We have all seen them. They hang out on the streets, sleep in the park, panhandle in the subway, check out trash cans at a nearby fast food joint. They are usually dirty and smelly, they might ask you for some change once in a while almost never expecting anything. Their eyes are in constant search. The homeless people.
We have all seen them. And most of us probably asked "why?". Why are they out in the streets? Why don't they have a place to go? Is it a choice or is it bad luck? Is there a way out? Can we (or better said should we) help?
Acc. to the National Coalition of the Homeless more than 3.5 million people experience homelessness in America at any given time of the year. I don't have accurate numbers for Ukraine but I know that homelessness is an ever growing problem there as well. Why do people become homeless? Even the most complex studies have difficulties answering that question. A lot of them are drug addicts, most are alcoholics, some just couldn't make it in the "big" world and have given up. Each story is different, but the end is that they have to sleep on the streets, they don't know what they are gonna eat tomorrow or where they are gonna go if it starts to rain. They learn to survive and take life a day at a time.
But how does the world around them react to it? Mike Yankoski together with his friend Sam Purvis decided to find out themselves. These two guys both coming from well-to-do families decided to live on the streets for five months to experience homelessness and understand the problem better, to live out loud for God and see their faith and confidence grow and to learn to be dependent upon God. Mike's book "Under the Overpass" is an awesome story of courage, endurance, faith and truth of how it feels like to be on the other side.
Their experience is very valuable to learn how to help and minister to homeless people. It's especially vital for Christian churches because they can really make a difference in the lives of many people. Mike encourages everyone to look out for those in need, just like Christ did and to make it personal talking to homeless, listening to their story, being compassionate.
I personally liked the book and everything Mike had to share (by the way if you want a copy you can e-mail me), but there's still a lot of questions to answer and contemplate. The first one being, that America is one of the richest countries in the world and jobs opportunities are amazing. Sometimes I just can't help thinking "Go find a job!" when I see another homeless guy asking for something.
Another thing is that some people just don't want to work. They are comfortable with the idea of others (or even God) providing for them and so they choose not to do anything. Erik has numerous stories of then trying to help people in Ukraine get on their feet, but the guys could care less. See in old Soviet union such people were called "parasites of the society" and if they didn't wanna work : too bad! they had to.
But at the same time there's nothing much to say when you hear Christ say "Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Mt 25:34-36
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