The Crowd

It can be easy to lose yourself in the crowd of life. Everywhere we go there are so many people that we tend to wander through the crowd without actually noticing anyone. We’ve all got places to go and things to do and we’re focused in the next stop, the next project, the next off ramp, the next whatever. We don’t have time to notice individuals in the crowd, to make eye contact, to engage them in conversation. They’re strangers, for goodness sake, and everyone knows you’re not supposed to talk to them. So we blend in and keep moving. We look straight ahead, drive straight ahead, get our business done and get back to the safety of our own offices, neighborhoods or homes. Let’s face it, people are trouble. They have problems, they look different, they need help and, worst of all, some just want to talk. Yet, that attitude begins to soak into the rest of our lives. We slip out of church without a meaningful conversation or we pull into our garages without engaging with the neighbors – do we even know their names? But how much trouble is a smile, a hand shake, a wave or a kind word. You never know who might be lonely or hurting or aching for some kind of acknowledgment. That’s what loving our neighbors is all about. The funny thing about melting into the crowd of life is that, by default, we become nameless strangers ourselves. Rather, let us be the ones who cross the line, who break the ice and who make this world just a little better by our interaction with it. Whether you’re heading around the block or around the world today, my prayer for you is that you may learn to love the crowd. Who knows, it might just love you back.

The Crowd
Lord, may I learn to love the crowd
And not merely wander though it
To show some kindness to a stranger
Who would never guess I'd do it
To have compassion on the folks I meet
Whoever they may be
Regardless of what benefit
That act might have for me
Lord, give me love for people
Of every shape and size and creed
May I be a friend, not just to friends
But all who are in need
Break down the walls of selfishness
And fear that I have made
And build anew upon the cornerstone
Of love which You have laid
So that when I step out on the street
I step out none too proud
But, rather, with an open heart
Prepared to love the crowd
By Frank Carpenter ©