People Watching

Washington Park New York City

I guess everyone of us have spent time people watching. We have sat in shopping malls, airports, and other venues where there is nothing to do but watch people. Unless there is something unusual about an individual we probably don’t give much thought about them. Some people immediately draw our attention by the way they dress, some physical characteristic such as hair, tattoos, maybe a physical disability, or any number of unusual things. For instance, a homeless guy sitting on a park bench with pigeons on his head, arms, and lap, and people sitting beside him as though his actions are normal might cause one to stop and take a picture. To an old country boy from Kentucky this scene is very unusual, but for people living in New York City who regularly stroll through Washington Park it’s no big deal.

People, there are billions of us in this world. We are all drastically different. We are motivated differently. Many are not motivated at all. Our goals are different. The things that make us happy runs the gamut. Millions of wealthy individuals that have anything they want are unhappy, angry and depressed, while other people numbering in the millions are poor, and have nothing are the happiest, most satisfied individuals in the world. I wonder why there are so many hurting, unhappy people who have not figured out that happiness, joy and peace do not depend on how much money they have or how many nice things they have? Yes, all of us are different, yet there is at least one important way that we are all the same.

What is it that we all need. There is an old song that speaks of this very thing. This song mentions the hundreds of people that pass by us, some we know and many we don’t know. Sad, empty people who are just meandering through life. They are in pain; they are afraid, and perhaps they try to hide their silent cries with laughter. But there is one person who hears those cries, and that is Jesus.

How will these billions of people find the one they need? The song says, “We are called to take his light by sharing his Life with the one who’s lost. It is through his love that our hearts will feel the pain and grief they bear. The chorus to this wonderful song says People need the Lord. People need the Lord. At the end of broken dreams, He’s the open door. People need the Lord. People need the Lord. When will we realize that we must give our lives for people who need the Lord.

The gentleman on the bench with the pigeons needs the Lord. So do the young ladies engrossed in their phones. And the men sitting on the benches in the background also focused on their phones need the Lord. Everyone in this picture needs the Lord. When will we get off our phones and stop doing whatever we are doing and notice that people really do need the Lord?

Listen to the song People Need the Lord by Keith Green on Google