Did You Know Men Slept on the Bridges?

I love this story. It is incredibly convicting and challenging. I am reminded of the kind of person I want to become by serving, caring, engaging in God's business in the world. May I never turn away with indifference or complacently accept that there is nothing I can do.

One morning, near the turn of the 20th century, Bramwell Booth visited his elderly father, William Booth, founder of The Salvation Army. The elder Booth didn't even say "good morning" to his son.
"Bramwell!" he cried, when he caught sight of me, "did you know that men slept out all night on the bridges?" He had arrived in London very late the night before from some town in the south of England and had to cross the city to reach his home. What he had seen on that midnight return accounted for this morning tornado. Did I know that men slept out all night on the bridges?
"Well, yes," I replied, "a lot of poor fellows, I suppose, do that."
"Then you ought to be ashamed of yourself to have known it and to have done nothing for them," he went on, vehemently.
I began to speak of the difficulties, burdened, as we were already, of taking up all sorts of Poor Law work, and so forth. My father stopped me.
"Go and do something!" he said. "We must do something."
"What can we do?"
"Get them shelter."
"That will cost money."
"Well, that is your affair. Something must be done. Get hold of a warehouse and warm it, and find something to cover them. But mind, Bramwell, no coddling!"
That was the beginning of The Salvation Army Shelters."

"Did You Know Men Slept on the Bridges?" Christian History & Biography, issue 82.

Help me Lord Jesus to see with your eyes and to respond with your compassion. Help me to trust your wisdom to supply all that I lack. Save me from complacency and indifference. Thank you for the cross.