those devoid eyes that sparkle

i cannot help but think about the thin, very skeletal looking young man i saw yesterday on the downtown streets of "blended-ness." he wore mostly black, purple glitter adorned his eyes, making them heavy and distinctly shadowed. his face was also covered in an array of sparkles, and his head was crowned with a bejewled tiara. 

my heart ached at the sight of him. for there was no ounce of joy written on his face. there was no peace that i could sense from him, in the few seconds our eyes connected.

 i did not look upon him as if he were a strange sideshow freak, but as a desperate brother-heart crying out. an empty soul. a lost child searching for love. a set of devoid eyes wearing a thinly veiled mask.

                                                                                                    

do i walk away without a second thought?

...without a single prayer uttered for this man?

do i torment the shadow-ones with speech in the open or in the caverns of my self righteous mind?

do i protest without seeking to love and share the truth?

 do i seek Him?

                                          

do i ask for help from HIM for words to go and spread the good news to those many, those who are so devoid of love and walk this earth as zombies, lifeless and empty? 

those purple sparkle eyes held tightly set, on a thin unhappy face that spoke aloud. it screamed even. he screamed at me on the dingy city sidewalk, without uttering a single word. i could feel it, the emptiness and brokenness. there, that devoid face of his held no smile. there was not a shred of life. there was no love i could glimpse or sense. there was no peace. i saw a soul devoid, so i smiled and prayed.

this passerby stirred me to me core and set loose a wave of questions and a river full of emotions that have enveloped me since yesterday.

...and so i ask...

do we gawk?

do we make fun and carry on?

do we really want to look inside ourselves and free our shadows?

do we honestly seek to change the world?

do we dare challenge our comfortable secure? 

the one that says "i'm saved already...so talking to anyone else about their salvation really doesn't matter as long as i'm fine."

 do we dare to love those whom we find repulsive, or even scary at first glance?

do we show them Christ's love?

do we share that hope-filled smile?

do we show them brilliant joy, that is found within The Giver of Life?

do we show His peace at work in our own lives, reflected outwardly? 

are we a shelter from the cold world for the hurting ones? 

i can now see clearly that we must question ourselves and our self-righteousness. the righteousness that doesn't want us to deal with "the others" and "the weirdos." do our knees find it hard to bend on behalf of the broken and scarred, the purple glittered faces, the prostitutes, those picket sign carriers, druggies and homeless slumbering on the cold sidewalks? do we giggle at the face of the Godless, poking fun, or do we have love and prayers and hope for them? does our Light radiate brightly in us and shine outwardly for all to see? because those devoid faces yearn to shine.

do we keep reaching out? or do we remain a silent passerby in the street, with no love in our hearts? are we just a soul as devoid and lifeless as them too? are we not also shadowed somewhat?

do we dismiss the ones that hide in corners or do we raise a battle cry against the enemy?

do we smile to show them kindness?

do we speak to them as a human to a human? 

as a brother to a brother and a sister to a sister? 

do we light the darkness and pray for it to flee?

do we show them Jesus on the broken streets?

this is a letter to you and i. a heart crying out for the shadowed-ones. if we would not turn our faces from them, we too would begin to see shadows fade and Satan flee. 

can we please, just cast aside the righteous judge within ourselves long enough to show the world HIS light?

our Jesus sat with sinners and thieves, prostitutes and murderous men. HE did not choose to close HIS eyes and walk away quietly from them. HE sat with them and talked with them and opened their eyes unto HIS marvelous light!

HE has never walked away from me.

HE chose you and i and lifted us out of shadow. 

do we not owe it to HIM to show HIS love to the shadow-hearts?

(all images in this post were via: pinterest)