My experience at the men’s shelter a couple nights ago has made me think a lot. On the train home tonight I looked around, curious where the others were going, what they were thinking. The train rocked back and forth, people’s heads rested against the metal walls, eyes closed, pretending there weren’t fifty others in the car.

(–Mother Teresa said something like this: Jesus is there, beneath the dirt, the disease, and the ragged clothes.)

I stepped out the subway car and walked towards the stairs. I saw an old man, head shaking uncontrollably. He lifted his nicked wooden cane, unable to hold it still before he placed it down again…as if the cane fought against him. His dark skin was wrinkled and hung low.

My walk to my apartment was quiet and reflective. I was shielded by my headphones, distanced from those I passed on the sidewalk. Having been scammed and taken advantage of, it was difficult to know that I am called to unconditionally love each of those people. It is easy to love your friends, loving your enemy takes an act of God.

I remember a quote by Mother Teresa from when I was young, but it is only now that I can appreciate the wisdom of the words. Perhaps I will read them again in a year and be intrigued all the more.

“People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway. The biggest person with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest person with the smallest mind. Think big anyway. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People really need help but may attack if you help them. Help people anyway. Give the world the best you have and you might get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.” – Mother Teresa