Lessons from the Streets: James

“Let all who are simple come to my house!” — Proverbs 9:4

One of the first times we went out with the Urban Missionaries, we met a man whose calm, wise presence we will never forget. We had started handing out supplies and food to people in a string of tents set up behind a convenience store in downtown Portland. Someone had just volunteered to drive a guy with rain-soaked clothes to get a new outfit. A man named Vivian was playing his guitar loudly in his tent.

In the midst of the chaos of handing out supplies and seeing what was needed, James* walked up to us. He gratefully accepted a cup of coffee and told us he was just let out of the hospital. We gave him hand warmers, donuts, a snack bag, socks, and gloves. He smiled, the street-worn wrinkles of his face framing his pale blue eyes. As we stood with him, noting his calming presence, he shared with us about his life. 

Kicked out of the house at age fifteen, James told us that his life “went immediately from Disneyland to an R-rated movie.” He said this without self pity; he was just relaying the facts of his life. 

“But you know what helped me?” he said with a smile, “the book of Proverbs. I read that book morning, noon, and night and I learned how to live by its lessons. That book taught me how to navigate the streets without losing my soul.” 

He grinned widely, “It taught me who to spend time with and who to avoid. It taught me how to act and treat people well. It also taught me something that you should remember when you do this work.” He paused and looked at us intently, “Proverbs taught me that you can sit next to someone who has just murdered another person and you can find humanity in them. I have learned on the streets that everyone has humanity, even if it’s just a little shred.”

James paused and then concluded with arms raised, “The Book of Proverbs taught me everything. It’s all a person needs to know how to live. It’s like a fractal envelope that just keeps opening over and over again in your life.” 

Portrait of James drawn by Sr. Danielle Victoria

*name changed