Police officer Eric Gaines recently shared a powerful message on Facebook after he witnessed a moving sight in downtown Baltimore. While Gaines was out on patrol, he saw a 15- or 16-year-old boy sitting by a homeless man. Since it’s not uncommon to see people shake down homeless people or check their pockets for change, Gaines assumed the teen was doing exactly that… But when the officer realized that his assumption couldn’t have been further from the truth, he took took a picture and wrote about the powerful experience on Facebook.
“I watched as this young kid was walking [past], stopped and walked over to this sleeping homeless man; touched him, and began praying over him,” he wrote on Facebook. “This was an amazing sight! I pray this kid becomes a leader amongst his peers, and continues on this path!! Not all Baltimore youth are lost!! I HAD to post this!!”
Gaines told ABC News that he believes the teen was inspired to do this on his own because he “almost missed his bus while he was praying for the guy, which confirmed that he did it for no other reason than to pray for him.”
The photo has gone viral, with more than 36,000 people sharing it on Facebook. Gaines says that he is happy about all the attention his post is getting, because “people have a preconceived notion of young men.”
He added, “Not all are lost. Some are doing wonderful things in the neighborhood and community and it’s not getting the same publicity in the media.”
I watched as this young kid was walking pass, stopped and walked over to this sleeping homeless man; touched him and…
Posted by Eric Gaines on Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Please share this young man’s touching gesture to help give the teen and others like him the recognition they deserve!
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