March 13th, 2024: A Silent Walk?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” - Matthew 11:28

It was a quiet walk through one of the most undesirable parts of downtown Calgary. It was quiet not because there was no noise, but because nothing was able to penetrate my thoughts.

People were talking about how dangerous that part of the core has become. Homeless folks and drug addicts gather. I was not perturbed by that in my thoughts. I was more troubled by the contrast that I saw between the haves and the have-nots.

A young man asked me for a cigarette, I told him I had none. Another asked for money and I told him I didn't have any change but we could get something to eat together. He mumbled some words then walked away as the LRT train left a downtown station. We were at the Financial District of the city where many professionals make major business decisions with big money while a mother and her young boy wonder where they would sleep tonight.

Now you might understand why I did not hear any noise, because I heard the screaming heart of God over the unfathomable brokenness of His world. People have lost their hope and their dignity. People have lost their sense of balance and justice. People have embraced indifference so they can be different. But God is always just and merciful, and He will call us to accountability for what we have done to one another.