Loving the Homeless
Jesus
said that we would always have the poor with us. Thinking about that,
we find it easy to conclude that the problem of the poor is too big for
us to solve, so we drop a few dollars in the Salvation Army kettle at
Christmas and write a check for missions and give it to our local
church.We almost become blind to the poor where we live.
When the recent census revealed that there are over ten thousand homeless people in San Diego, everyone I know thought those numbers must be incorrect. “Occasionally I see a homeless person at an intersection begging for money but surely there can’t be more than a few hundred homeless people in the entire city!”
One church group of which we were a part decided that the homeless were on the streets because of “bad decisions” they had made. The group felt that helping them would only encourage them to stay homeless. The solution – “They should get off their butts and get jobs!” Another group felt that God only “calls” certain people to help the poor and the homeless, and no one in the group felt “called.”
Going to the Homeless
Last Saturday our small group ventured to downtown San Diego to an area where several hundred homeless people live on the sidewalk, in the shadow of the ballpark. I was reminded of Jesus being born in Bethlehem, literally in the shadow of the Herodian, location of one of Herod’s palaces and a symbol of the wealth and might of the Roman Empire.Friday had brought a soaking rain. On Saturday the homeless were trying to dry their clothes, blankets and sleeping bags. As several told us, “We’re trying to get dry before it rains tomorrow”. We shared chips and some other prepackaged food we had taken with us and talked to them. Some had been living on the streets for months or years. One man said he had lost his job, had run out of money and had just joined the ranks of the homeless that day.
About lunch time on Sunday the second storm arrived. The rain continued until the middle of the night. Several times after we went to bed the heavy rain woke me. I prayed for the people sitting in the rain on the sidewalk downtown, some without even a garbage bag to put over themselves. The temperature dipped into the upper forties and low fifties. As the homeless we have known have explained, even though the temperature is above freezing, being soaked to the skin on a chilly night can lower body temperature and is especially dangerous for those with health problems.
Are the Homeless My Problem?
I prayed while it rained. We had taken food to the homeless, but I was lying in a warm dry bed and they were sitting on a cold, wet sidewalk getting soaked. The problem is too big for me or our small group to solve. But should we do something?We are trying to do something. Last winter during similar, but colder weather, we gathered two carloads of blankets, coats, sweaters, tarps, socks and similar supplies and delivered them to the winter homeless shelter. Once again we are gathering similar supplies for this winter. But is that enough?
Even when all of the winter shelters are open, there are still hundreds of homeless who can’t be accommodated. I think of them sitting in the rain, soaked to the skin, sometimes shivering uncontrollably. What can we do? What should we do? (Not just our group here in San Diego, but all of us, wherever we live.) What do you think?
Be the Church in Your Community
Want
to be the church in your community but don't know? Here are some posts
which not only explain what it means to be the church in your community,
but also gives concrete, practical examples of what it looks like and
how to be the church whatever you do and wherever you go.
Remember, you ARE the church, and wherever you go, Jesus goes with you!
- How to Be the Church in Your Community
- How to Preach the Gospel to your Neighbors
- Being the Church is Loving the Person in Front of You
- 4 Practical Suggestions for Being the Church in your Community
- Love Like Jesus by Listening to People
- Welcome New People to the Community
- Finding Jesus in Denver
- Being the Church by Loving the Homeless
- Helping the Homeless in the Rain
- Loving the Homeless like Jesus
November
12, 2013 — Katy Perry. Rick Warren. Anne Graham Lotz. Franklin Graham.
The Jonas Brothers. Frank Schaeffer. Jessica Simpson. All of these
names, disparate though they may seem, have something in common: They
are all pastors kids.
We
fill a large bowl with candy bars. Sometimes there is a neighbor who
will not get home from work until later in the evening, and she gives us
a package of candy to hand out for her. In addition to the circle of
chairs, we set up tables to hold the food and carved pumpkins,
fiber-optic pumpkin heads, and cats.
And
we do! Simply by spending time with, eating with them, and sharing life
with them, we get to know them. Inevitably, we have conversations about
life – including the meaning of life and its problems and where God is
in all of that, hopes, needs and a variety of other issues. These all
take place before, during, and after these events.
This
"Getting to Know Our Neighbors" series is by Sam Riviera, a frequent
blog contributor. This series provides concrete, practical suggestions
for loving others like Jesus.
But
here is the thing… just because we don’t want to go off the deep end
and idolize nature or damage and destroy human lives for the sake of
nature, this does not mean that we can ignore the environmental needs of
the world or just consume and destroy the natural resources of this
plant in any way we want.
Did you know that men all over our country are 
Today’s Christian teenagers embody a number of encouraging values. But those same values tend to chafe today’s church.
When working with teenagers, creativity
is a must. If you’re not somewhat creative, then your sermon, talk or
lesson can be responded to with rolled eyes, heavy sighs and texting
fingers.