Thursday 9 February 2012

Sadness....

On January 29th, a man's body was recovered from the Cam near Jesus Green lock. His name was Marek Zajechowski.

Yesterday, a woman's body was removed from the water near Ditton Fields. She has not been identified at this time.

Saddest of all for me was the discovery, the night before last, of a man cold and dead in the doorway of a Cambridge church.

I knew him.

He was a resident at the Emmaus community in Landbeach where I help out a bit sometimes.

What had happened, gone wrong for him, and how he came to die this way I don't yet know.

It should not have happened.

It happened anyway.

I know that in hard times, our hearts can harden with them, but this is my plea:

If you see someone begging, don't walk by.

You don't have to give them money- it's too easily misused- but get them something to eat instead, a sandwich say, or a take-away coffee, just to help keep the cold out.

If you can, give what you can to the likes of Emmaus, The Salvation Army or Shelter.

We are all of us only two or three pay cheques away from homelessness.

And homelessness kills.

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for the reminder and for your compassion John.

    In the States I used to carry McDonalds coupons to give out if someone begged for cash from me. I've often had my leftovers from a good restaurant meal or a pizza boxed up to give away to those less fortunate than I on the way to the car, and I will share a story with you and Jackie when we finally meet about taking advantage of McDonalds' Monopoly game pull tabs to provide free meals for street kids. There but for the grace of the Goddess and the kindness of others go I....
    Jaq

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