Whats up fools?
So i just got home from the North Park homeless ministry, (as in an hour ago) and you know, it was really nice. I know you guys dont really know what it is, so let me explain: Every friday night, around 10 to 15 of us college kids get ready prepared food from the cafeteria, and head down to Lower wacker. This place lies right under Chicago's michigan avenue, which is the street which has the lord and taylor, nordstrom(or however the crap its spelled), abercrombie, and all those stores, along with extremely fancy resturants and the lot. Right under the street, there are countless of parking garages for the skyscrapers. They go down three levels, and are usually pretty warm. Its this thats called lower whacker. When we arrive, we find a lot of guys congregating there, trying to get warm. We set up, and just chill out. Sometimes we bring a guitar(s), aways food, soda, cookies, you name it. We head down around 9 o clock, and are there for about 3 hours, and get home around 1 30 or 2.
Its funny, i went along with this orginazation for the first time they did it at the beginning of the semester, i went to one in the middle of semester, and now i just went to the last one before finals. Its heartbreaking, to see all those men(and a few women) who have hit a rough spot and now are stuck in the middle of chicago. A lot of people here have given me the "people got themselves into these situations," or, "they could easily get back in the game, if only theyd try and stop doing drugs/drinking." You know, that makes me kind of sad. How dare any of us even begin to judge a group of people who we dont even know the stories of. I didnt know what to expect when i went down there for the first time, but i know what i did get. Stories. Every man has a different one of how he got down to where he is now, living on the streets. They arent all there because of drugs or because theyre bad people. Although, i cannot blame a man who turns to alcohol after becoming homeless. I simply cannot.
Maybe im just being sterotypical of americans. But hey, can you really deny the feeling of disgust you get when a man comes up to you asking for money? I know ive gotten it a few times. Lets face it. We middle classers DO NOT want to deal with the lower class and the homeless. Its a fact. There is a huge wall between the two.
I guess what im trying to say here is that Ive met quite a few people down in lower whacker, in the freezing cold, and they have hearts. They are real people. They have NAMES. They lead real lives. They have wives, moms, and girlfriends. A lot of them have college degrees, almost all of them have children. Theyre no different, but we see them as different anyway, because they lead an entirely different lifestyle than us. Its heartbreaking.
I was down there tonight, and good grief, i love the winter. But it was so cold. So. Cold. It was the kind of wind and cold that night that just cuts you right down the middle. There is no escaping it, no matter how much you bundle up. Now just think having to sleep in that weather, outside, with a cardboard box and your clothes to keep you warm. I cant even begin to imagine it. These men are strong, emotionally and physically, to put up with that, and i respect them for it.
When were visiting these guys, we are encouraged to NOT talk about God, and i for one, support that totally. Of course, if someone asks, we start up conversation, but untill then, we let our actions take the place of our words. So often we "christians" talk talk talk talk and dont act. I dont mean act by not having sex befoe youre married, or smoking, or doing drugs. Why is being a christian always defined by what we DONT do? Why isnt it ever what we actually DO? I think thats why we get such a bad rap by the public. We stay in our closets and always stay away from the donts, and never do. What we dont do is NOT enough!!!! What about showing love to our brothers and sisters? I dont mean your friends who you WANT to love, i mean your neighbor, i mean the homeless guy who is sitting there on the street, i mean the guy who treats you like crap every single day, i mean the LIBERAL or CONSERVATIVE who has the exact opposite beliefs as you do.
We christians, man, we say we love, but we dont.
We look down on others just as much as the next guy.
We cheat on our wives.
We get drunk.
We do drugs.
We are racists.
We are rapists.
So really, we have NO right to even TALK about Jesus to the homeless, to the sinner, to whoever. All we can do is TRY to show them love through our ACTIONS, and stop talking. If God wants someone to turn to him, then man, he has it covered!!! We just need to be more like Jesus. Thats it.
Stop talking and do.
I want to live to see the day when a homeless man walks into my church and sits down and listens, and after the service, he will be greeted by the whole congregation with open arms. I want to live to see the day when more christians take the time to stop yapping and start loving. I want, so bad, so so bad, to live to see the day, when the homosexual will be treated as a person and not a disease by the conservative church. I want to live to see the day when people will look at christians and say, "There is a reason they do the things they do. There is a reason they help others. There must be something more." That something more is Jesus. Its so flipping complicated, but so simple at the same time.
Everybody knows Jesus loves everybody.
That doesnt mean just christians.
That means you. me. him. the homeless guy.
And his name is Tom. Come visit us in Chiacago, I'll introduce you to him. And for sure, Jesus is always, always there with us, laughing, having a good time, loving, and forgiving. Everybody.
Which is the only thing I want to do.
""
Its funny, i went along with this orginazation for the first time they did it at the beginning of the semester, i went to one in the middle of semester, and now i just went to the last one before finals. Its heartbreaking, to see all those men(and a few women) who have hit a rough spot and now are stuck in the middle of chicago. A lot of people here have given me the "people got themselves into these situations," or, "they could easily get back in the game, if only theyd try and stop doing drugs/drinking." You know, that makes me kind of sad. How dare any of us even begin to judge a group of people who we dont even know the stories of. I didnt know what to expect when i went down there for the first time, but i know what i did get. Stories. Every man has a different one of how he got down to where he is now, living on the streets. They arent all there because of drugs or because theyre bad people. Although, i cannot blame a man who turns to alcohol after becoming homeless. I simply cannot.
Maybe im just being sterotypical of americans. But hey, can you really deny the feeling of disgust you get when a man comes up to you asking for money? I know ive gotten it a few times. Lets face it. We middle classers DO NOT want to deal with the lower class and the homeless. Its a fact. There is a huge wall between the two.
I guess what im trying to say here is that Ive met quite a few people down in lower whacker, in the freezing cold, and they have hearts. They are real people. They have NAMES. They lead real lives. They have wives, moms, and girlfriends. A lot of them have college degrees, almost all of them have children. Theyre no different, but we see them as different anyway, because they lead an entirely different lifestyle than us. Its heartbreaking.
I was down there tonight, and good grief, i love the winter. But it was so cold. So. Cold. It was the kind of wind and cold that night that just cuts you right down the middle. There is no escaping it, no matter how much you bundle up. Now just think having to sleep in that weather, outside, with a cardboard box and your clothes to keep you warm. I cant even begin to imagine it. These men are strong, emotionally and physically, to put up with that, and i respect them for it.
When were visiting these guys, we are encouraged to NOT talk about God, and i for one, support that totally. Of course, if someone asks, we start up conversation, but untill then, we let our actions take the place of our words. So often we "christians" talk talk talk talk and dont act. I dont mean act by not having sex befoe youre married, or smoking, or doing drugs. Why is being a christian always defined by what we DONT do? Why isnt it ever what we actually DO? I think thats why we get such a bad rap by the public. We stay in our closets and always stay away from the donts, and never do. What we dont do is NOT enough!!!! What about showing love to our brothers and sisters? I dont mean your friends who you WANT to love, i mean your neighbor, i mean the homeless guy who is sitting there on the street, i mean the guy who treats you like crap every single day, i mean the LIBERAL or CONSERVATIVE who has the exact opposite beliefs as you do.
We christians, man, we say we love, but we dont.
We look down on others just as much as the next guy.
We cheat on our wives.
We get drunk.
We do drugs.
We are racists.
We are rapists.
So really, we have NO right to even TALK about Jesus to the homeless, to the sinner, to whoever. All we can do is TRY to show them love through our ACTIONS, and stop talking. If God wants someone to turn to him, then man, he has it covered!!! We just need to be more like Jesus. Thats it.
Stop talking and do.
I want to live to see the day when a homeless man walks into my church and sits down and listens, and after the service, he will be greeted by the whole congregation with open arms. I want to live to see the day when more christians take the time to stop yapping and start loving. I want, so bad, so so bad, to live to see the day, when the homosexual will be treated as a person and not a disease by the conservative church. I want to live to see the day when people will look at christians and say, "There is a reason they do the things they do. There is a reason they help others. There must be something more." That something more is Jesus. Its so flipping complicated, but so simple at the same time.
Everybody knows Jesus loves everybody.
That doesnt mean just christians.
That means you. me. him. the homeless guy.
And his name is Tom. Come visit us in Chiacago, I'll introduce you to him. And for sure, Jesus is always, always there with us, laughing, having a good time, loving, and forgiving. Everybody.
Which is the only thing I want to do.
""