And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”Luke 18:6-8

We haven’t seen Daniel for months. He usually comes around after we leave the streets. Last time we saw him we had arranged to take him for dessert on his birthday. This was almost three months ago. He had just turned twenty this year. It is hard to imagine that this tiny little 11 year old boy is now an adult. Back then, he was always game for anything. We had many excursions with him to the museums and parks. Nowadays, he tends to be little more reserved and melancholic. It is quite disturbing actually. We have noticed a trend among the youth who have spent long periods of their lives homeless. It seems like their mental health deteriorates after a certain time. I guess it is expected of someone constantly exposed to much hostility and isolation. The older teens and youth increase their drugs use to cope with the pressure which only further accelerates the descent of their mental state. However, when we met Daniel on this particular day, he had a happy demeanor which encouraged us. It gave us some hope for the young man.

He has completely forgotten about his special treat. Besides, it would not make any sense if we took him out somewhere for his birthday three months after the fact. Furthermore, he is no longer interested in such things now. However he was just happy to see us. He sat next to Mary and watched her color. We have been doing this a lot now. We found that the children feel more comfortable to sit with us when they have something to do.

Everyone can color and, moreover, it is fun.

Daniel was not interested in doing any coloring. He never was into it. He is more a card games person. Recently he has even lost interest in this. Thankfully, he still likes to chat with us. He asked Mary if she ever wanted to be an artist. She is quite artistic but never had the opportunity to pursue it further than a hobby. Her brother, on the other hand, is an established artist and Daniel remembers meeting him. He visited with us for a week about five years ago. When the children heard about his visit, they practically pleaded with us to bring him to the streets. They were keen to meet any of our family members. They even promised to be on their best behavior. It was quite comical. They were waiting by the stairs when we brought him over. They behaved as if they were receiving a guest in their house except that ii was on the steps of the Cathedral. Some even learned English phrases and tried their best to communicate with him. Unfortunately, for Mary’s brother, he was a little overwhelmed by the situation. It is quite understandable. There is no way we can prepare anyone to face the homeless situation here. We have been here for almost ten years this time and it still disturbs us. Sadly, this is not the worst area. There are places which are just downright depressing. Nevertheless, the children were just happy to meet someone from our family. Daniel was among them. That was a different time. Now, the new arrivals to the streets are more into criminal activity. It is not surprising as there is an increasing sense of lawlessness in the society presently. Therefore, the children and teens are merely reflecting what is happening in general.

One of the older teens came over and said something a little bizarre. He wanted to know if we thought about starting a home for them. Then Daniel added it would be great if we had one because they will live there with us. It was really the first time in all these years that they expressed this. At first, I thought perhaps this was just a passing thought and did not pursue it. Daniel asked again if we ever thought about adopting any of the children. I explained that if we adopt a few, then we will be hindered from coming to the streets everyday. Running house takes a lot of responsibility and we would need to dedicate ourselves completely to it. We decided to dedicate ourselves to be in the streets instead so that we can have contact with the maximum number of the homeless children. Daniel was quiet for a moment. It was obvious he did not quite get the answer he expected. He rephrased his question. “If you were to adopt anyone from the streets, who would you adopt?” I looked at him and said, “You, of course.” His face lit up and he hugged me immediately and then he went over to Mary and gave her big hug. It was the answer he wanted to hear. It is all true. Daniel always has a special place in our hearts. He is one of our favorites.

Daniel asked if we would pray for him. I said a simple prayer for our favorite teen and then before I could say, “amen”, Daniel sneaked in a prayer. He prayed that Mary will continue to do her art work and one day he wanted to do it with her. He also asked God to continue to guide him so that one day he will find a way out and was grateful for our presence in his life. This is not the first time Daniel prayed these words. It has been his constant prayer for several years. He is not sure how or what it will take for him to find a way out. He wants to have the wisdom to recognize it when it happens. Maybe our conversation with him today was part of the answer to this prayer. After this prayer, he laid his head on my lap and took a nap. It is not unusual. The older ones do this when they feel secure enough to revert for a moment to being a child again. It is something special that they give to us without even realizing it.

We were sitting there and slowly a small group gathered around us. They were not really talking to us but they wanted to be near us. I am not sure why. Some of them hardly talk to us. Others have a strong connection with us. On our part, there are some we really like Daniel and then there are others who are quite disagreeable and frankly speaking, unlikeable. However, all of them, regardless of whether they possess personal charm or charisma, want to be loved. Their deepest and most profound prayer is to be loved and wanted by someone else. It is not asking for much. They are not even asking for a home nor a financially successful life. They just want someone to look at them and say I want this person to be part of my life.

Humanly speaking, it is not possible for us to say the words we expressed to Daniel to some of the teens. However, what is impossible with humans is not impossible for God. We pray that God will give us the eyes to see these children and teens in the same way He sees them. This is something only God can do. If I am sick, I can go to a doctor. Technically speaking, I do not need to believe in God for healing in this sense. If I need a better life, I can educate myself and pursue whatever I need. Many have done this without praying nor believing in God. However, to love someone who is not lovable for a variety of reasons, only God can do this in my heart. To have compassion for people who do not invoke such sentiments in my heart, only God can do this. Jesus promises us that He will do it.

It is interesting that Jesus ended this parable with an enigmatic phrase, “will he find faith on earth.” Faith is something within us. It is in our soul. It helps us discern God’s answer to our prayers. Many times the answer is not found in the world. It is found in our hearts and souls. If we pray to love those who are unloveable, then God will start changing our hearts to become more available to receive from those whom we dislike. It is not an easy road. This is why we need much faith to be the answer to our own prayers. I guess that the size of a mustard will do.