Last year something happened in my city, something that only came to light a few months ago, and something that I can’t seem to forget.
A young homeless man, Bikram Lama, passed away in a public park by one of the busiest Sydney train stations, and was not noticed for six days, despite the thousands passing by each day. Mr Lama had come to Australia from Nepal as a student before ending up on the streets and losing contact with his family. Then he died, and no-one noticed.
You can disappear in a city, becoming a nameless face in a crowd filled with people you’ll never see again. Even outside the city, our individualistic culture means many live without a community and a support network. We have created a culture of looking out for ourselves and not those around us. Our “village” has gotten smaller, and as a result, almost one in three people in Australia are lonely.
Our lives have also sped up. Technology that was meant to make our lives easier has made them busier and more exhausting. Other people’s problems inconvenience us when we’re in a rush. Not only that, but the amount of bad news we receive daily from the wider world means we run out of capacity for kindness. Sometimes it feels easier to just withdraw.
Jesus didn’t let that rush of busyness stop Him from being kind. The Bible tells the story in Luke 8 of a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. This kind of problem would have alienated her from society. Deemed unclean and weakened by her condition, she was probably living on the streets. Alone, fatigued and futureless, Jesus was her last hope.
Jesus, on the other hand, was very popular. He had been calming storms and healing people left and right and had quite the following. In the moment when He passed by the woman on the street, He was on His way to heal the daughter of a Pharisee—someone important, someone loved, someone young. The crowds pressed in around Him, and the woman reached out to touch Jesus’ robe.
In that instant, she was healed. And Jesus knew, even though He hadn’t yet seen her. “‘Who touched me?’ Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said ‘Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you’” (Luke 8:45). Basically, are You crazy? We’re all touching You!
The woman came forward, trembling. Probably both afraid at being singled out and elated at her healing, she told Him what she’d done. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace” (v48).
In the meantime, the Pharisee’s daughter had died. That’s another story, but what strikes me every time I read this story was Jesus’ willingness to stop everything and turn His eyes on a woman who’d lost and gained everything. He could have kept going, but He stopped and said, “I see you”.
There’s another story of a woman, abandoned and alone: Hagar. God revealed Himself to her in her time of need, and she is the only one in the Bible to give God a name: El Roi, or “The God who sees” (Genesis 16:13).
To be seen is the most precious and beautiful thing in our lives. While sometimes it may seem that those around us do not see us in the way we long to be seen, there is One who does see us. Jesus sees our flaws, our deepest desires, our mistakes and our joys, and loves us fiercely.
When we truly accept Jesus’ love, the desire grows in us to share that love with others, and what better way than to check in with the people in your lives, whether they be friends or strangers. No, we can’t help everyone, but that shouldn’t stop us from helping someone.
Sometimes we pull back from helping others, thinking that it will lead to us financially supporting them while they camp out in our living room. But often all people need is a kind word, a smile, a sincere “how are you?” A kindness, no matter how seemingly small, is never wasted.
So be a rock in the middle of a flowing stream of people. Hold up the crowd. Take a moment to look someone in the face and say, “I see you”.
