I’ve been excited since this morning at the thought of seeing my kids after six months apart. It’s a feeling I haven’t experienced in a long time. I arrived at the airport gate early and sent a few selfies to the kids. I immediately received a text from my youngest: “Daddy, the woman behind you is not wearing a mask. Please tell her.” I remembered the times when my child was younger, riding the New York subway together on the way to school. As we left our apartment, I would hear, “Did you grab the keys? Where’s your phone?” And when the train arrived, “You must not get too close, Dad!” The reminders were already surpassing my wife’s. But perhaps because it’s been half a year since we last met, I don’t mind my daughter’s reminders this time. There’s a warmth in her constant chatter, reminiscent of a traditional market, more comforting than the “big voices” that come out only during important moments.

This time, I have to spend nearly 24 hours alone on a long flight, leaving me with few options other than watching movies or sleeping. I carefully reviewed a list of documentaries that I don’t usually have the chance to watch. The one I chose was “Les Glaneuses et la Glaneuse” (it’s not even in English). After running it through Google Translate, I found it translates to “The gleaners and the (female) gleaner.” This French documentary highlights the lives of those who collect leftover vegetables and food discarded by merchants after the early morning market closes, as well as those who appear behind bakeries and supermarkets after hours, gathering fallen fruits, potatoes, and straw from harvested fields or orchards. While many of these individuals are not well-off, it was surprising to see that they are mostly ordinary citizens, not “beggars” or “homeless.” The film also features people who, on days when unusable electronics or discarded furniture are put out on the street, show up to collect “usable” items to repair or recycle for those in need, as well as artists who gather unique “junk” to create modern sculptures.

The film’s main point was about perspective. What usually appears as “dirty and discarded scraps” to others is a valuable source of sustenance for these gleaners, a useful means of helping others, and an inspiring material for creative artistry. It’s not about products with price tags and scan codes on luxurious shelves, but rather items that seem useless, lying on the ground. Yet, when collected one by one, something remarkable happens. The filmmaker referred to himself as a gleaner because this documentary is entirely made up of images of others, their ideas, and their ways of life that he has “gathered.” After the film ended, I found myself unable to sleep for a long time, lost in thought.

There’s a verse in the Bible that says, “When you harvest your grain and forget a sheaf in the field, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you harvest the olives from your tree, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 24:19-22) This reflects the Creator God’s consideration for the social underclass and the poor. However, the way to help them is even more astonishing. It’s not about collecting canned goods and items to donate like charity work. When you go out into the fields, there is food laid out for them. It’s about allowing them to cultivate their own lives, living with dignity as members of a healthy society, rather than being seen as subjects in need of management.

There’s a famous painting by Millet called “The Gleaners.” In the background of the painting, you can see several workers and stacks of harvested grain in the distance. A figure that seems to be the owner is depicted very small, watching them from horseback. However, the main subjects of the painting are three women. The workers and the owner are merely the background. Although the harvest is over and the scene looks desolate, it seems as if the vast field is laid out before the women as a feast. Perhaps Millet was expressing the grace given to the gleaners, as mentioned in the Bible.

The world is suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. As 2020 comes to a close, it’s hard to see where the difficult situation will end. Many have lost their health, jobs, and even precious lives. Everyone is waiting for a return to better, normal times. There are many opinions suggesting that such times may never return. How should we live moving forward? While many will remember this as a time of disaster, there are unexpected things we might be missing. In India, shrouded in the world’s worst air pollution, people can now see the Himalayas with the naked eye. In Venice, where the canals were once obscured by throngs of tourists, fish now swim freely. In San Francisco, the city of IT, coyotes can be seen roaming the Golden Gate Bridge. How amazing is that? The Creator is not indifferent to the human world we live in. We all stand in what seems like a barren pandemic landscape. Could it be that this pandemic field is waiting for a second harvest? History has shown that flowers can bloom even in the midst of war. There are cases where stones discarded by builders become cornerstones, forming a strong and eternal community.

As the situation has become difficult, my trips to the store have decreased, and my refrigerator is gradually emptying. In the corner of the freezer, I found a forgotten chunk of frozen meat. A neglected can of vegetables caught my eye. I also discovered pasta and tomato sauce in the bottom corner of the kitchen cabinet, out of reach. I made lunch for the kids, who were home for online classes. After eating, my youngest knocked on the door. “Thank you, daddy. It’s VERY good!” A bright ray of sunshine pierced through the dark corners of my heart, which had been weighed down by not finding a new job and being cooped up at home for so long.

Written by Pastor Joo Jin-kyu  
• Manhattan GCC (Gospel Centered Church)  
• https://www.facebook.com/Gospelcenteredchurch  
• https://www.gcc-nyc.org