The free radical

I've been reading The Beatitudes (Book of Matthew, Chapter 5) this week and have been pondering the crazy, radical teaching of Jesus. I mean, this guy talks about lifting up and rewarding the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the gentle, the peaceful -- it makes me think about the people, celebrities and heroes we look to as role models, and wow, so few of them exhibit those characteristics. And I dare you to name a world leader who fits this bill!

In my readings, I also came across a great summary from author John Stott, who said "In brief, Jesus congratulates those whom the world most pities, and calls the world's rejects 'blessed.'"

What comes to mind immediately are all the children that I've been working with during the past month: the street children who are rejected by all the other shelters and turn to drugs and prostitution; the boys who shine shoes to earn a few cents but wear scarves covering their entire faces to avoid the stigma of being on the street. The ones who drool and can't form complete sentences because they are so high on thinner. The poor family who can't afford hot water, the mother who sells handicrafts on the sidewalk and has no choice but to allow her three-year-old to play in the street. This would have been the crowd that Jesus would have hung out with, the ones he would call 'blessed' or 'happy'. Way to be.

I'll tell you who I think fits the bill in those first 10 verses of Matthew 5. His name is Israel and he lives in the Renacer Home. At 13 years old, Israel is the sweetest boy I think I've ever met (besides my lovely boyfriend who will pick me up from the airport on Monday, right, babe?) Israel is the quiet kid in the back of the classroom, who doesn't need to bounce in his seat to show the teacher he knows the right answer. He doesn't have his own desk (probably because the louder and more showy kids grabbed them first) and instead has to share a wooden table with another boy. Like me, Israel absolutely loves to read; he's also an artist, loves to take photos and he shares all his stuff with the rest of the boys. He's the one who cares for the adorable kitten, Estuart, and tries to avoid unhealthy conflict whenever possible. But he's not a pushover -- he's athletic, plays football, does your normal 'boy' stuff too. I know I keep saying this, but I can't believe he used to be a streetkid. I just hope he doesn't lose these wonderful traits, that he doesn't became jaded by life's twists and turns, that he keeps hold of his imagination and creativity. This small, quiet 13 year old boy is truly the salt of the earth.