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blogs, Christmas, Communion, community, Gospel, homelessness, housing, path, poverty, Reconciliation, routes, shelter, social assistance, walk
“Have a marble,” he said, “pick one that catches your eyes.”
He chose one for me because he said it matched my eyes. Three years ago, a social worker said that his friend lost her marbles. He ran to the dollar store and bought a box of marbles, showed them to the worker and said, “Here. She did not lose her marbles.”
We were at the Toronto Homeless Memorial today. Like communion, he distributes these to everyone present.
He will not take money for the marbles he distributes. He gives them away so that you will remember someone you loved when you see it. And remember them.
He walks the streets. He picks up bottles, cans. He redeems them and with the change he gets, he buys another box of marbles. For the next Toronto Homeless Memorial. Every Second Tuesday.
Rev. Evan Noodin Smith from the Toronto Urban Native Ministry gets a marble. Later, she recalled that 21 years ago, she stayed a few steps from this very place, after she was evicted along with others, from a settlement at the Lakeshore.
We heard Corey Adam Turner’s mother speak about a loving son, a man who loved and was loved. A courageous man who was generous and cared for others in his community. Gone too soon. Always remembered. Rest in peace.
