Sunday in the Hood

Today Pastor Ken preached on the passage of Luke 5:12-16. What hit me the most about today's sermon was the the man with leprosy begging to be healed,"Lord" he said "if you are willing you can heal me and make me clean." Jesus reached out and touched him. "I am willing," He said. "Be healed!" Pastor Ken had several comments but what rang in my ears today was "Are we listening & responding to the cries for help?" "They are all around us." Jesus heard & responded. "If we heard a cry for help would we be willing to help or respond?"
So I came home from church and found a shocking situation unfolding directly across the street from our house. Six police cars, yellow "Police line. Do Not Cross" tape sectioning off the house across the street. Two police cars have people in the back seats and they leave the scene shortly after 1:00 pm. Photographers are snapping shots of the house both inside and out. As I took down my Christmas tree which was right in front of the window I've been watching it unfold all afternoon. Now, as I'm writing this six hours later there is still police coming and going from the crime scene. More pictures being taken, I see one investigator putting down folded cards and taking pictures. They are now taking in lots of clear plastic bags and have started to come out with stuff in them. I don't know what has happened in this house but it is like a CSI show unfolding as I watch from my front window. Police are coming out with kits. They are wearing protective light blue gloves. Now, more vehicles are arriving. No one is allowed into the house without putting on disposable plastic shoe covers. One of the investigators has her van parked right in front of our house. She comes to her vehicle to get more plastic foot coverings. She has taken off the pair she was wearing and she rushed back into the house. She has thrown her shoe coverings on the ground behind her van. They look slightly stained red on the bottom. More time passes and Omega transport services has just arrived and they unload a stretcher with a body bag on it. I watch as they come out and put the deceased in the truck. A police man interviews all the immediate surrounding neighbors. We tell them we heard and saw nothing out of the ordinary last night. All the officer will tell us is that a lady is deceased and it is under investigation. Obviously the investigation isn't over because the police have posted a officer out front of the house for the evening.
The words of Pastor Ken from church this morning ring even louder in my thoughts "Are we listening to the cries for help? They are all around us." Indeed they are!
Lord, open my ears so that I may hear and engage my heart that I might respond. Jesus, if you are willing you can heal and cleanse these hurting people. Lord, are You willing?