Despite our recent boom , only three of us went out to serve last night. While this isn’t the first time it was unusual. Even more unusual were the few conversations we had (3 people handing out 48 burritos don’t have a lot of time for talking) marc tried to converse with a very beligerant old man who kept saying “ten cents to a donut” like it was common expression. He used it more like ‘what is ten cents to something like a donut’ but it came out more like an expletive (he yelled it more often than not) The ‘locals’ asked us to just let him move along and not encourage him when he’s drunk.
Later, while Marc was talking with one young man Jim and I spoke with Pastor Joe Williams (and crew) who also brings food an ministers to the homeless. They specialize in fried chicken donated by local resturaunts. They are an interesting group. They’re more…exhuberant then most of us, but as long as they are faithful to the scriptures and love God…go for it. As Joe and his friend Bill were talking to me and Jim this little asian woman (Veitmanese, I think) just scooted into the center of us, looked Jim dead in the eye like a lost puppy and started explaining how her preies is somewhere in England, or Britian, or Germany, or…and then rambled on about somethings related to the RCC. It didn’t make any sense to me but eventually Jim asked her if she knew that Jesus Christ was God at which point she shuffled off again, much to Joe’s surprise because he turned around to ask one of the women from his group pray for her only to turn back and find her gone.
Our last stop was at the liquor store near the Smart and Final. Marc had a long discussion with a very animated character who didn’t believe that Jesus felt any pain on the cross. Jim and I talked with Indian Mike who seemed not at the top of his game. We listened as he told us about his life and the things that were going on but eventually he started talking about Mother Earth and Father God. He was wondering why people looked at him funny when he talked about this so I tried to explain. Now, I realize he’s indian (Blackfoot and Mexican) but I can’t let his upbringing be an excuse not to know the gospel correctly. I tried to explain that Mother Earth and Father God are two different concepts that can not co-exist. Eventually, we got to the question “is God perfect” to my surprise, he said “no”. Well, that just got us onto sin and how we brought sin into the world not God. He countered it wasn’t us but Adam who did this. I then asked “can a dog give birth to a cat?” (I’ll give you a hint – no) If Adam was full of sin then his offspring are born full of sin. And suddenly… the light came on. We talked a little more and eventually had to get going because it was already 10pm so we said good night and headed home. Our conversation just made his day. But I won’t let it go to my head. He had told us earlier how giveing his friend’s daughter a stuffed monkey toy made his day because of how she smiled and thanked him. I’m pretty sure we came in second but hopefully it will have an effect on him and his walk with Christ.
I would say that this statement:
Dealing with homelessness is nothing compared to dealing with how lost some people are.
isn’t exactly correct.
While it’s true that their “lostness” is eternally significant, making a point about that kind of comparison only seems to minimize their pain.
My mother was homeless most of her life. She died to death by freezing in a snowbank only a few feet from her tent on a cold winter’s night in new england. She had spent years trying to be “well,” and had been in and out of recovery and church, and had even tried God.
At one point, during her brief period of sobriety she said:
“So what? I’m sober! I still live in a d— tent!”
The reality is that even if the homeless man or woman accepted Jesus, there is a strong prejudice in the church against many of the homeless (and the mentally ill). Finding a place in community, while still homeless, would be challenging.
And, even though they are christians, they still live in the physical circumstances they are currently involved in.
Jesus does not reward those who receive him with instant homes or jobs.
Renee, thank you for your comment and I’m sorry for your mother’s suffering. I was not trying to to belittle the pain and struggle of homelessness but rather was refering to our own fears of interacting with homeless people. My concern is that while there are shelters and programs to help people get off the streets, many of those programs do not try to address their salvation.
I would say that most people on the streets are willing to accept our charity but strongly reject the gospel message. It is this resistance which will be harder for us to face than the homeless issue itself. It’s easy to give a burrito and socks but not so easy to share the gospel with anyone who rejects Christ.
Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
After taking some time off to deal with business issues, I feel somewhat dismayed that only 3 people made it out to seek the lost and share some healthy burritos. Count me among those who plan on showing up again on Thursdays, as I miss the Christ-centered conversations we share and the honing of our gospel message to each specific member of the audience we encounter. It is a wonderful work that God does in us when we joyfully submit to His command to seek the lost and win souls…I’m salivating just thinking about Thursday nights…and not just for the burritos! :)
This is a good example of the real challanges we face every Thursday night. Dealing with homelessness is nothing compared to dealing with how lost some people are. What surprises me most these days is how many people we meet do know Christ. They may not have the same conviction that we have but their knowledge is often very accurate and solid. I would encourage anyone who has a heart for the lost to join us Thursday night to help prepare the burritos and either go out to deliver them or stay behind at the Goodmanson’s to pray (both options are good)
I hope people come to my house so we can be praying for you guys while you are out. That way it would be ten cents to a donut.