And ought not this woman, a daughter of Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen long years, be set free from this bondage on the sabbath day? -Luke 13:16

Sometimes people ask us what do we do exactly in the streets. I ought to answer without any hesitance. After all, we have been here for a while. However, this is the problem. The longer we are here the more difficult it becomes to answer this apparently simple question. Perhaps part of the issue is that I feel like I have to give an impressive answer like, “we are providing food and shelters to the homeless children” or “we started an educational program in the streets” or even, “we provide training skills for the teens so that they can learn to fish for themselves.” Alas, we don’t do any of these things. No doubt these are some of the things everyone imagines as necessary when working with the homeless youth. These are great solutions from a distance. Everything changes when you have close contact with reality. We learn that we have to do something different. Speaking of fish, we went to the tropical fish store to see which is the cheapest fish to buy for a young man. We are helping him set up an aquarium. We do things like that. I am sure if I told someone this, they would say we don’t know what we are doing here and perhaps even secretly doubt our sanity.

Live tropical fish is not the best pet for anyone living in the streets. I couldn’t agree more. It is for someone who left the streets and became a squatter in an abandoned building. For some readers, this might not sound like much progress. It would take too much time and countless words to explain the present social and economic situation here to show why this is a step up. The cost of rent is ridiculously high and even we are facing challenges with it. The most viable option for our homeless youth here is becoming a squatter in one of the hundred or so abandoned buildings in the center of the city. Yes, there are that many buildings here and we also have over three thousand homeless people living in the same area. To get back to the subject, I am not sure that the person for whom we are buying this fish could be considered a youth unless you are over sixty, then everyone under fifty is a youth. He is older than most of our youth. I have already mentioned him before. His name is Ron.

He is an important figure among the homeless children and teens. They adore him. Maybe it is because of his sarcastic humor. There was a tiny space available where Felipe and his wife live. They asked Ron if he wanted to move there. The space is so small that it only fits a single bed. When he invited us over to see it, we had to take turns to enter. Even though it looked cramped and uncomfortable, for Ron, it is a big achievement. He has been sleeping in the streets since he was a child and never imagined sleeping under a roof. Now he enjoys it. He wants to make it more home-like. He thought an aquarium would do the trick. Not exactly an aquarium, just a simple fish bowl if they even exist nowadays. He remembered that he had an aquarium in his home. His mother used to buy fish often. It is one of the few joyful memories of his childhood. Perhaps in his mind, no home is complete without a fish bowl. At first when he asked us about it, we didn’t really think too much of it. We were being pragmatic. We bought him a pillow case without realizing that he didn’t even have a pillow. He used a rolled up bundle of clothes. There are so many things he needs and a fish bowl was the last thing on our mind. However, we realized that it means something special for him. A memento from his past that is necessary for his healing.

In our ministry, in different periods, different youth bond with us in a special way. When we first came here almost ten years ago, it was Igor. He was and is very special us. Then there were times with Ruan, Wanderson, Bruna and Aline. During the Pandemic, our relationship with Felipe became stronger. After which Erica and Kawanna strengthened their relationship with us. We never choose the person. These things happen naturally. Now we are growing to love and appreciate Ron more and more each day. He always makes time to talk with us each day. The other children and teens observed this. It means something to them. They see that we don’t discriminate just because Ron is a little older. Most groups that work in the streets are restricted in their interactions with the homeless. They either work exclusively with minors or with adults. Those who work with children and teens can only do so until they turn 18. Then they change jurisdictions so to speak. Most of the social workers find this approach to be absurd. There is no continuity. However, these rules are set by people who have no contact with the reality of the homeless youth.
They might make sense from a distance but human relationships are much more complex than a set of rules and regulations.

Thankfully, we don’t work with these arbitrary restrictions. Instead, we follow the example of the Good Shepherd and He seeks His sheep without any restrictions. Ron belongs to the flock of sheep that we consider homeless children and teens. There are others who older and part of this group, like Bruno, Felipe, and Patricia. Sometimes we do activities with toddlers too. They are children of some of the homeless. It disturbs us to see such young children living and sleeping in the streets. However, we need to put our sentiments aside and focus on sharing God’s love to whoever He puts in our lives.

Doing this is not always easy. We have in our minds certain notions and ideas on how to share God’s love with our neighbor. It corresponds with our own personal life experiences and notions of Love, not to mention our social status. We tend to hold on to these ideas and even become rigid about them, forgetting that it is our personal experience. God reveals Himself to each one differently. He meets people where they are spiritually. Ron’s life wasn’t peaceful. He ran away from home as a child because it was unbearable. Till today he finds it hard to articulate why he left his home. However, during his brief time with his mother, he remembered that she bought him a pet fish each week. It was one of his most vivid memories of maternal love. Watching these tiny creatures swimming around peacefully in his room was sacramental proof that he was not an unwanted nor unloved child. Of course, Ron never said this in so many words. He just wants a fish and he thought we would understand. We had to put aside our rigid ideas of what Ron needs and listen to the Holy Spirit. Ron wants healing and the fish is the first step. Therefore, sometimes our ministry requires us to go around looking for fish in a tropical fish pet store. As we already know, Jesus can do great things with fish.

I should end here. It is a great place to finish up this simple reflection. However, I feel like I need to connect this with the above gospel reading. We may not think that we are like the Pharisees but we have to admit that we do create arbitrary rules in our heads and restrict how God should act in our midst. We think that we shouldn’t help someone asking for money because….we have a set of good reasons to justify our actions. Sometimes these rules are good. Other times, compassion and mercy are much more important. Jesus just saw the woman and listened to the Holy Spirit. I guess there is nothing more to say beyond this.

I came to bring fire to the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and what stress I am under until it is completed! Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! -Luke12:49-51

The presidential election is approaching here. It’s going to be a rough one. In the next couple of months, old wounds will be reopened, old lies will be rehashed, and God’s name will be shamelessly taken in vain. Basically, a typical election process in most countries. I am sure that most of us, if not all, will agree that this is getting tiresome. It is not to say that I do not have my political views. I do have my strong convictions. I consider myself to be a very political person. Consequently, I find it hard to tolerate people who defend opposing views from mine. Even though I tell myself that these views are not important, the truth is that I am not entirely convinced. I tend to believe that my outlook is the most ethical one. This is the only reason why anyone would espouse any political stance. It is inevitable that we get entrapped in this “us” and “them” mindset. It is virtually impossible to avoid it. We are constantly bombarded with information and slanderous news to convince us to take sides. Needless to say, we live in a world sharply divided. When the devil tempted Jesus, he said that all dominions of this world belonged to him. Jesus never said anything to the contrary. On a different occasion, He acknowledged that the devil is the father of this world. One of the names of the devil in Greek is diabolos which means divider. We can see his trademark in his kingdoms. In fact, during any political debate in any given country, usually all the attributes of the devil are manifested and almost none of Christ.

It seems like Jesus is not going to resolve this dire situation. Instead, He is going to exacerbate it. In other words, Jesus is not the answer to our present political problems. Those who try to use His name to justify any political position are preaching a different Jesus, perhaps a false one who gave in to the temptations of the devil. The true Messiah was very clear,

“My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.” John 18:36

The kingdoms of this world survive on strife and hatred. They understand this language very well. Anyone who is well adjusted and successful in this world has acceded to the rules of this world. Jesus, on the other hand, was always at odds with the authorities. He refused to participate in their politics of hate. His trial was perhaps the final temptation to make Him submit to their standards. Thankfully for humanity, up till His final breath, Jesus refused to become another politician of this era. In His final prayer, He chose to forgive those who dehumanized him even though He had every right to seek justice against them. This is something the world will never understand. If we attempt to mention forgiveness for the worse criminals in our society, we will become objects of scorn. Others will say that we are impractical and naive to even say such things. In some cases, they might even react in violence towards us for mentioning such “nonsense”. Violence and hatred are the language moving this world. Without these, the whole system collapses.

“I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16

Wolves and sheep have completely incompatible natures. One seeks prey to consume and the latter seeks to hear and follow the voice of the shepherd. However, it is our human nature to belong to a group and more often than not, we end up joining a pack of wolves. In a world dominated by them, it seems safer to be like them. Many adopt their politics of hate and sometimes even confuse it with God’s will. Saul, before he became Paul, thought so. However, our Shepherd tells us that there is no room for hate even when the wolves around us give us every justification for it. Jesus tells us that we are to love them especially when they are our enemies. This sounds completely absurd and ridiculous unless we change our mindset. We have to stop perceiving the world from the perspective of the wolf. We have to become like sheep who listen and watch the Shepherd.

Living in Brazil as foreigners puts us outside the political arena of this country. Officially we are immigrants with no political voice. Besides this, we have cast our lot with the homeless children and teens. They don’t have a voice in society. Together we are outsiders. However, this does not mean that we are immune to the politics of hate. I would say that its presence is felt very strongly in the streets. The police operate on hatred. The criminal gang strives on hatred. The children and teens have grown accustomed to bearing the yoke of hatred and disdain. It is an unbearable burden for them to carry. The Good Shepherd walks through this valley of hatred and death and beckons His sheep to listen to His voice. It is the voice which will overcome the destructive force of hatred. Sometimes it is not easy. The temptation is to take sides. Therefore, we need to be wise as serpents. We have to know that all sides represented here are detrimental to our souls. Sometimes it seems like one side is obviously wrong but it does not give us the license to partake in their communion of hatred. At the Cross, it was obvious who was right and wrong. However the Good Shepherd listened to the Holy Spirt and responded with the greatest political act of all humanity. He showed us the path of true politics which will change hearts of humanity.

The Shepherd is beckoning us to follow a new political venture; one that would isolate us from the rest of society, perhaps even becoming an object of scorn. It doesn’t matter. We don’t seek approval of the masses, instead we seek to follow the voice of the Shepherd. He will guide us and give us the strength to resist all the forces of hatred.

Our most precious encounter this week was with Gabriel. A young man who spent a great part of his teenage years in crime. He puts on a tough and intimidating front. He hardly spoke for a long time although it was obvious that he was curious about us. Last week, Mary brought the camera to the streets after a long time. The children love to have their photos taken by us because we make hard copies for them. Most of the time, they just have digital photos on their phones. Gabriel had his photo taken. Initially he refused to take his cap off for it. We convinced him and it was like magic. He was hiding a warm and friendly face under his cap. We gave him his photo a few days later. He looked at it and was amazed. He did not realize that he was such a good looking kid. Then he asked us why we were doing this ministry. We said that we liked being with them. He said, “You have a generous heart.” We felt a barrier of hatred was overcome in his heart. He was almost emotional.

We were grateful that we are part of a different political party; the party of the Good Shepherd. It is not going to end wars nor overcome major social problems. It does change the hearts of people like Gabriel and makes them realize that they too are beautiful and lovely creatures of God.