This addresses the problem of ignoring the needy and homeless. It's a rare Phil Collins hit with a socially conscious message. Collins told The Mail on Sunday: "I wrote this after being in Washington DC where I was amazed by how many people I saw living in boxes." Another Day in Paradise" is a song performed by ex Genesis drummer and front man recording artist Phil Collins. Produced by Collins along with Hugh Padgham, it was released as the first single from his number-one album ...But Seriously(1989). Collins sings the song from a third-person perspective, observing as a man crosses the street to ignore a homeless woman, and he implores listeners not to turn a blind eye to homelessness because, by drawing a religious allusion, "it's just another day for you and me in paradise". Collins also appeals directly to God by singing: "Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do? Oh lord, there must be something you can say?" Homelessness and poverty is an issue in many urban settings, but this kind of destitution runs deeper still it is a reflection to the depths of the human condition as you can hear in the lyrics of the song.
She calls out to the man on the street
"Sir, can you help me?
It's cold and I've nowhere to sleep,
Is there somewhere you can tell me?"
He walks on, doesn't look back
He pretends he can't hear her
Starts to whistle as he crosses the street
Seems embarrassed to be there
Oh think twice, it's another day for
You and me in paradise
Oh think twice, it's just another day for you,
You and me in paradise
She calls out to the man on the street
He can see she's been crying
She's got blisters on the soles of her feet
Can't walk but she's trying
Oh think twice...
Oh lord, is there nothing more anybody can do
Oh lord, there must be something you can say
You can tell from the lines on her face
You can see that she's been there
Probably been moved on from every place
'Cos she didn't fit in there
Oh think twice...
"Blessed are the "Poor in Spirit" for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." What and who was Jesus talking about? For some Bible commentators Jesus is talking about those who are morally destitute, and not the homeless. In some sense they are right. But destitution is destitution. The poor in spirit are the poor in spirit. People may well be poor in spirit because life has robbed them of everything. Jesus in the beatitudes gives the poor in spirit an eternal abiding place. In a world where the poor in spirit have been displaced Jesus gives them place.
I'm reminded of an occasion a few years ago in Glasgow when I was attending a conference and I had decided on a free afternoon to wander the streets a bit and do some reflecting and some creative writing. The afternoon was taken up with visiting coffee shops, tattoo parlours, city centre pubs and was filled with people gazing. Towards the end of the day I stumbled on a scene in a local supermarket and this is what I wrote about what I saw.
Part One of "Tales of the City"
“A bottle of Jack Daniels...sh, please..sh..son” he said, as he swayed there at the front of the queue. He reached into his torn pockets for the exact money that he had busked for that day, and had counted before coming into the shop.
The Guitar man.......
It was strapped to his back, an old Gibson, well battered and abused over the years, stained and chipped on the corners...but still it was a quality guitar. He had a twinkle in his eye as he waited for the bottle of Jack to be placed in bag for him. He seemed oblivious to all that surrounded him.
The Guitar man... ...
He had the excitement in his body language of a little boy waiting for the counter assistant to bag up a quarter of BON, BON's. He was waiting for the comfort of having the bottle in his arms. No doubt this was a repeat of what he had done in the past... he had been here many times before.
The Guitar man.. ...
He had long greasy hair, he was wearing dirty cheap trainers that had seen better days, a pair of burgundy red jogging pants with stains, held up by a length of white electric cable with the coloured and copper ends fraying out, for his top half he had a long army type trench coat, with a dirty jumper underneath.
The Guitar man..
As he received his purchase he smiled and staggered away, oblivious to the taunts and whispers of the people in the queue around me. I felt ashamed, and guilty. Ashamed, that somehow just by standing in this queue, I was implicated in declaring what was expectable and what was not. Guilty, because my own judgement was clouded by their taunts and whispers.
The Guitar man..
I watched the “Guitar man” adjust himself at the doorway and stagger off down the street into the night. Perhaps to spend another night among many, inhabiting a shop doorway, drowning his sorrows, reflecting on his losses and dreaming of what used to be.
There was no doubt to me that this man was poor in spirit. Although Jack Daniels is not the obvious choice for a street dweller or rough sleeper to select. (If he was one that is, as I don't want to make an assumption) Perhaps this was his tipple that took him back to more prosperous times. Before his life was crushed and he was made destitute. For that is what he was - destitute of help, and compassion. I wonder if I had asked him about faith what he might have said. He may well have said "Why would God be interested in me" or "God is punishing me" or "When I was young I attended Sunday School" or a number of other statements.
This man like many people in life who have a poverty of spirit need to be welcomed, cared for, need to be fed, given place at the table. For those who are destitute mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally are, the "poor in spirit" that Jesus is talking about. It's these ones that Jesus says will be given a place to dwell, a place to be. "The Kingdom of Heaven" a place with the values of heaven. This is where the beatitudes are prophetic and point to the future, this is where they give hope. This is where we need to take the words of Jesus seriously.
This happened in 2009 and I for one will never forget my experience of this man and those who mocked him. I came back to Leeds feeling that I should have done something as I stood in the queue. Since then I do not give up an opportunity so lightly and often spend time speaking and sitting with those who are poor in heart, mind, body and soul. My own vocation takes me to places that I feel Jesus would have felt at home in, and to people he would have had time for. Every time I read what I wrote in my journal about this man I get chills that run up my spine. I think this is what Jesus was alluding to when he said "POOR IN SPIRIT"
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