My first experience with a homeless person was early on in college. I was enjoying my favorite breakfast at McDonald’s, 2 Sausage McMuffins with Egg and an orange juice. As I sat facing the entrance, I noticed this person right away. They didn’t have an I’m homeless shirt on, but from the wear and tear on their clothing, it was clear they didn’t have a place to spend the night. Immediately, I lost my appetite for a second breakfast sandwich. Not sure what to say, I gave this man my second McMuffin in passing as I left.
A few years later, I was working as a youth pastor at a large church in Columbus, Indiana. Of the thousand plus congregation, several had 2 homes, one in town and the other at 1 of 5 nearby lakes in the country. When I overheard a young man looking for a place to stay in our church lobby, I was heart broken to hear we were about to turn him away. After a minute of contemplation, I rushed to find him in the church parking lot, offering the couch in my small apartment. He stayed nearly 6 months, earning enough money working to pay for a bus ticket back home to Texas.
In January of this year, I found myself on the other side. I didn’t become homeless, yet as I lost my job, people treated me as if I had become one. Since I had one month to complete teaching before my position was eliminated, I felt like a dead man walking on death row. Several of my co-workers would ignore me in the hallways while others pretended to forget something, turning around quickly in the other direction. During my last week, a few of these former co-workers, apologized, claiming they did not know what to say. Yes, it was clear, I was on the other side, feeling like the homeless man I first encountered in college. This is why the apostles in the book of Acts ministered to the homeless, poor and those in prison. Go and do likewise!
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 