Dear New Yorker

        Homelessness is a serious problem that affects tens of thousands of people in New York City each year. The abundance and constant presence of the homeless has left many New Yorkers desensitized to the gravity of the growing problem and the awful conditions that these people must put up with. Without a consistent source of shelter, food, and water these people experience true suffering and this suffering is often met with ignorance and unkindness from those passing by.  

        This is extremely apparent in the immediate area surrounding our Fordham Lincoln Center Campus, and many areas throughout Manhattan. I spent one afternoon walking around the Columbus Circle area, and noticed that many of the homeless people who reached out to those walking said things like “God bless you” or similar religious phrases regardless of whether or not they received money from the person they solicited. After I realized how common this kind of exchange was, I began noticing it more frequently. I observed too that many of these homeless individuals held signs that displayed religiously motivated messages while asking for donations. This picture was taken on the corner of 60th and Broadway. It depicts a brightly colored cross in the center of a message about a man’s need for new clean clothes. When I donated $5 to this man he said, “God Bless”. I asked if it would be all right that I take a picture of his sign and he seemed pleased with his work. 

        This sign is not far from many of the others that appear in New York. The motif of religious morale amongst the homeless is an interesting thing to address when thinking about religion in the context of this city. I find this morale to be very uplifting in the light of the hardship faced by these people. Their trust and faith in God allows them to continue to be courteous and grateful for any donation they get, that this belief in generosity and charity has gotten them through in some way. It is also interesting to me how this may effect the people on the other end of the sign. Does seeing this artful cross inspire Christians on the street to look into their religious roots and remember the values that are taught so preciously in the church? Are religious people then more likely to help this man than someone without faith? 

        This situation reminded me of Dorothy Day’s Catholic Worker Movement. She and her companions worked tirelessly to create housing and shelter for those in the same position as the man I spoke with today. Day worked to gain social justice in regards of the homeless, hungry, and oppressed. Her work was so influential that social justice communities have joined this fight in her name and honor. The movement incorporated the notions of liberality with the fundamental values of humanity to create an environment that was safe for those in distress. This combination of religion and destitution on the side of the homeless can be met with a counter combination of religion and compassion.

Works Cited:

Day, Dorothy. The Long Loneliness: The Autobiography of Dorothy Day. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1981. Print.