GIVING A BUM A HUG

I walked down Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. There was a filthy bum, covered with soot from head to toe. He had a huge beard. I'll never forget the beard. It was a gigantic beard with rotted food stuck in it. He held a cup of McDonald's coffee and mumbled as he walked along the street. He spotted me and said, "Hey, Mister. You want some of my coffee?"

I knew I should take some to be nice, and I did. I gave it back to him and said, "You're being pretty generous giving away your coffee this morning. What's gotten into you that you're giving away your coffee all of a sudden?" He said, "Well, the coffee was especially delicious this morning, and I figured if God gives you something good you ought to share it with people."

I figured, this is the perfect set up. I said, "Is there anything I can give you in return?" I'm sure he's going to hit me for five dollars. He said, "Yeah, you can give me a hug." I was hoping for the five dollars.

He put his arms around me. I put my arms around him. And I realized something. He wasn't going to let me go. He was holding onto me. Here I am an establishment guy, and this bum is hanging on to me. He's hugging me. He's not going to let me go. People are passing on the street. They're staring at me. I'm embarrassed. But little by little my embarrassment turned to awe.

I heard a voice echoing down the corridors of time saying, I was hungry. Did you feed Me? I was naked. Did you clothe Me? I was sick. Did you care for Me? I was the bum you met on Chestnut Street. Did you hug Me? For if you did it unto the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you did it to Me. And if you failed to do it unto the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you failed to do it unto Me. 

-- Tony Campolo (1935-2024) in "Year of Jubilee," Preaching Today

#5996