Individuals in Singapore generally look like they are doing ok. Their clothes are clean. Rarely do you see someone with holes unless it is a fashion statement. Unwashed hair and Singaporeans are a rare combination. Occasionally there is an exception.
A recent lunch at a hawker stand was one. With a single exception everyone was eating or busy. The exception was an old Singaporean man. His clothes were dirty and tattered. His hair was long, thin, and needed a wash. There was a glazed look in his eyes that gave one the sense that he was looking for something. As I watched I quickly realized that he was waiting for tables to finish so that he could eat the scraps that were left.
I sat watching because I had no idea what I should do. He was not asking anyone for help. From the outside, it was clear that he needed it. He was not bothering anyone. In the main, nobody seemed to pay him much attention. Once he finished the scraps of meat from one table he quietly shuffled to another. There was no urgency to his movements except for the thoroughness in which is cleaned the meat of the bones left on the plates.
This was a man looking for food and probably more. Without language or knowing what to do, the best I could offer was enough money for 2 good meals. I knew my gesture would only postpone the search but it was something.
I close my eyes now and see him wandering. I wish I gave him more than a meal. There is so much more to life that is within his reach. Even now I am reminded what is within my reach. “God is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God – the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout.” (Psalm 18.2) Even as I say thank-you, I remind God that some in the family are still lost. Hopefully someone will notice.
