Confession #2: I feel conflicted about the homeless
If you've ever visited Austin you've seen them. They wait at so many traffic lights at freeway exits. They hold cardboard signs. In the summer, they look miserably hot. In the winter, miserably cold.
I've never lived in a city where homelessness is so prevalent.
There seem to be a great many reactions to the homeless.
Some are skeptical: "They're probably faking it/ That sign is a lie/ If one person each hour hands them a $20 they'll be making more than I do."
Others feel guilty: "I have so much that they don't have/ They're on this corner every day/ That could've been me."
Still others, not knowing how to distinguish between those in great need and those who are lazy or conning the public, avert their eyes and wait for the light to turn green so better thoughts can fill their heads.
As a Christian, my heart goes out to these people. I want to do something to help! But I feel overwhelmed by the vastness of the problem. How can I do anything that would leave a lasting impact?
Obviously, the primary need of humanity is to come to know Jesus Christ. They must be preached the gospel, told that Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect life, then died for the sins of those who would repent and trust in him. He rose again to show his power over death and grants the opportunity for his people to live in harmony with him one day, instead of incurring the judgment we deserve (1 Corinthians 15 is a great read -- go check it out). That's GOOD NEWS!
But even the most magnificent of news is going to seem really stale when your stomach is yearning for food, and the person preaching about something supposedly life-changing doesn't seem to care that where you lay your head at night is the cold cement under a freeway overpass with nothing but newspapers for a pillow.
Jesus had so much compassion for people. The Gospels contain story after story of how he healed some of society's "worst" - people lame, blind, mute, sick (physically, mentally, and spiritually!). When there were great crowds, he miraculously fed them and explained he was the Bread of Life (John 6). YES, he preached repentance, YES people were to turn to him… and YES, he cared for their most basic human needs.
I haven't figured out a way to preach the gospel to every homeless person in Austin, but I've figured out a way to help, at least just a little. In my car I've resolved to keep energy bars and bottled waters so that I always am able to share what I have with those in need. This eliminates at least some of the supposition that a few spare dollars will go to buying drugs, and keeps me from turning a blind eye to an immediate need.
I don't know if anything permanent will come of it. I don't know if perhaps one day consistently supplying a small need could lead to someone's salvation. But I do know that the God cares deeply for the people who stand on street corners begging.
It's relatively easy. And it's an opportunity to show Christ's love.
I've never lived in a city where homelessness is so prevalent.
There seem to be a great many reactions to the homeless.
Some are skeptical: "They're probably faking it/ That sign is a lie/ If one person each hour hands them a $20 they'll be making more than I do."
Others feel guilty: "I have so much that they don't have/ They're on this corner every day/ That could've been me."
Still others, not knowing how to distinguish between those in great need and those who are lazy or conning the public, avert their eyes and wait for the light to turn green so better thoughts can fill their heads.
As a Christian, my heart goes out to these people. I want to do something to help! But I feel overwhelmed by the vastness of the problem. How can I do anything that would leave a lasting impact?
Obviously, the primary need of humanity is to come to know Jesus Christ. They must be preached the gospel, told that Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect life, then died for the sins of those who would repent and trust in him. He rose again to show his power over death and grants the opportunity for his people to live in harmony with him one day, instead of incurring the judgment we deserve (1 Corinthians 15 is a great read -- go check it out). That's GOOD NEWS!
But even the most magnificent of news is going to seem really stale when your stomach is yearning for food, and the person preaching about something supposedly life-changing doesn't seem to care that where you lay your head at night is the cold cement under a freeway overpass with nothing but newspapers for a pillow.
Jesus had so much compassion for people. The Gospels contain story after story of how he healed some of society's "worst" - people lame, blind, mute, sick (physically, mentally, and spiritually!). When there were great crowds, he miraculously fed them and explained he was the Bread of Life (John 6). YES, he preached repentance, YES people were to turn to him… and YES, he cared for their most basic human needs.
I haven't figured out a way to preach the gospel to every homeless person in Austin, but I've figured out a way to help, at least just a little. In my car I've resolved to keep energy bars and bottled waters so that I always am able to share what I have with those in need. This eliminates at least some of the supposition that a few spare dollars will go to buying drugs, and keeps me from turning a blind eye to an immediate need.
I don't know if anything permanent will come of it. I don't know if perhaps one day consistently supplying a small need could lead to someone's salvation. But I do know that the God cares deeply for the people who stand on street corners begging.
It's relatively easy. And it's an opportunity to show Christ's love.
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