Print
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
— Luke 6:31
A remarkably quiet moment was captured in a photo the other night and the image has gone viral. As he was patrolling the streets, Larry DePrimo, and NYPD officer took the time to stop and offer assistance to a homeless man. This was a man who numerous people passed throughout the evening; a man who was scorned laughed at, or simply ignored. But it was an extremely cold evening and DePrimo knew he needed to help the man. Initially, he offered the man a pair of thermal socks which he graciously declined. Moments later, Officer DePrimo returned with the socks and a pair of all weather boots both of which he refused to allow the man to decline.
As he knelt down to offer the boots and socks to the man, and nearby woman snapped a photo of the moment, complexly unknown to DePrimo. He went about the rest of his shift and it was not until several days later that he found out about the photo. As the world has hailed him a hero, and the media has sought him for interviews, Officer DePrimo has worked to downplay the incident explaining that he just needed to take care of the man and that there is always someone who needs help.
This man, in this moment, is the perfect example of the person God calls us to be. It is easy to judge the homeless man, to question why he was on that sidewalk in the first place. But, God does not call us to judge others. Instead, He only asks that we strive to take care of our neighbors as He would. And although this moment happened to be captured, posted on social networking sites, and then made into a viral phenomenon, it is by no means an isolated event. We simply need to take the time to celebrate them and remind ourselves to live as God desires.
