In a world where we structure and hierarchy rules, where there always seems to be someone to report to, staff to managers, managers to more managers, managers to executives, executives to shareholders, this list goes on. There’s always someone to answer to, with politics rife, and mini kingdoms and power bases being built. All in an effort to “one-up” the guy next to us. It’s a dog-eat-dog world, where you stand on your colleagues to get ahead, withholding information so you can have your moment in the spotlight.
It may surprise you that there is an organisation—unregistered, of course—that operates completely opposite to the corporate world we are used to. It has no formal structure, yet everyone knows their place, stays in their lane, and even supports their fellow colleagues. There are no formal management or reporting lines, yet respect, collaboration, and care are given at every opportunity. Where is this organisation, I hear you ask? It’s out in our streets, and I’m talking about the recycling guys that rifle through your dustbins looking for plastics, cardboard, glass, or cans—pretty much anything that can be recycled. They have no formalised structure, yet they all know their place. They don’t encroach on another’s area—this is an unspoken rule and is respected because breaking it would mean one of their colleagues (brothers) goes without, which is not acceptable.
You see, we take prepared meals to these guys because we’ve seen where they live, taken the time to engage with them, and got to know them a little better. When handing out food, we are regularly asked if we have any for the next guy up the street. If we don’t know where to go next, they will gladly guide us to where we can find others in need. They look out for their neighbour. If there isn’t enough, they will not eat alone; they will share what they have because they all know the uncertainty of the next meal.
These guys can teach us all a lesson in humility, respect, kindness, and “love your neighbour…” (Matt 22:39).
Thank you to everyone who helps to make this possible.
#HOPEservedHOT