The distressing disguise of the poor: “I’m not a bum. I’m a human being”

Meet Ronald Davis, a homeless man from Chicago whose story has suddenly become a social media sensation:

As one of Chicago’s more than 105,000 estimated homeless citizens, Ronald Davis’ story of struggling to survive on the streets may not be unique — but the reaction to his plea for work and dignity certainly is.

A roughly year-old clip of Davis telling his story surfaced on Reddit early Wednesday and was first noticed by Gawker. By late morning, a Reddit user had called on the Internet community to “organize one of those random acts of Reddit” and find Davis to offer help.

Read what happened. But watch the video below first. I’m reminded of what Mother Teresa once said:

“Seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, all the time, and his hand in every happening; This is what it means to be contemplative in the heart of the world. Seeing and adoring the presence of Jesus, especially in the lowly appearance of bread, and in the distressing disguise of the poor.”