275: How Do We Help?

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A week ago, a man got into the bus that I was riding on my way to the office and spoke out loud in the middle saying that he needs help to pay for his badly injured leg due to an accident. To prove that he wasn't lying, he showed his wound, and the smell of a festering wound surrounded the enclosed bus. You cannot imagine how a festering wound smells like.

Learn how to cry for the Poor

While he solicit coins, Pope Francis' message in UST echoed in my mind. Here is the man who needs help, how can I help?

[...] There is a worldly compassion which is useless. You expressed something like this. It’s a compassion that makes us put our hands in our pockets and give something to the poor. But if Christ had had that kind of compassion he would have greeted a couple of people, given them something, and walked on. But it was only when he was able to cry that he understood something of our lives. [..]

I may be rushing on my way to the office, but here is my opportunity to practice my being a better Christian by reaching out, but one cannot help but wonder: how can someone who's a middle class worker, who's in the rush to reach to her office, who currently has no influence, no power, no position can help?

But besides, the helping, you cannot imagine how bad I feel for the guy. You can feel how much he was unwanted in the bus because of his wounds. I didn't want to add more injury to the guy, instead of wincing on the smell, or showing grossed out by evading his outstretched hand, I stretched my hand and handed him some money. The only consolation I can offer at such limited time was my sincerity, so I looked at him straight in the eye, smiled, and nodded.

It was the only thing I can do at the moment. I hope it was suffice, but a week after, I am still disturbed that it felt like I fell on the category of those people who just gives money on those who asked. I seriously hope I have done something else that would have told the guy that there is still some people out there who are not indifferent on his sufferings.

If I can go back at the moment, I would have reached out, grabbed his hand and say 'I will pray for you'. It may be some of the last thing that he needed, but a sympathy from a stranger might at least a balm on his soul. I wish I have done this, but I am glad that this came to me, I'll do this when I get an opportunity in the future, and I hope that in spite of my limitations to help, I may have done something.