Terry Paul Choyce
December 21, 2005, Brunswick Street United Church
Reflection For Homeless Memorial, Halifax 2005
I am going to centre my reflection around my belief that every one of us is a part of God. I believe that we are each a divine soul who is having a human experience. I am a soul with a body, as much as I am a body with a soul.
The ramifications of this belief is that each of us is connected to God, and connected to each other. Therefore, we are all sacred beings. Each of us, regardless of our age, race, education, health, or economic situation are important to God. There are no disposable people. Every human life is precious. You are precious. You are a part of God.
In Matt. 25, verses 35 to 40, Jesus said:
I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house.
I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'
Then the good people will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you alone and away from home and invite you into our house? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear?
When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?'
"Then the King will answer, 'I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me.'
I am sure each of you have heard these lines before. To me, they are amongst the most important ones in the Bible. They are right up there with "Love thy neighbour as thy self." This was one of the revolutionary messages of Jesus. He valued every person. He mingled with prostitutes, criminals, lepers and the very poor. He himself chose to be homeless. To do his work he had to travel from place to place, and I think he had to rely on the generosity of strangers to give him a place to sleep and food to eat.
Even when Jesus made his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem, where thousands of people gathered to see and honour him, he chose to ride on the back of a donkey. This was to fulfill Old Testament scripture, but I also think it was to symbolise his humbleness, and his affiliation with those who could not afford fine horses or chariots. Jesus did not want to set himself above people. He wanted to say "I am one of you." "As you did for even the least of my people here, you also did for me."
You, my friends, are not that different than Jesus. Christians say that Jesus was the son of God, and in four days we will be celebrating his sacred birth. I believe your birth was sacred too. You are a child of God as well. Regardless of where you live or how you live, you are loved by God. We call God "Our Father." A father cares for his children. And brothers and sisters should care for each other as well.
Today, let us honour those who have passed away this year. And let us also honour one another. Let us try to be more caring, more respectful, more generous, and more understanding with those we see every day. Let us also remember to give to those in other places who are experiencing great misfortunes. Because everyone on this beautiful earth is a part of God. Everyone of us is worthy of our love, and God's love.
