We met Keith holding up a sign on the side of a busy intersection in downtown Charlotte, NC. We pulled over and picked him up to take him to lunch and listen to his story.
Keith started doing drugs at the age of nine.
"I started smoking weed because I was stressed. I did it so I wouldn't hurt anybody."
He didn't really tell us what could stress out a nine year old to the point of violence and drug use. I can't imagine what kind of suffering would make a nine year old feel like his only escape is drugs. But I do know someone had to introduce him to this lifestyle. A nine year old's natural reaction to stress isn't drug abuse and violence– someone taught him this. Unfortunately, Keith's childhood isn't entirely uncommon for those who grow up in impoverished urban areas. As he got older Keith began using different drugs, and began using more heavily. He got involved in gangs, violent crime, robberies, and dealing drugs. Keith has spent his entire life in between homelessness and prison.
“I really don’t have a story. Been homeless all my life. Can’t change it. Can’t work because my knee’s gone out and I can’t stand for too long, so I hold up a sign and try to make a few dollars.”
Keith spends his days begging for money to eat, and if he can get enough, somewhere to lay his head for the night. When he can't scrape up enough money to get a room at a local motel, he spends his nights in different abandoned buildings. We asked him to take us to one of the places he stays at. He took us to some abandoned government housing. There were about a dozen rotting housing units sitting empty across the street from the local soccer field. We were only there about five minutes before a lady came up yelling at Keith, asking us what we were doing. Keith continued telling us his story as we overheard the woman calling the police on us.
"The hardest part about being homeless is trying to find somewhere safe to live. Without problems. Without people calling the police on you. It doesn’t concern them what goes on with someone's life. Instead of helping someone with nothing, they call the police on them. It makes the world better when you help someone, so why hurt someone? Doesn’t make sense. We have to struggle to find somewhere to stay. We have to struggle to find something to eat. We have to struggle. And people don't realize, it’s hard as hell out here on the streets."
Keith says lots of people look down on him because he's homeless. They treat him like he isn't human. Somehow, because someone doesn't look, or smell, or talk the way we want, we find it in ourselves to strip this person of their humanity. We ignore the fact this person is made in the image of God. Created in the likeness of the Creator; a shadow of the glory of God. These people get pushed out from society and left aside. Dealing with the injustices of a depraved society is a daily struggle for Keith and people like him. He is dehumanized a little more each day.
"I get cans thrown at me, beer bottles at me, all types of shit. People call me names, they call the police on me, all kinds of stuff. Being homeless is hard because people treat you like dirt. They ain’t gotta stop and help me. If you don’t want to see homeless people on the streets, then help them out. Give them somewhere to stay. Then you won’t see all these homeless people on the streets. Look at all of these empty buildings. We just need somewhere to stay. Don’t hate us, help us."
I think we give up more than we realize when we allow people to live like this. We trade being human for being wealthy. We trade empathy and sympathy for comfort. As long as we don't look at them, people like Keith aren't our problem. As long as we aren't living in poverty, poverty isn't our problem. But it is our problem. To ignore the image of God in others is to ignore the image of God in ourselves. To have much while others go without reveals an issue deep in our own hearts. Sodom's sins were pride, gluttony, and laziness, while the poor and needy suffered outside her door. We know the ending to the story of Sodom. I pray we put in the work and make this our problem. I pray we start treating people like Keith like we would treat anyone else– like image bearers of God.
“Instead of hurting homeless people help them instead.”
Keith says he might always be homeless. He says without the help of others, without a little push, there isn't much hope. So go be that push for someone today. Help instead of hurting. Listen to people's stories. Love people where they're at.