UNDER the OVERpass

I just recently saw this book sitting on my coffee table. Where it came from I found out later to be the school's library (go figure that!) but on the cover was this hippie looking guy in shorts, a cutoff T shirt and flip flops strumming a guitar sitting on a backpack. What I came to find out was this guy was Mike, a college student whose faith was challenged one day sitting in church. Yeah I know, having your faith challenged in church, who would have guessed it. Well Mike wondered if he could be "content in all things" as Paul had written. So Mike decided he would take a semester off from school and travel to five US cities as a homeless person. Could he survive on nothing? He had a partner go with him, Sam from OU, and their journey began at a drug treatment center in Denver. I was first drawn to the story with the thought how they were going to survive and if they would make it. Life on the streets is hard, rough and down right dangerous and here were two college kids taking it on face to face.

I won't ruin the story for you, you will have to read the book. But I did bring something out of it. How do we as the church react to those that are less fortunate?

Unfortunately in the book many times that the duo encountered the church the results were not so good. Actually it seemed that the members of the homeless community acted more like true Christians than those who filtered into the large cathedrals and proclaimed the name of Christ.

I know that I have many times have wondered what horrible things the homeless must have done to arrive there. I know others who have called them lazy, druggies and other derogatory things just because they do not have a roof over their heads to call their own.

I have come to realize that we live in an entitled society. We feel we are owed a roof over our heads, food on our table and the happiness that everyone else seems to have.

What bothers me is I see that same mentality in the church. It is not "but for the grace of GOD go I" but a warped mindset that those less fortunate are somehow under a curse of the maker. I know there are many who made bad decisions in their life that led them there, but there are also those that are there by circumstance. I hope that I never have to sleep on the street, scrounge in a trash can for a meal, or fights rats off of my bed at night, but I used to also feel somewhat entitled since I work hard and provide for my family. I needed to realize that my source is not my job, my talents, or my genius (I am really smart :-) or so I think) but my source is my GOD. Mike and Sam proved it over and over again how GOD provided for them on their journey. GOD was their source in every situation in life. I think when we begin to think that way our attitudes toward those less fortunate will change, but for the grace of GOD go I.

So I will challenge you, look through the eyes of Christ, where every person is formed and shaped in the image of GOD.