Wednesday is just about in the books and it was a HOT one! Despite the heat good things happened. The ESL Camp had the highest number of kids they had all week, praise God and the North Community Team did some killer weeding.
Most impacting for us though was our morning session in which we witnessed a play designed to challenge our thinking about homelessness. I think often times when we hear the word "homeless" the cliche stereotype comes to mind of an older bearded man wearing a beat up coat holding a bottle of alcohol. The short summary of this mornings play was this; the stereotype just isn't true.
If we're honest we all know that the stereotype just isn't true, but we still find ourselves drifting back to that stereotype, and unfortunately let our thoughts and actions flow from that. One simple fact that I'd like to share with you to help completely break that stereotype is this "in Minneapolis there are more kids who are homeless than adults." Read that again, and let it sink in for a moment. Kids.
Something else that blew my mind is that in Minneapolis they have more than enough food to feed the homeless, they actually have so much that they end up having to give the surplus to farms in the area to feed livestock.
Naturally though when people think of a homeless ministry what do they think? Well it usually involves feeding them, and for Minneapolis, more food won't help solve the problem.
So what will help you ask? Answering that question was what was so challenging about this morning, we can't assume we know what will help. We need to get our feet on the pavement and figure it out by getting in the trenches, so to speak.
I think there's a truth that rings deep in what we learned this morning that extends to all ministry.
1 - Recognize the need (don't assume the need)
2 - Meet the need (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, house the homeless and don't mix it up)
3 - Share the gospel
Anything less falls short of the work of Christ.
James 2:15-16 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?
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