I am seeing a dream become reality before my very eyes…and it’s starting to gain momentum.
This past weekend I hosted a group of a dozen students in my home for a 24-hour experience of God’s heart for the poor. We ended the night with clarity about what that means for us as Americans: we ARE the rich and need to learn to identify with the poor.
We had students sleep on floors and outdoors to experience homelessness. They went without showers. Each of them was given three dollars and they were sent on foot to local markets to turn that into breakfast and lunch. We traveled by bus.
After a tour of the financial district, we started the 10-block walk from a center economic power to a den of despair: Skid Row. By the time our visit was over we had seen a man smoking crack in broad daylight, two women fighting while the crowd wagered on who would win, and a number of children who call Skid Row home. Students reflected on their experience as we took the bus back to my house.
The combination of teaching and experience brought students a unique clarity about what it means to follow Jesus. We ended by having students write letters to themselves. Judith told herself this:
“It is very evident that God was present at Skid Row. Don’t be scared to approach these people! Remember, God himself has been through this. God made us a promise of a new city, where there is no poverty and all tears will be dried.”
To see students being transformed before my very eyes, and to get to play a part in that transformation…for me it’s the beginning of a dream come true. Never have I felt so sure that I am exactly where I am supposed to be.
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