Subterranean Evangelism II: What a Sandwich Can Do

In Chicago, there is a road that wraps around the downtown area. This road is called Wacker drive. The entire downtown area, and a lot more of Chicago is sitting on top of this network of subterranean roads. There are three levels of Wacker drive, the lower levels aptly named Lower Wacker Drive. These roads are the catacombs of Chicago, nearly every building and all the roads downtown are held up, by the columns in lower Wacker Drive. It's dark down there, easy to get lost in the network of streets, and it has the "I want to get out of here as quickly as possible" atmosphere. Since there is less wind, and the heat doesn't get blown away, the catacombs are generally 10-20 degrees warmer in the winter than the streets on top. This makes Lower Wacker a prime spot for Chicago's Homeless during the winter months.

There are a few ministries that help to feed those down there, kind of a drop off & get out operation, which I'm sure the homeless are very grateful for. I can understand why they don't want to spend much time there.

Last Saturday my friend Robin called me up. He knew that I had made sandwiches and gone into lower Wacker a few times in the past, he asked me if I could take him. He brought his friend Matt to my apartment, and we packed together some clothes, warm socks, gloves and other things I had collected to give out. I grabbed a bunch of gospel tracts and we headed out. We made some sandwiches and bought some coffee for the homeless on our way there.

Predictably, we got lost, but found some guys who might be able to help us out. We parked next to the three homeless gentlemen, got out some sandwiches, and coffee for them. There was Shawn, James, and Ronald. They were watching a bulls game on a 5 inch Black and white TV, who knows where they got it.

We watched the last 10 minutes of the game with them, James left, Ronald fell asleep, and I asked Shawn about his spiritual beliefs.

We talked for a while, Shawn had some beliefs about different things, but he wasn't saved. Matt jumped in, telling Shawn how much God wants him to come home, how much He loves him. I asked him if he knew why he would end up in hell. I walked him through the law of God, revealing many Shawn's sins to himself. He began to tear up, then I reminded him about God's love and Jesus redemptive work on the Cross. I told him that He can be made new, born again. He understood that he needed to repent of his sins and put his faith in the savior.

He wanted so much to be part of God's family, he told us about demonic influence in his life through dreams and other things. He told me how he wanted it all to go away so much.

I told him that I was not going to pray for him, or lead him in a sinner's prayer because if he was sincere, it would come pouring out of his heart.

Shawn looked at us and said, "Now that I'm gonna do this I don't need these any more," and he pulled out of his pockets a filth DVD, two lighters, a baggie of some drug, a handful of condoms, and another bag of 4 pills. "Get rid of these for me, I don't want 'em." The other guys found a dumpster while I stayed behind and watched as Shawn began to pray. At first it didn't look like he was praying, but talking to the wall. After a while I realized that he probably had never prayed before, but this was his way. As he starred straight ahead, he prayed for God's forgiveness for each sin he could think of. "God, I'm coming at you the only way I know how, I need you, God, I need you because I will be tempted with drugs again, after I'm done praying, I'll think those thoughts, so God, I need you. I need you, God, today, and when I'm sleeping, tomorrows a new day, God, and I'll need you then too. "

He went on to describe in detail so many sins, lust, coveting, stealing, lying, and so many more.

At first he seemed down trodden, but the more he prayed, the more he perked up, he prayed about seeing Jesus in heaven, and hugging him, and not being able to let go. Shawn prayed how much he needs God for more than an hour.

He came to Church with me the next day a new man. He wasn't looking for money of food, but we made sure to stock him up for the next week. We got him cleaned up, gave him some nice clothes and a new Bible. He was thrilled. He carries the Bible with him where ever he goes.

I thank God for blessing me to reap that which was sown so many times in Shawn's life, but more so I praise God for saving Shawn.