Most of us will smile at a stranger’s baby. Stop to pet a dog on a leash. Make eye contact with just about anyone who crosses our path.

But when we pass someone sitting on the sidewalk with all their belongings, something shifts. We look away. We cross the street. We tell ourselves we don’t know what to do, or that we don’t have anything to give.

Here’s the truth: you already have everything you need to make a difference. You just might not realize what that is yet.

It isn’t money. It isn’t a plan. It’s simpler than that.

It’s a hello. A wave. Eye contact and a nod that says: I see you. You are here. You matter.

A pastor named Lorenzo, who spent time living on the streets after seminary, has said that loneliness is the primary killer among people experiencing homelessness — with a life expectancy of just 48 years old. Drugs and alcohol, he said, are often symptoms of that loneliness, not the cause. What people on the street crave most isn’t a meal or a dollar. It’s to be seen.

Think about what it would feel like if every person you encountered went out of their way to ignore you. Every day. That is the reality for many of our neighbors.

Jesus didn’t ask us to solve homelessness. He asked us to love our neighbor. And in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the hero of the story wasn’t the religious leader or the priest — it was the person everyone else walked past.

The smallest gestures carry more weight than we know. A warm smile. Holding a door. Saying good morning to someone who hasn’t heard their name spoken out loud all day.

No program or plan required. Just a willingness to be interrupted — to slow down long enough to see the person in front of you.

That’s where it begins.

To get connected with local missions opportunities at Resurrection, visit our Local Missions page.