22–25). I need to have my sight fully restored, so I can see everything clearly (v. 25).
—May-Ellen Colón, PhD, is an assistant director of Sabbath School and Personal Ministries, and director of Adventist Community Services International, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Silver Spring, Maryland, United States.
