Jesus' Hairy Halo

Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some time with several of the men and women who are experiencing homelessness in Monroe County. I was also blessed to be with those exemplary Christian disciples who feed, shelter, and share the gift of human warmth with those most in need. 

Much of my time was spent simply being present at our parish's warming center and the nearby church's winter weather shelter. At first glance, these seemed to be  rather ordinary moments. Yet, in looking back, I realize that God had profoundly touched these moments with grace, beauty, and love. God has blessed these moments with His hidden presence.

During one such moment, "Jim" was telling me how he and his girlfriend helped comb out and wash the matted-down and knotted hair of "Brett." While some benefit from the temporary winter shelter, others like Brett remain outside in their tents despite the bitter cold temperatures. Jim explained that as he combed and shaped Brett's hair, it formed a large halo-ring above his head. Jim laughed and said that he was afraid to continue combing Brett's hair for fear that Christ himself would come among them and ask Jim to stop touching his halo!

If Jim could only realize that Jesus was indeed present in their midst! Jim was Jesus as he gently groomed and cared for Brett. And Jesus was present in Brett, a lovable and humorous human being who lives with mental illness. Brett's hair halo was a sure reminder that Jesus is most especially present and alive among the poor, the homeless, and society's most forgotten members.

I was again reminded of this later that evening as we moved from the warming center to the overnight shelter. Seeing a dozen and a half tired bodies laying on thin mats on a gymnasium floor struck me as a profound incarnational moment. Christ was present in these tired, worn-out figures. Christ was there, wrapped in those sheets, snoring and tossing and turning at night. And Christ continues to be present in these, our sisters and brothers.

Matthew 25 is not just a quaint fable or parable, but the power of the Truth. Jesus Christ walks among us and chooses to identify with the lowly. As baptized disciples, we are compelled to see each and every person as possessing the identity of Christ. 

Jesus walks among us. I have seen Him. Jesus combs hair and tells jokes. Jesus lives in a tent and also sleeps on the floor of a local gym. He snores. He coughs. He shivers. Jesus drinks coffee and smokes cigarettes. Jesus offers a kind word and offers a crooked smile when he tells a joke. Jesus has mental illness. Jesus suffers from addiction. Jesus misses his family. Jesus cries. Jesus is my brother. Jesus is my sister. Jesus is here.

Do you see Him? Do you see Jesus? He has a hairy halo.