This could be a college student, a soldier returned from deployment or you. The person was battling mental depression and he was on a bunch of different medications. But that fall morning, nothing seemed right; something very terribly wrong was happening. The voices in his head seemed louder and stronger to him, convincing him that he had to take his own life. So he kissed his father on the cheek, got on a local bus and headed to the bridge with his plans to end it all.
As he sat on the bus – he
was crying. He promised himself that if anyone asked him what was wrong, he
would not go through with it. The entire bus ride, no one did. So he got to the
bridge, walked to the midway point where he stood, staring down for over 40
minutes. Out of nowhere, this woman approached him… he turned as she asked “can
you take my picture?” He took 5 snapshots with the camera she handed to him,
and gave the camera back to her, as tears continued to stream down his face. At
which point she turned and walked away. With that, he took a few steps back,
rushed the railing and threw himself over.
This nameless tourist got
her picture, got what she needed or wanted and couldn’t be bothered to simply
ask “are you okay?” All that would have prevented him from making this leap was
someone reaching out to ask him “what
was the matter?” – more importantly to say to him that “he mattered.” Because
at that low point of his life, he was so isolated, he was so hopeless and
didn’t believe that to be the case.
How many people around us
suffer from hopelessness? How many people do we know feel hopeless? How many of
us do? Statistics, reports, stories all over the place telling of skyrocketing
suicide rates, deaths from drug and alcohol abuse all point to a seeming epidemic of hopelessness for our world. So
what is the reason for this epidemic of hopelessness?
Many experts point to the
rise in smartphones and social media which has resulted in far less
inter-personal relationships and authentic friendships. But I can’t help but
think that another factor has been a greater number of people who claim not to
be Christian anymore, claim that they have no faith.
Too many people have not
heard that they have a God who loves them. A Heavenly Father who loved them
into existence – who sustains them each and every moment of each and every
moment. A Father who sent His son, Jesus here among us so that God would have a
face and a name that we can approach, can know, can touch – can get so
intimately close that we receive His very Body and Blood in the Eucharist.
Too many don’t know that…
Don’t know Him. Too many people like that young college student or our
returning soldiers don’t think, don’t feel, don’t believe that they matter. Are
hopeless.
In the Gospel, Zacchaeus,
was the ultimate outcast. As the chief tax collector he’s the epitome of a traitor:
He’s working with the enemy – the Romans who’ve occupied his fellow Jews,
collecting taxes from them – then charging them extra for himself. So to put it
mildly, Zacchaeus’ fellow Jews would not be fans of his. The Romans, meanwhile
– they’re happy to use the guy – he’s getting the job done – – – but he’s not
one of them – he’s not a Roman – so it’s not like he’s getting invited to any
of their dinner parties.
Something deep within
Zaccheus calls him to open his heart, to look for something, someone to restore
his Hope to tell Him that he matters
that anyone would care about him. He’s got nothing to lose at this point
-climbing a tree – thinking perhaps he will hear or see something that will do
something, anything for him.
The Gospel story says, “Jesus looked up…”. What does Jesus
see? He sees the loneliness, the brokenness of the man in the tree. He sees the
lengths Zacchaeus went through just to see Him. He sees Zacchaeus in all
humility looking for hope…. looking for Jesus. Jesus says Zacchaeus, come down
quickly for today I must stay at your house.
Zacchaeus is being offered
a radical new life. He wasn’t being seen through the lens of others in the
crowd: a traitor, or some puppet of Rome. Jesus looked at him with love that
made all the difference. It restored his Hope.
Yes, we see a lot of
hopelessness in the world around us. Maybe we even suppress those types of
thoughts and feelings within ourselves: When we struggle at work, when there’s
difficulties at home, when illness and death hit our loved ones – and we feel
like no one knows, no one understands after we return from deployment, no one
is listening…
The beauty of our faith in
Jesus Christ – is that we know that is not true. We have a God who loves us –
and we don’t have to give into the lies that others say about us, or that we
tell ourselves. Lies that were not good enough, holy enough, worthy enough to
be in Jesus presence.
The reality is Jesus is
searching for us, wanting to gaze on us with His eyes to tell us we do matter,
that we are loved. Despite how trapped we might think we are by the
poor decisions we’ve made, despite the prisons we find ourselves confined to
because of whatever mistakes we keep letting define us and weigh us down, Jesus
offers us true freedom when we lift our downcast eyes to look to Him.
Lord, I pray for all my
Sonshine Friends that the story of Zacchaeus may prompt in us a desire to let
Jesus enter in. To make us humble and let Jesus look at us as we are. To make
us courageous and to let His look of Love transform our lives that testify to
the world of the true Hope that is found in being loved by Jesus.
While suicide remains a rare event among U.S. troops, 325
active-duty members died by suicide in 2018, the highest number since the
Defense Department began collecting the data in 2001 and exceeding a record set
in 2012.
If you or someone you know needs help, the Veterans Crisis Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-273-8255, press 1. Services also are available online at www.veteranscrisisline.net or by text, 838255.
