As darkness settled over the city on the eve of Christmas day, Vincent and Catherine left the tunnel in Central Park hand in hand to share the rare opportunity of walking the streets together, trying very hard not to notice the poor people huddled over small fires in derelict areas, with a plastic cup of watery tea in their hands. The comparison hit Catherine terribly, as with tears in her eyes, she looked at the brightly lit shops filled with decorations, and the restaurants advertising seven course Christmas day meals, and it broke her heart to see the street people with nothing.
However, there was a quiet serenity about the people that she had never noticed before. Usually such ones would frighten her, and she would give them a wide berth, tonight she noticed for the first time, that the lowly ones actually helped one another, cared for one another, for having nothing of their own, they appreciated how it was for others in the same situation. There was none of the usual back biting, none of the keeping up with the neighbours, none of trying to be better than the next man. In many respects Catherine came to appreciate that these lowly ones were the backbone of Christianity no matter what time of year Jesus was born, and really wasn’t Jesus himself born in a stable, a lowly one also?
As if to prove her point, some people huddled around a campfire called to them as they passed, “Care to share some hot soup with us?” they asked. Vincent pulled his hood tighter around his head, lest they saw his face, though really he got the distinct impression they would have made nothing of it if they had. Catherine called back to them “No thank you, we have eaten.” Then impulsively, she took out all the money she had in her purse and took it across to them, “but please buy yourself something more than soup for tomorrow.”
Holding out the money, she was surprised when the people stared at her and hesitated, one man stepped forward, “Thank you lady, but we don’t want your money. We have helpers, and really we have all the treasure we need. Thanks all the same.”
Replacing the money, Catherine blushed, and returned to Vincent, who told her, “That was a generous thing that you just did Catherine...”
“But?” she asked him.
“But these people are humble and proud, unless they have worked for it, they won’t take money, handouts, charity, or any name you put to it, and unless they feel they have earned it, they won’t take it from you. Now if you had asked them to do something for you and then offered the money it would have been different. Then they would have taken it.”
“I shall remember that.” she told him.
They continued to walk along, until they came back to the other side of the park, through which they made their way back Below again. “You know Vincent, I am glad you shared tonight with me, it has been very enlightening, it has also taught me something very important.”
“What?”
“These street people that have so little yet have so much, they are reminiscent of those that live Below. I’ve seen it before of course since coming to know your world, but tonight it has been brought home to me that having everything in life is not the all important thing.
Friendships and harmony, love and affection these are things that money can’t buy, Vincent, and these are the things those living Below have in abundance. In many ways I envy them, and in many ways I would prefer to live in your world rather than mine.”
“Your world has many things of beauty Catherine, such wealth to spend on stunning impressions. Why the electricity alone for this day on the decorations could provide the street people with work for a whole year, but it is also hollow Catherine, of what use is it to see pretty lights when children go hungry. No matter when Jesus was born, the fact that he came should have been sufficient lesson for us, to know the distinction between right and wrong, and to know when any one is deserving of help, no matter who they are or what they have or do not have.”
Catherine nodded, Yes you know, in this city people can’t get a job unless they have an address, and they can’t have an address until they have a job to pay the rent. The same as social security, one can’t claim it unless you have an address. The whole system is wrong Vincent, but what can we do to change it?”
“You can’t change systems Catherine unless you change people. People make up systems, and people in general are corrupt, I’m afraid we have come a long way away from the Christianity that Jesus brought to the earth, and celebrating it on this one day each year is no more than a farce. The rich get richer, and the poor, well the poor get more down trodden.”
“Yet in your world you don’t have this, your world is vastly different, it moulds people sends out better people into the world. If only everyone could be educated just so.”
“Yes Catherine, but the world Above rubs off on all the good that we have put in, we are no more than a tiny corner of the world and a little leaven ferments the whole lump.”
“And bad associations spoil useful habits”, Catherine went on.
“Exactly, and you can’t have the best of both worlds.”
Catherine nodded, “Be it that I could Vincent, I would have the best of one world.”
Vincent looked down at her waiting for her to go on, “ Your world Vincent. For I have seen in your world where true Christianity exists, and I so want to be a part of that.”
“Yet your world has so much more to offer you Catherine.”
“Once perhaps, but no longer. Vincent, this night has taught me things about my world that has made it lose its appeal. This night has taught me something very special.”
Tilting his head in his unique way, Vincent waited for her to continue, he could tell she truly believed what it was she was about to say, “And that is?” he asked her softly.
“All that glitters Vincent” she told him sadly, “Is not, necessarily gold.”

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