Life in the DTES
Friday, May 15, 2009 at 6:42PM I've been here for almost two weeks now, so I've decided that this would be a good day to say a little something about life down here.
Here's the thing: people are people, wherever you go. People on the street are not monsters, not evil, and not all murderers, rapists, and gang members. In fact, you are probably more likely to run in to one of those types in Abbotsford or Surrey than you are here in the DTES. Here, the people are addicted to any of a variety of substances, often mentally ill, and poor. Yes, they are often unpredictable and hard to communicate with, but they are also Good, and loved by God.
I've been learning this week what it means to be Small. I'm very purposefully limiting my focus to today, and ignoring as much as I can what may or may not happen a week, month, or year from now. I live for today, and the most important question I ask is 'how do I love better?'
So this is my new motto that has emerged from the DTES: Live small, love huge. It sounds so simple in premise, but in practice I think it will take me a lifetime to fully grasp.
Dodson Rooms, East Hastings, small, vancouver in Faith, personal
Reader Comments (5)
Hi Jordan,
I found your blog through Nick Johnson and have to say I really admire what you're doing and look forward to hearing more about what you're learning there.
Sarah
Thanks for the comment Sarah!
And congratulations, you're the first friend of a friend to comment on this blog :)
Live small, love huge is a good motto and it will definitely take a lifetime. I'm working on it too.
An expression of what you are talking about, Being Small, has come to me in the similar theme of Being Present.
Often in conversations we are with people, but we're not actually there. We can travel to an area and be ignorant about the needs, feelings, issues in that area. Or we can see people on the street and write them off as any number of untrue things.
But it is about being small, being present, being realistic and honest about our place in the bigger picture. This kind of humbleness does, as you say, take a lifetime to grasp.
Post more! I really want to hear about experiences you're having with people living near you!