"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt 11:28-30

i love the night on haight street.
it seems to bring out truth.
the farce of joy through drugs.
the lack of love in last nights partner.
the real questions of, "what am I doing here?"

when night hits the homeless friends i find left on the street are either so drunk they can't move or are so depressed they don't care.

that is when i see people who are open.and desperate no one is around to impress. they are simply there and sometimes ready for Jesus.

Picture for me a little blond haired boy, he just got into the city today, traveled all the way from the east coast, he is about 20 and looks like surfer. today he made a mistake in the park and dropped a needle. he got beat up 4 times for that today. his lip is bleeding. he didn't know better. they all look like they shoot up, but the truth is they just all hide it. "no needles in the park" is the street rule. he just didn't know it. now he is sitting on the side of the street crying into his big army surplus backpack hoping no one will notice and beat him up again and wondering what to do when his girlfriend arrives tomorrow. he is wanted back home for selling drugs so his mom bought him the ticket to the land of peace and love- Haight Ashbury. it was a long bus trip but he had made it and was excited to start his new life. well, that's all gone. he begins to cry again. "everything i have ever done has been screwed up!" he had met his girlfriend in the psych ward. he was there for heroin and she for cutting. smiling he had explained how they had helped each other get better and over come their addictions. he loved her. she understood him. he had been clean for 3 months, and the needle he dropped wasn't even his. "how will i be able to care for her here...everyone around here is so tough. there is no peace or love in san francisco. i can't do this. i can't even sleep in the park now that i was beat up. i don't know what to do. i am so tired. i just want to shoot up." he rolled over on the concrete and layed his head down on his backpack and then punched it. "i give up."

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt 11:28-30