poverty in the most beautiful places

i think sometimes when we think of the poor,
we think of slums in major cities,
in downtown streets,
landlocked by tall buildings,
and run down shacks.
we think of ugly places,
that is just the truth.

i've been wanting to post these for a while,
and was inspired while chatting with my friend megan,
who is living on a tiny, beautiful island,
in the indian ocean,
for a year.
she told me it is overrun with poverty.
thank you megan for our chat this morning.
you put this in my heart.

when i was on oahu a couple of months ago,
the homeless were everywhere.
i mean, it was crazy.
tent cities like the one below were all over.
do you see the beautiful water in the background?
that is waikiki beach.


i think i could have photographed them all day long.
my sister in law was kind enough to drive me around,
and let me snap some photos,
and listen to me talk about the homeless.
some streets were lined with dozens of tents in a row.
it was truly shocking to see.
the homeless were living on some of the most famous,
amazing beaches in the world.
can you imagine living somewhere with such beauty,
and not even seeing it because your problems are so big.



while i was on vacation,
i was happy to hear that the homeless problem there,
was really being addressed.
i know it's a burden to locals and tourists.
i totally get that.
but you know my heart also goes out to the poor.
some of these homeless are addicts,
some may not ever want help,
some are solid families who just can't afford a roof over their heads.

i'm reading maybe one of the most powerful books ever,
the hole in our gospel.
i didn't think a book could have this much of an impact on me.
i won't go into details here about it,
but i just want to say,
if you want your heart to be changed forever,
you have to pick up a copy.
as a society,
we are living by a gospel with holes,
we are ignoring the uncomfortable parts.
our lives are not defined by our possessions and wealth.
it's ok to want nice things,
and have things we enjoy,
but not when it gets in the way of the bigger picture.
we are commanded to help the poor.
they are truly god's chosen people.