The Nations, The Slums, Gary, and a beckoning to feast

Last night was a night that will haunt me and I pray God will use when I think of myself too highly. The location was an old Lutheran church in rundown, broken neighborhood in Vancouver, WA. The venue was setting up for dinner and packing grocery bags full of nonperishable foods that might last a few days to feed a family on average of 4 (but most would use it to feed more). The night began simple enough as I drove up on the church with lines of people on all sides; cars were everywhere and their owners scurrying to find anything that might be consumed. I wasn't sure what to expect, but as I entered a room I saw the first of several images that would stay with me for the night.

There were all sorts of people. More nationalities were represented than I thought possible. It was a United Nations of Poverty if you will. They were broken and tired looking for someone to help or speak their language. I began talking to a man from Belarus, moving next to a lady from Mexico, getting passed to a Chinese, and continuing for sometime trying to help. The next time I would see all of them again would be as they passed through a line for food again trying to scrounge anything they could and taking more than they could ever eat. They were told to take one milk, but as they passed they begged for two, drinking two or three cups of clean drinking water in line.

The night seemed to have very little redeeming qualities, dignity, or much hope. Then I met the organizer of it all. Gary appeared to be in his late thirties to early forties. He told me his story which began with an alcohol addiction and progressed to drugs. Both took there toll and left him homeless, but didn't relent. After years of the streets, Jesus rescued him through the use of shelter and someone willing to feed him and take interest in his life. To hear Gary talk about the love of Christ is an amazing experience. And for the past seven years, every Friday night Gary has been feeding the hungry and trying to offer hope to the hopeless through Christ. He talks as if there is no other choice; the only purpose Christ rescued him was for this. So each week the volunteers and himself will go to the nations, the slums, and broken hearted beckoning them to come in to feast. And each week he proclaims the gospel and serves the people. Gary loves much because he's been forgiven much.

I can't help but wonder at what might happen if the rest of the church could get on board here. I'm not advocating a purely social gospel. But the fact is the gospel is social and reaches out to those parts of society that seem ugly and smell bad. Jesus walked with the poor, ignorant, sinners, prostitutes, and the socially unacceptable. So let's imitate our Savior and Lord.

I'll end this post with a quote from Bono. Some will criticize and acknowledge that it lacks in ways and I agree. But I think there is more truth than we may give credit.

"Love is on the move. Mercy is on the move. God is on the move..... God is in the slums, in the cardboard boxes where the poor play house.... God is in the cries heard under the rubble of war. God is in the debris of wasted opportunity and lives, and God is with us if we are with them."