July 23, 2008
Every morning during my commute through Vancouver’s business district to the Downtown Eastside, I pass the side of the Victory Square Cenotaph that bears the engraved words, "Is it nothing to you".What a fitting question at the entrance to this part of the city where the drugs are slowly squeezing the life out of my fellow humans and image-bearers-of-God. As my bus rides by, I force myself not to look away from the horror of the near-corpse like men and women. I purposely scan the staggering, stumbling, reeling, lurching figures just in case I recognize the face of someone I know who may have relapsed.
And today I do see a familiar face – he’s an alumnus of Union Gospel Mission’s Alcohol and Drug Recovery Program. He’s at the bus stop early in the morning, with the rest of the commuters, hard hat on, lunch bag in hand, on his way to a day of hard, honest work. He’s continuing on with his journey of recovery, re-entering society, starting a normal life again.
I wave as my bus passes him, but it doesn’t catch his eye. No matter; I’m overjoyed to see him. He’s a reminder of why I myself go to work every day. Why I work behind the scenes so that my fellow staff – outreach workers, counselors – can make a difference in people’s lives. I can endure the heartbreak on my commute because I know there is hope. He’s living proof. He is fully alive.
It is SOMETHING to me.
Please note: We welcome all comments, from compliments to complaints. House rules: Be nice. Keep it clean. Stay on topic. No spam. Be advised that posts containing expletives or denigrations will not be displayed. Thanks!