A mosiac view of Christ!

It is Friday night on the streets of Spokane! The room fills with faces of over 100 men and women. Their faces are marked by addiction and hopelessness. It is easy to have this picture in one’s mind as one sees those who come to be fed, and to get a coat or a pair of socks, and yes, even a request for a roll of toilet paper. But if you look closer, if you really look, you begin to see a beautiful mosaic of the face of Christ made of precious stones. Yes, a picture made up of over 100 such stones, each etched with the face of a homeless person. The picture you begin to see is that of Christ sitting and overlooking the city of Spokane, saying, “For this reason I came to die.” If you look carefully, set aside your many prejudices, and look with a heart of compassion, your eyes begin to be opened to that beautiful mosaic.Those that come to serve each week have their own stories to tell as well, and form their own beautiful mosaic picture of Christ.
There is Dave who knows most of the people in line as just a short time ago he lived in their world. But today, after just 46 days of sobriety, he has come back to minister to the community he knows so well. He tells of being encouraged as he sees husbands and boyfriends that are sober tonight knowing that perhaps for this night, at least, their wife or girlfriends will not suffer from their hands of abuse. He offers a prayer of heartfelt thanksgiving for his life now being changed. There is James who comes not only with a heart for the homeless but also has a deep concern for a brother “in Christ” who has relapsed. He knows only too well his own continuing road to recovery and sobriety. There is Anna who comes regularly to serve. Her son lives at the mission and this is her way to give back. She shares her son’s struggles with a sense of real hope. In Proverbs it says “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”. Too often I feel, we as so called mature Christians, look to our own economic and social status peers to provide this sharpening when in reality Christ can sometimes more readily use those thatwe call ‘weak’ in the faith to make us into a part of a beautiful mosaic picture of Him. Yes, we can begin to see a mosaic picture of Christ made of valuable stones even in those who come asking for such basics as a “roll of toilet paper”.

What Difference Does it Make?

What difference does it make? This is the title of the book by Ron Hall, a wealthy art dealer, and Denver Moore, a former homeless person who lived in the alleys and behind dumpsters until they met at the mission in Fort Worth Texas where God radically changed both of their lives. Denver Moore says, “If folks like me had the ability to do what folks like you be tellin' us to do, we’d a’ already done it.” Does investing in the lives of the homeless people on Friday night outreach really ‘make a difference'? Don’t we see many of the same people each week? Aren’t we just enabling them to remain on the street? What difference do it make? It was cold and damp this Friday night. Many of the homeless were all ready waiting when we arrived. Because of unforeseen circumstances, we didn’t have the key to getinto the church to setup. I begin think about going and sitting in the UGM van where it was warm, wimpy I know, but the thought did cross my mind. As I begin to mingle among the homeless, one of our men came alongside me and said, “I’ll go with you fo ryour safety”. I hadn’t felt any fear until that point. The key arrived to unlock the church door arrives and we did our usual setup, the serving line was long for a Friday night this early in the month. We serve the usual soup, sandwiches, hot dogs, fresh fruit and hot drinks. Coats, blankets, socks, back packs and toiletries were in brisk demand. But still the question, What difference do it make? Then it struck home! That one big difference was occurring in my life! Proverbs 27:17: As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. I came to impact others lives, and suddenly realized it was my life that was being changed. I was beginning to see the homeless through eyes of compassion, and the men from UGM were helping me to focus on things ‘eternal’. It was my life that was being ‘sharpened." I was no longer just the one ‘giving’, but also the one ‘receiving’. Yes, I could still interact with many of the homeless and encourage them to get a pla nfor their lives which could start by coming to the Mission. I still had the opportunity to encourage them to make changes, to help fill an empty stomach and give out a warm coat. Yes, through God’s intervention and those who come to serve, lives are being impacted on Friday night.But at least on this Friday night the biggest difference was being made in me.

Invisible Refugees

Spokane has over 25,000 refugees within its borders. They come from Nepal, Myanmar,Bhutan, Iraq, Cuba, Congo, Eritrea, Somalia and more. 400-500 more are coming to Spokane each year. They are Muslim, Buddhist, Christian, Hindus; they are a mission field right in our backyard. We spend countless dollars to send missionaries overseas to share the Gospel with these same people groups which may very well be fine. But, for the most part, the refugees in our midst remain “invisible’ to most Christians even when they venture into our churches. It is my observation that it is much easier to ‘give money then to be involved in the lives of those we profess we want to hear the Gospel message.Many of these refugees are open to hearing the Gospel if we first become their friends. If you are able, invest in their lives with your time and friendship.