Ncdataman
Member
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2007
- Messages
- 1,811
The Soloist, Schizophrenics and You
I remember vividly the first time I had a conversation with a homeless person. It was remarkable, educational, and life changing.
Before that? Sure, I had seen them on street corners and at busy intersections asking for money. But just like most folks, I avoided making eye contact or engaging in any conversation out of pure awkwardness.
Or so I thought it was out of social self-consciousness that I avoided any contact with the homeless, but that was the convenient excuse I used. I can't remember what led to my change of perspective, but one day I woke up and realized that homeless people are just that... homeless people ...as in infinitely valuable human beings made in the very image of God Himself. They have names, they have families, and they have dreams that are now shattered like the broken shards of glass that line the streets that they now call home.
And many are victims of illnesses which struck them in the prime of life - and there was little or nothing they could do about it. Like a man named Nathaniel Ayers, a potentially world class musician who became schizophrenic and eventually homeless. That is the story behind the new movie called The Soloist - a film based on a true story of a remarkable and life changing friendship between a LA Times columnist and a homeless man.
The Soloist is a film that means a lot more than just a couple hours of entertainment and drama. I believe this film to be a potential perspective changer. That is, hopefully after viewing The Soloist, people will never look at homeless people the same way again. They will look them in the eye and give them a feeling of value and worth...because behind the shabby appearance and sometimes foul odor is an eternal soul who deserves your help.
That's what LA Times columnist Steve Lopez thought anyway, when he befriended Nathaniel. But did you also know that this is also the heartbeat of Jesus Christ? That's why He painted a very real and alarming picture of the last Judgment. Read His description carefully, because it is a scene from your future and mine:
But when the Son of Man - comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me."
Then these righteous ones will reply, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?"
And the King will say, "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"
Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, "Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons, for I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me."
Then they will reply, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?"
And he will answer, "I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me."
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life (Matthew 25:31-45).
How about that for a perspective changer! Jesus isn't saying that we earn our way to heaven by helping people, but He is teaching us that those who truly have a relationship with God through trusting Jesus for salvation demonstrate it through compassion for the poor, the needy, the outcast, and the victims.
So what about you? Does your heart break for the outcasts and the victims? Or do you simply look the other way when uncomfortable situations present themselves?
Remember the next time you look into the eyes of need, you just might be looking into the eyes of Jesus - and one day His eyes will be looking back at yours from the throne of heaven!
I remember vividly the first time I had a conversation with a homeless person. It was remarkable, educational, and life changing.
Before that? Sure, I had seen them on street corners and at busy intersections asking for money. But just like most folks, I avoided making eye contact or engaging in any conversation out of pure awkwardness.
Or so I thought it was out of social self-consciousness that I avoided any contact with the homeless, but that was the convenient excuse I used. I can't remember what led to my change of perspective, but one day I woke up and realized that homeless people are just that... homeless people ...as in infinitely valuable human beings made in the very image of God Himself. They have names, they have families, and they have dreams that are now shattered like the broken shards of glass that line the streets that they now call home.
And many are victims of illnesses which struck them in the prime of life - and there was little or nothing they could do about it. Like a man named Nathaniel Ayers, a potentially world class musician who became schizophrenic and eventually homeless. That is the story behind the new movie called The Soloist - a film based on a true story of a remarkable and life changing friendship between a LA Times columnist and a homeless man.
The Soloist is a film that means a lot more than just a couple hours of entertainment and drama. I believe this film to be a potential perspective changer. That is, hopefully after viewing The Soloist, people will never look at homeless people the same way again. They will look them in the eye and give them a feeling of value and worth...because behind the shabby appearance and sometimes foul odor is an eternal soul who deserves your help.
That's what LA Times columnist Steve Lopez thought anyway, when he befriended Nathaniel. But did you also know that this is also the heartbeat of Jesus Christ? That's why He painted a very real and alarming picture of the last Judgment. Read His description carefully, because it is a scene from your future and mine:
But when the Son of Man - comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me."
Then these righteous ones will reply, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?"
And the King will say, "I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!"
Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, "Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons, for I was hungry, and you didn't feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn't give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me."
Then they will reply, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?"
And he will answer, "I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me."
And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life (Matthew 25:31-45).
How about that for a perspective changer! Jesus isn't saying that we earn our way to heaven by helping people, but He is teaching us that those who truly have a relationship with God through trusting Jesus for salvation demonstrate it through compassion for the poor, the needy, the outcast, and the victims.
So what about you? Does your heart break for the outcasts and the victims? Or do you simply look the other way when uncomfortable situations present themselves?
Remember the next time you look into the eyes of need, you just might be looking into the eyes of Jesus - and one day His eyes will be looking back at yours from the throne of heaven!
