I have spied him the past couple of weeks.  He looked just like this guy, Joseph, * I had met probably close to 3 years ago.  I met him on Broadway in the days when he was a barista on a coffee cart, and in the days when I was on Broadway more than at home.  In our conversations he would sometimes air his despise of the homeless. He eventually decided to quit barista-ing in order to focus on his music career.  We didn’t run into each other as much, but it seemed almost every time I did see him he and his band had another gig he would tell me to check out.  Then he just disappeared. 

I thought maybe his career had taken off and he was touring all around or he relocated to pursue his dreams.  When I first caught glimpse of this Joseph look alike a few weeks ago he quickly ducked into a local fast food place on Broadway.  I thought, ‘no, it’s not him.’  Then on Friday night when I saw him there was no place for him to duck into.  He was with a group of people and as Ric, Anna and I were talking with them he quietly stood behind others attempting to seemingly hide his face.  It was him.  It was Joseph. 

I didn’t say anything then, and I could see as time passed, maybe he thought I had not recognized him, or had forgotten him, he felt freer to come out of hiding, though he was still hidden.

It makes me think of Adam and Eve in the Garden, what if God had forgotten who they were, pretended to not recognize them?  It makes me think of me, and how it does feel easier to emerge from my shame, feeling as if I’ve escaped the pain of shame and need for repentance, when it seems no one has noticed, or when I forget God knows my name.

But thank God that he did not allow Adam and Eve to continue to hide, to not be seen. 

Thank God that He notices, remembers, and provided the Way of repentance and forgiveness, by which you, Joseph, and I could show our faces before Him.   Thank God.

Thank you all for your continued prayers for the people in and of this ministry.  Just a reminder beginning in February, only those who reply to this email indicating their desire to remain on the prayer partner list will continue to receive these emails.  Thanks to all of you who have already replied.

*Names have been changed

-Susan Kim