Thursday, March 26, 2015

The Fifth Station: Simon Helps Jesus Carry the Cross

The following is a Lenten reflection written by Caitlin Kerwin, one of this year's South House Volunteers.

As I walked home from work, I noticed a man sitting on the curb. I honestly don’t know if I would have paid him any attention if he didn’t shout “I’m hungry, ma’am!” Having lived in Chicago for a few months at this point I wasn't surprised by this man, but he did startle me a bit. I responded to him quickly saying “Sorry, Lakeview Pantry is right down the road.” This did not seem to satisfy him as he said “I’m from Birmingham, Alabama and I don’t have I.D.” Now, this really would not have prevented him from receiving food, but at the time I was not very informed. I still did not know how to help, so I responded with a “Sorry” and kept walking down the street. God has a funny way of pulling at our heart strings, so as I stopped at the corner to wait for the ‘walk’ sign I could not help but feel a sense of urgency to think of something that might help this man. I felt somehow connected to him as if it were my responsibility to do something about his hunger. I’m not one to give money to people on the street, but I am one that values food. As many of you may know, I like to eat. I looked back at the man sitting on the curb in front of Subway and started walking toward him reluctantly. I asked him if he wanted a sandwich from Subway and he responded “Yes… and can I have a coke too?” I thought why not, I would want one too. The man was very appreciative of the meal and I was on my way.

I saw this man almost every day for the rest of my first year of Amate. At first I didn't know whether to say hi to him or just try to avoid eye contact for fear of him asking for more help. Eventually I got over my pride a little and started smiling at him every day that I walked past. We were connected in some way.


It’s hard to remember my oneness with others and the world when I live in my own bubble. I thought Amate would magically break this bubble and I would have a brand new way of thinking. While Amate has definitely made me more aware of this bubble, it is still a daily struggle to change my way of thinking and break the bubble I have a tendency to live in. We have a responsibility to one another, from the begging man sitting on the road to the housemate sitting on the couch. It is our job as people to help each other carry the many crosses we have in our lives and to realize we are also carrying the same cross.

No comments: