The cafe was full of well dressed people, some obviously fresh from an Easter service, all eating platefuls of beautifully made food.  We were given a table outside next to the sidewalk across from a older gentleman who was seated in an old lawn chair  playing a keyboard strapped to a luggage carrier.  His voice reminded me of a 70’s R&B singer, still smooth with a great range.  He kept sipping from his cup of ice and looking into the old coffee can, occasionally reaching in to count the few bills he had accumulated.

I was struck by the stark contrast less then two feet apart.  I watched as people walked by after having attended an Easter service, celebrating the risen Christ, completely ignoring this man as they walked by in their Easter finery.  Several people from the restaurant stopped and gave him something to which he responded with quiet gratefulness, again counting the bills before carefully putting them back in the coffee can.

I get sucked in.  It’s a beautiful place with high end stores, great restaurants and nice hotels.  it’s easy to feel spoiled for a few days, forgetting that there are people struggling around you.  I found myself sitting at breakfast the other morning, listening to the birds, celebrating the beautiful green of the trees, the color of the spring flowers, the warmth of the air, the blue of the sky, thanking God for rebirth during this Easter season.  It was all about me and my enjoyment.  Not that being appreciative for God’s creation is a bad thing, but what about those unable to enjoy those seemingly simple things? This man today made me really think.

So this morning began in K.C, with its traffic and fancy cars, more shopping than even I could do, and way too many restaurants.  I’ll be paying for that for awhile.  But due to the fact that I-29 was closed due to the flooding, we opted to go on an adventure across Kansas, through the beautiful green fields and pretty farm houses, and little bitty towns.  We stopped in Holton, Kansas, population 3200, for a snack and break,  The high school sophomores who waited on us were so very different from the poised waiters we had encountered in the city.  Sophomore #1:  “Did you give them their number?”  Sophomore #2:  “No”.  #1:  (looking at Doug) “Your number is 39”.  All of this while his too small baseball cap sat jauntily on his head.  So distracting. This with the sparkling conversation was mesmerizing.

Life is full of dichotomy, a perhaps perceived difference in quality from one thing, place or person to another.  Quality implies standards but standards are in the eye of the beholder.  Quite frankly, the sophomore boy making sure we had our number was more conscientious than the distracted waiter at the fancy restaurant last night.  Just like the difference between the dressed up young women who sat behind us in the restaurant loudly spouting inappropriate language and the gentleman sitting in the lawn chair quietly and respectfully singing his songs for a dollar.  The quality of one’s character is shown through their actions, not by where they live or work,  how old they are or how wealthy they are. I’m reminded that I need to look deeper at people to see them as Jesus sees them.

Happy Easter.  He is risen.