Trust

It’s that time of the week again! Tonight ten of us went out and we handed out 21 bags of food. It was the beginning of the cold nights here in Cambridge, and as we walked around Harvard Square we were reminded of that fact. A few points were brought up tonight at the end reflection. While walking around one group saw two men who were trying to stay warm up a flight of stairs leading to the door of an office building. As we got up the stairs to see if they wanted any food, we found one of them scared in the corner as to who was coming up the stairs. The other was under a tarp that was pulled tight around him. However, once they both heard the word “sandwich” they realized that they had nothing to worry about and that we weren’t trying to kick them out or invade their spot. We put ourselves in their shoes for a moment at reflection and talked about how we would feel the same if a strange person was coming into our apartments or dorms. That spot is what they have to call home for that moment, and they had every right to be scared. What would you do?
The other thing discussed was trust. There was a man that one group offered a bagged dinner and an explanation as to who was giving out the food - and he politely declined. They left one on a bench later on, thinking that someone would need it. While returning from their run, the next group came across the same man and offered him their last bag. He held up the bag that was left on the bench and told us he had one. We gave him a second one anyway. It seemed that once he had the time to think about who was giving the food and also the time on his own to inspect the bag, he was able to trust it and take another. Trust is a big part of life, and even bigger when you are taking food from strangers. When we are young we are taught to do the exact opposite. “Don’t talk to strangers”, “Don’t take food from strangers”, the list goes on. But we are never taught about the times when we have to trust in human kindness in order to get us from one day to the next.