I once heard a story about a young woman who was walking to her train to go home after a long day at work. But on the way, a stranger jumped out with a gun. He took her purse before throwing her to the ground.  

In addition to the trauma of being robbed and assaulted, the theft of her purse left her without her keys, wallet, identification, money, and credit cards. All she had left were the clothes on her back, literally, and those were a mess after the tumble she took. 

Rattled, dirty, bloodied, she walked to the train station and considered her options. She asked the employee at the train station to let her ride without paying, promising she would pay two fares tomorrow. But he said no, telling her he could get fired for that. He was unsympathetic to her plight. 

With no other options, she began to ask, then beg, passersby for money. She reiterated that all she needed was $2. But everyone walked past her, eyes fixed to the ground. All they saw was the blood and dirt, completely missing the desperate woman underneath the outward appearance. 

For two hours, she tried and tried to get those two dollars to get home. But all she could collect was fifty cents. Defeated and tired, she crumbled to the ground and began to cry. Then she felt a tap on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw a homeless man standing over her with two dollar bills. He told her that it should help her get home. Grateful and speechless, she accepted the money and assured the homeless man that she would be back the following day to repay his kindness. But he said something that surprised her. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I know you’d help me out in a bind, too.” 

Finally, the young woman made it home and filed a police report. She took a shower, bandaged her wounds, and ate a hot dinner before going to bed. But she didn’t sleep that night, thinking about how she nearly didn’t have her warm bed to sleep in…and how the very man who saved her from that fate would likely be sleeping on the hard, cold ground that same night. 

The next morning, and for many years after, the woman continued to look for the kind stranger who helped her out during that difficult night. She never found him. But, in his spirit of kindness, every time a homeless person asked her for a little change, she always handed over a couple dollars. And when they would thank her, she would always reply, “I know you’d help me out in a bind, too.” 

This Christmas season, may we all remember that, regardless of our status in this life, we are all God’s children and each other’s brothers and sisters. Please know that my prayers and the prayers of the entire Mercy Home faith community are with you during this holy time of year. I wish you a blessed Advent and a very merry Christmas!