The Face of God
A few months ago at church, our priest’s homily was about seeing God in everyone. He told us a story about a homeless individual who, every Saturday, came to the church, as soon as it was open, to use the facilities. But they didn’t just use the facilities. They would make a complete mess of the bathroom. Wrappers and trash all over the floor, mess everywhere. And, every Saturday, our priest would have an argument with them about the wreck they left each week.
One day, while in prayer, it hit him: this person needed care. They needed to be shown kindness because they are a child of God. Matthew 25:40 says, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” He didn’t feel he could preach to do unto others if he, himself, wasn't living this command.
This homily charged me. Living in a big city, there are homeless people everywhere. They’re ignored, uncared for, mostly perceived as a pest rather than a group of people in need of kindness. As clear as it is that people frequently don’t do unto them, they are not the only people to whom we fail to show God’s love.
When something goes wrong, we tend to blame the other person or resent the person who said it was our fault. When we get into an argument, we do all we can to feel we get our point across and win the fight. On days where nothing seems to go right, we let ourselves lash out, not thinking about how anyone else feels. Vulnerability, frustration, and embarrassment are very powerful.
Imagine any of these moments if Jesus were the other person. How would the situation be different? Would you have the same reaction? I don’t say any of this to point fingers or to make you feel less than. I say this because we have all been there and we can all grow.
I have made my share of mistakes. I have had moments where I did not see the face of God in others. But, recently, I was reminded that, for as many mistakes as I’ve made, I’ve also done good unto others, whether intentionally or not.
I went in to work a few weeks ago, already having a bad day, and was immediately given a task I desperately didn’t want to do: sales. My boss knew it wasn’t my favorite thing in the world but she needed my help so I took the appointment. I didn’t feel like I was doing fantastically well but both ladies at the appointment found what they needed and seemed pleased. One of them was telling me what a lovely time they had and asked me for a high five. When I looked, I saw she had cash in her hand. They had both grabbed what little cash they had to tip me. I was floored.
At the time, there was a lot of pain and sadness going on behind the scenes in my life but they looked at me, knowing nothing about me, and wanted to show appreciation for the time I spent with them. I cried. Broke out into tears right there in the store. To be clear, I didn’t care about the tip. The money wasn’t what mattered. What mattered was the genuine kindness and mercy they showed me when I felt far from deserving. The words they said and the kindness they showed me meant far more than any tip or gift could have. They were showing me the face of God.
For as many times as we can look at ourselves and see our past mistakes, there are also those precious moments when we are reminded of His grace. Hold onto those moments.
At the end of his homily, the priest told us what happened after his revelation. The next Saturday, he opened the door and welcomed the person in. He embraced them and told them to stay as long as they needed. When they left, the bathroom was spotless. Not an ounce of garbage, no mess. It was as it had been just after it was cleaned. He then told us he hasn’t seen the person since that day.
Though that moment was fleeting, it left an imprint on the priest. The sales appointment left an imprint on me. The genuine moments where we see with God’s eyes last forever. The next time you’re faced with frustration or stress or that you come across someone in strife, look at them in kindness and see the face of God.
