Downtown 9/16/2012

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says. ---James 1:22


My own understanding of this verse is, "You don't know scripture (the word), until you are willing to be changed by it".  I heard Bill Johnson, from the Bethel Church in Redding, California, speak on testimonies a couple of weeks ago.  I was so taken by this message that I used some of the high points with just about everyone I met downtown yesterday.  One of the points he made concerned the story in John's gospel in chapter 8.  It is the story of the woman caught in adultery who is brought before Jesus as he is teaching in the temple.  The people who brought her before Jesus did this, in reality, because they were only interested in testing him.  This is where Jesus makes the famous statement, "He who is without sin, cast the first stone."  Then Jesus bends over and he starts writing in the sand and suddenly all the woman's accusers leave.  Much speculation over the years has been made over what Jesus wrote in the sand, but no one really knows.  Whatever it was that he did write, created such an atmosphere of grace, that everyone bound by law had to leave.  So in the end, Jesus is left alone with the woman.  While Jesus did not condone what the woman had done, he didn't condemn her either.  He finally told her, "Go and sin no more."  What Bill Johnson pointed out, and what I had never heard said about this story before, was that this was, ultimately, a 'father/daughter moment'.  Jesus told his disciples, "If you've seen me, you've seen the Father."  I have a daughter.  If she was ever in trouble, I wouldn't care what anyone had to say about her, no matter how negative and hurtful.  She is my daughter and I love and care about her as only a father can.  In a circumstance as dreadful as the real life episode that this woman and Jesus were confronted with was, I would hope my daughter would "run" to the throne of grace that only a father could provide.  You can see how a story like this could reach the people I see downtown every week.  They are the rejected ones.  The ones who feel, "outside the camp."  The last man I helped last night had his mouth wired shut.  I'm guessing he had a broken jaw.  He couldn't eat the burgers I had and asked if I could get him a milk shake.  So we drove back to the Jack in the Box and went through the drive thru window.  When I took him back to the alley, he said something I'll probably never forget.  He said a lot of the homeless are the way they are, in part, because of their upbringing (no real surprise there).  They were told at an early age that they were no good and will never amount to anything, and unfortunately, when things get difficult in life as an adult, they begin to believe it.  The bridge they have with their family is, sadly, the first one burned to the ground. 

The first man I met Sunday was a man named Doug.  I had never met him before.  When I pulled into the parking lot at the Jack in the Box I saw him pushing a shopping cart and I waved to him (I wasn't sure if I had seen him before or not).  When I parked the car he came over and asked if he could wash my car windows for some change.  I told him I had just hosed my car down a couple of hours before, but I did have some cold bottled water and was going to get some burgers inside in a few minutes if he wanted to wait.  He took the water and said he would wait.  While I waited inside, I suddenly felt like I was supposed to invite him in to join me while I waited which I did.  We had a good time talking, and got to know each other.  He was from St Louis and had been out here since 2003.  He told me he had spent some time in prison and was out on parole until 2014.  We seemed to have an instant connection.  The burgers came and I gave him two and we continued to talk together at the table.  I had ordered a cup of coffee that I had now finished.  I asked Doug if he wanted me to get a refill on the coffee so he could have it.  He was delighted about that.  When we walked outside, wouldn't you know it, but about 3 or 4 other homeless men showed up.  Most of them I knew, but Doug was waving them to come over.  It is interesting how a place of grace, beckons to others to come and join in.  It was a wonderful time and half the food was given out before I left the parking lot.  When I got to the alley, where my 'regulars' are I quickly gave out the rest of them.  Prayer, burgers, chilled water and laughter were enjoyed by everyone there.  A vanilla milk shake was enjoyed by one, but the trip downtown, was anything but vanilla.  Until next time.  --John

PS.  I reminded my friends in the alley that in two weeks (Sept 30th), we'll have the next barbecue.  Please be praying for this day.  Pray that an afternoon of God's grace will cover the alley and their hearts.  That they will be receptive to God working in their lives and this day will be a testimony they will remember always.