Homeless

A week ago Saturday, Pastor Timmy and I spent 24 hours in the shoes of a homeless person. We were dropped off at 7:00 a.m. down by The Plaza, and we were on foot with only the goods in our backpack until 7:00 a.m. the next morning when we arrived at church unshaved, unshowered, and feeling not so fresh (for real).

I was amazed at how many homeless people we encountered and got the chance to talk to...I guess when you're actually looking, it makes a difference! We heard so many different stories of how these people ended up on the street, and when you really think about it, most of us are not that far removed...say, maybe a paycheck or two?

I'll never forget the people we met, especially this one guy. His name was Richard, and we ran into him in the middle of a park across from one of the nicest hotels in the city. It appeared he was hiding; he was enclosed in a landscaped area of small trees and shrubs, and he was leaning back on his pack smoking a cigarette. But when I approached him and said hello, he was nothing but polite, and immediately started talking like he hadn't had a decent conversation in a while. After about a half hour of chit chat, he looked at me and said, "Thanks for stoppin', man. You see all these people walking by here...they don't give a f---. Thanks for listening. Thanks for lettin' me get that off my chest."

I felt like we did more for Richard by simply acknowledging his existence and lending an ear than we ever could have by giving him money. In fact, he never asked for a dime. Instead, I think he felt that we were actually interested in who he was, where he's been, and where he's going.

As we walked on with sore feet and sunburnt faces, I felt this little glimmer of hope inside of me. What if everyone treated these people like they were valuable, like they mattered, like they had purpose? What if we all treated people--all people--the way Jesus would?

Charity is one thing...love is another.