One day I was invited by a friend to attend a morning coffee time being hosted for the homeless. I thought, “What would I possibly say to homeless people? And besides, I don’t like homeless people anyway… they scare me!” Yeah… nice offer but that wasn’t happening. Then one Wednesday morning I woke up and felt that little God tug that really gets one’s attention and out of obedience, not preference, I drove down to morning coffee with the homeless. Oh boy… A friend had advised me to engage the homeless by starting conversations with the simple question, “Where did you grow up?” So I engaged the homeless with my one question and then simply listened to them (because I really didn’t know what else to do). Another God tug so I went back again another day and repeated the process using my one question. I went another day… and I discovered that I was beginning to make friends. I watched as the defining lines that separated us (appearance, status, and even body odor) started to blur in my mind–realizing that was the work of God, not me. A heart changed, eyes refocused and fear lifted.
Over coffee, I met a caseworker who told me that she helped the homeless access Social Security benefits. Her work sounded amazing! A few months later, my pastor told me a position had opened up to work with this caseworker and I was immediately flooded with the overwhelming need to apply for the job… again, obedience, not preference. After all, I had no experience, no social work degree and I was only recently limitedly experienced with the homeless. I reached out to the organization and I was hired within three days. I became the new disability advocate working with the chronic homeless population of our county.
I got a crash course in homelessness. I spent one month with my co-worker engaging with a new population of people that had their own ways, code, and language. I started a journey of learning to be a listener, helper, and advocate. I began perfecting my skills as taxi cab driver, banker, triage nurse, mother, cook, counselor and minister. Most of all… I am learning how to be a non judging, accepting friend. I am learning that the most sacred thing I can do at my job is to be present with the homeless. My work challenges and stretches my faith daily. It inspires endless questions in my mind about how the church universal can fill gaps in systems and processes. Where do the secular and sacred worlds collide? How is the redemptive work of Christ to be brought forward in secular systems and processes? How do we help restore dignity and independence in the lives of the hopeless? How do we overcome the countless barriers that make lasting and permanent recovery difficult?
Homeless individuals are racked with multiple problems that need to be addressed by the secular world. But I believe they are also in desperate need of spiritual treatments: addiction, abuse, unforgiveness, loneliness and hopelessness for example, can be also healed by the hand of God. How do I know this? Because I was saved 14 years ago from addiction to alcohol by a God I actually hated. But obedience, over my preference kept me coming back to the rooms of AA until sobriety became a reality for me. Recovery is recovery. It doesn’t matter what one is in bondage to, only that there is Power in God to be relieved of suffering.
While the secular world works to address multiple problems that affect the basic needs of the homeless like food, water, shelter, medical care and housing…many people living on the street and in shelters really just seek the comfort of an authentic, caring relationship that demands nothing. That word relationship keeps driving my creative brain… relationship. From what I’ve seen in my work, most of the secular world doesn’t have time to build authentic relationships. I believe that it is the work of the church universal to fill this gap. The task: to create relationships that can cross lines and break chains.
How does one person–me– participate in the ongoing conversation of how the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ affects all of what I see each day on the homeless mission field? I believe that the church universal is being called to participate in the Lord’s redemptive work here on earth and that work is all about relationships. The church universal is being called to get active in real and risky mission. To engage the world–the real world that lives in our backyards… not the pretty, neat and easy world we like to think is there. I myself am guilty of turning blind eyes–how many times did I see a panhandler on the street and avert my eyes? I’m tired of “appropriate” answers that come from the church universal. I crave to challenge myself and our churches to seek inappropriate answers that lead to real solutions. Hey universal church… it’s time to get really messy.
Our prayers need to ask how we can be changed to invoke change? How do we hold hope in situations that appear hopeless? How do we inspire those who lack inspiration? How do we minister to those whose lives appear to be destined for a lifetime of struggling to survive? How do we truly meet needs without judgment or condemnation? How do we meet people where they are at and really “minister” into their lives while respecting them? How do we show those church people, who hide behind the safe walls of a physical church, that real community is awaiting outside in their neighborhoods (maybe even starting in their own homes)? How do we invite and inspire the risky work of restoration? How do I myself continue to grow in my calling and become more effective in the work God asks me to do?
The Power of God is the solution–the presence of the Christ on earth carried out through the hands of feet of today’s church–me. I am the church–you are the church-we’re universal. God is calling each of us to boldly stand up and claim responsibility to be the church–raw, risky and revolutionary (in whatever avenue stirs your heart). Maybe you love babies or mothers… or children… or the elderly… If you have a relationship with God, then I can bet a needed relationship here on earth is calling you to you… how will you answer?! Are you willing to set preference aside, and respond with obedience?