The day was gray and unseasonably cold. On my hurried walk from the train station to Moody Radio’s studios, I saw a small bird trembling on the sidewalk.
As I approached, the bird should have flown away or attempted to run away. It did neither. Was it sick? Injured? Born with a flying disability? I have no idea. He appeared well-fed. But if a bird can seem dejected, she/he certainly did, quivering on the cold cement.
How like our world. Day after day, you and I go about our lives—typically in a hurry. Meaning that we walk past people—lots of them. And some of those we pass, like that little bird, are just not right.
- It’s the guy who never seems to leave the Wal-Mart parking lot—and never changes his clothes.
- It’s the lady who sits in the back of church week after week, dabbing at her eyes, always slipping out before the end of the service.
- It’s the teenager with the sad face who walks up and down the street several times a day. He never seems to arrive anywhere.
Just like that bird, these people were designed to fly, but now they’re grounded. Quivering. Shivering in the cold.
The problem: We see them, but we don’t see them. At least not enough to care or help.
But wouldn’t Jesus see them? Wouldn’t Jesus help them?
And if He could, shouldn’t we?
- A friendly greeting.
- A bottle of cold water.
- A kind word simply acknowledging their existence.
Couldn’t we at least start there?
Today, keep your eyes open and your heart soft. There’s a flightless bird on the path ahead. Our broken world is full of them.