More than skin deep.

One thing I love and find fascinating about Champaign/Urbana is the economic diversity that exists in a five-mile radius. I’m not sure if it’s because of the university, or if it’s just that all ethnicities and all socioeconomic groups find this cornfield somewhat appealing… but it’s true. Orchard Downs is the United Nations, down the road are probably upper class $500,000 family homes, down the street from university dorms and a block away from low-income government subsidized housing. I caught a glimpse of this diversity yesterday when I was on a home visit.

When I saw that the address said down Washington Street and in an area called Scottswood, I automatically because a little nervous. I’ve done home visits in this area before and I remember feeling very out of my skin being a young asian girl, with many non-asian girls looking at me and wondering why I was in their hood. But I had to get this paperwork signed, so I said a little prayer and drove down Washington. Lord, please protect me and help me to be brave (as if I really had anything to be brave about, i’m such a wuss). When I turned into the area it automatically changed into a protected area with worn signs and rocky asphalt that needed some major work. People were standing around, fixing their cars, hanging out, chatter, music… each person i’d catch a glimpse of gave me a suspicious look and scowl. I remembered my times in Ethiopia when everyone who would see me would give me a very odd look, similar to the looks i was getting driving in this complex.

Well anyway, I pulled up to the house and the woman who was standing outside the house was less than pleased at my unfamiliar face. With a scowl on her face she stared me down and was obviously perplexed that I had pulled up to her house. “Who are you??” I introduced myself and proceeded to talk about her son and the reason why I came. I could tell she was still skeptical and guarded at my presence… but then a funny thing happened. Right in the middle of our conversation, this woman who had the meanest dirtiest look began to soften up. As we talked about her son her face of stone became a face of flesh. Her eyes of hardness and anger, became eyes of desperation and need. In the middle of it all, her voice softened and she was… simply another human being.

Man, we did our business and said goodbye, and when I pulled away from her house… surrounded by the dirtiness, commotion and noise I can honestly say I felt a full heart of compassion on her and all who lived there. As I drove away all of a sudden I didn’t feel afraid but looked at these people with a lot more love than I came in with. I began to wonder what Jesus might think of this place and how much he must love these people living in poverty… I really need more eyes like Jesus. I might just see a lot more beauty than I’m aware of.