by Brian Beaumont

For those who do not ride Metro buses regularly, there is a zone between Belltown and Pioneer Square where the buses are free. The first stop in the “free zone” on the #2, 3, 4 or 13 routes from Queen Anne Hill to downtown can be enlightening, where a broad cross-section of the bottom rung on Seattle’s economic ladder blends with the residents of one of Seattle’s wealthiest neighborhoods.

For years, I have waited for the handicap lift to slowly load passengers in front of DSHS on their way to Harborview or sat uncomfortably near someone wrapped in a carpet pad who clearly used it as housing, clothing and a restroom. At such times I temporarily stop worrying about how I am going to pay for my kids’ college tuition, or save for retirement, or whether my kids will ever be able to buy a home and I wonder, “How does this person make it through the day?” And then I pray.

I have come to cherish some of these spontaneous “free zone moments.” A couple days after the November 4 elections, I was on my way to work in the morning when three apparently homeless Spanish speaking men got on my bus, quite literally “stinking” drunk. They sat down next to me and their loud conversation was something right out of a comedy routine.

At the next stop, a black man sat down on the other side of me and asked if I would please open the window. This caught the attention of one of the Hispanic men, who loudly said “What? You don’t like the way we smell? [Some expletives deleted.] Now that we have a black president, you think you’re better than us?...” The black man turned to me and said aloud, “Now it starts.”

I laughed incredulously, shook my head and said “Ya know, I gotta say. I did not see that one coming.” We both smiled and started a conversation. Soon, our loud inebriated neighbors chimed back in, “You know what? I think Obama is going to be a great president. I just hope he doesn’t get assassinated [and other assorted nonsense]. I am going to be prayin’ for him though. He’s got a tough job to do, but he is goin’ to be a great, great president. We all gotta be prayin’ for him…” As I left the bus downtown, we all agreed we would be praying for our new president and his family.

I have to confess , there have been “free zone moments” like these when I have somewhat mockingly said to myself, “Wow. We all get one vote. Amazing.”

A few months ago, Rev. Dolphus Weary preached at Bethany about racial reconciliation. He asked the question, “How should we as ‘redeemed’ people treat the poor?” He preached that as “kingdom people,” we are all identical in God’s eyes. We each have an equal share in the kingdom.

In America, we have an economic concept of “net worth” and poor people have no “net worth” in our society. But in God’s eyes, we all have the same worth -- black, white, Hispanic, rich, poor, employed, unemployed, homeless or Queen Anne Hill resident. There is nothing anyone can do to deprive the poor of this status in God’s eyes.

Now when I experience such a “free zone moment” I say, “Wow. We are all the same in God’s eyes. We all have an equal share in the kingdom. Amazing grace.” And then I pray.

Brian Beaumont is a financial manager and the elder for personnel at Bethany.