First a little background: If you know me well enough, you might know that I have a broken heart for the homeless. I have a few homeless friends around Chicago, Darryl, on state street; David on Roosevelt; Eugene, and a couple others. Sometimes I help those guys out with some change or a couple dollars. Mostly I bring them food, that's what I do with most of the homeless people I meet. I don't mind, actually I enjoy, talking with Chicago's homeless. As far as a few of them have put it: it makes their day for someone to just make eye contact or smile. So what a blessing it must be for some person to sit down next to them and chat for a half hour.
I am just like every other person in Chicago most of the time however. In fact I would say that I am worse in some respects. Not only do I avoid eye contact, but sometimes I lie to get out of giving. For example, just last week a man asked if I could help him get some food. I gave him a gospel tract and then lied about having any money. The conviction came immediately. Then I told him I had money to help, but it's not mine, another thump by the Spirit. I eventually gave the man enough to get a sandwich, we talked for about 5 minutes, he told me about his ten year old son in Madison, WI. He was trying to save enough money to take a bus there. His eyes began to water as he talked. Hope crept in as he talked about how close he was to getting the money he needs.
That night I was reading Matthew. I was again rebuked by God when I read Jesus' words:
40"If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.
41"Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
42"Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.
I made so many excuses to avoid the homeless, after all, how do I know what they will do with whatever it is I give to them? Or what if they do something to me? After reading those verses I can't seem to make those excuses in my heart anymore. I'm not saying I will give a dollar to Every homeless person I meet on my daily commute, that's just not feasible, but I can't ignore them anymore. I know that what every man needs, even the homeless man, is much greater than a dollar. Praise God that so many of Chicago's homeless are born again.
Please pray for me in this area. Also would you join me in praying for Chicago's Pacific Garden Mission, a mission that ministers to the homeless here?
That was the Background, now for my story:
I gave been so encouraged lately. I like to go to different parts of Chicago to pass out million dollar bill tracts. In the past couple weeks, I have been told by several people when I hand them the tract that they have seen them. Keep in mind that there are 6x10^6+ people in Chicago (for those LAYMEN who aren't so familiar with scientific notation, that means more than six million). I did some math, if I passed out 100 gospel tracts a day, in different areas of Chicago, and accounting for population growth, it would take me over 200 years to meet someone who already had one. I guess I should get started, huh? BUT, one homeless man this morning (Peter) showed me one that he had in his pocket from a week ago. So apparently I fell into a 1 in 75,000 chance (I did some more math) of finding someone who I gave one to earlier last week, OR I'm not the only person saturating Chicago with the Good News. Obviously we both know the answer is that I'm not alone, I know this for a fact (my roommate and several friends have some beautify feet!) But should I not act as if I am the only person out there? Of course. So onto the Modalist:
While I was talking with Peter, a bull came running out of a China shop next door (Dunkin Donuts?), and began "witnessing" to me and Peter. This particular bull was a oneness Pentecostal. A LOUD one, I tried sharing my faith with her, but she wouldn't let me get a word in edge wise. Apparently I am a pagan, polytheistic, deceived, young man who needs to read Acts and be baptized again, but this time in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. If you don't know much about Oneness, or modalist theology, check out this site, its got a lot of good resources.
When she left, Peter and I continued talking. I discovered he was born again. Praise God.
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