Two homeless men have been attending my very middle class adult Bible fellowship (adult Sunday school); although I'm not sure of the details, two women who minister to the homeless bring them every week.
These guys are more faithful in attendance than "old timers".
They sit quietly. They don't engage in class discussion. But they've attended week after week for about two months. We're studying the book of 1 John…the book all about love….
This morning I arrived early and few people had yet to show up; I struck up a conversation with Rick and learned another church member had given him a guitar last week and that he has played since the 70s and has taught many. He rattled off his repertoire–Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Beatles, The Mamas and Papas–and told me the first song he teaches is always "Amazing Grace". He both reads music and plays by ear.
I told Rick my father-in-law had given my son his guitar at Christmas, and although he had been teaching himself how to play (with the help of friends and youtube…), we probably should invest in a few lessons. Rick told me he "sure could use the help", the implication being he could teach my son.
Last week when our church paid tribute to all those in our congregation who have served in the military, Homeless Rick proudly walked up to the front and stood tall behind the Navy Flag.
Jeanette, homeless ministry angel, extended an invitation to me this morning. "You probably have to go back to work in the morning, but if you don't, a group of us are going to clean up where the homeless live under the Broad Street bridge." She went on to tell me there probably weren't any needles, but if there were, they were probably rusted by now. She was planning on wearing wire mesh gloves.
I didn't even know there was such thing as wire mesh gloves and I don't have a job to return to….
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And with that, Jesus' words and a are ringing in my ears, along with the phrase "…perfect love casts out fear…", taken out of context but within the passage we studied in class. This morning.
Wow, Robin. Your words, this story, the verses you pointed us toward, are like rocks thrown straight over the gate and into my comfort zone. One of them hit me between the eyes. I’m feeling convicted….
I have tears in my eyes.
Hearing about these things in Sun. School class is so much different than being God’s hands and feet in our community.
It’s so much easier to think about dropping off food at the homeless shelter or putting a few coins in the Salvation Army kettle than actually going to help.
Reaching out to those who aren’t as sparkley is difficult.
I’ll let you know though that after living on the less sparkley side;), I’m so beyond blessed when people demonstrate true Christianity and reach out to us. It means so much more than platitudes.
Have you read the book “Same Kind of Different as Me”? Maybe you’re the person I bought the extra copy for… I thought I was buying it for my dad, but he’d borrowed it from someone else by the time I bought it and told him about it.
If you haven’t read it, I’ll be mailing it to you. Once I find it again.
I have a sweetbitter ache in my heart (more sweet than bitter, but I think I see the "call" on my daughter's life…which is beautiful and difficult all at the same time…) 🙂