Love your neighbor

I just started on a new book the other day called "Under the Overpass" by Mike Yankoski. After reading the first two chapters, I started thinking. The whole book is basically a journal of Mike and his friend. You'll have to read the book to get the entirety of the background, but basically, he attended a Bible college, went to Church, all that good stuff, when he realised that he wasn't doing anything. Sure, he was going to college, had a job, etc, but he wasn't doing anything to further God's kingdom. So he got this crazy idea and everybody he talked to agreed with it.

Some time later, laying in his cot at the homeless shelter, he wasn't so sure, but gradually, he was able to reach the homeless, addicted, and downtrodden in their own way. He took the phrase "be in the world but not of the world" pretty seriously. After a month in the shelter, he was ready to leave and start his real journey. This is about as far as I've gotten so far, but you can see where it's going. When asked who our "neighbor" was, Jesus replied in the parable of the good Samaritan. Now, Samaritans weren't exactly cherished by the Jews. In fact, "hated" muight be a better word, and the feeling was pretty mutual. But in this story, after being passed by the respected Jewish leaders, the man (who had been beaten and robbed, in case you don't know the story) was rescued by the Samaritan. He bathed his wounds, put him up at an inn, and basically gave the guy his life back. Most Christians today say that we love our neighbor. However, ask the same people who say that when the last time they worked in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter was. You can guess the answer. What most of us really MEAN when we say "I love my neighbor" is "I tolerate my neighbor most of the time if he isn't too gross". This is definitely not a Christ-like attitude.

We need to show God's love through our actions. Going up to someone who has no home, food, or money, and telling them "when you die you're gonna go to hell" probably isn't the best way to evangelise. However, rather than telling these suffering souls that when they die they're going to suffer even more, tell them of a place where hunger and thirst are gone, where no tear is shed, where we will be filled with joy and comfort for eternity. For those who are suffering, who have no hope, give them hope and comfort. Taking away confidence in earthly things is a lot more effective on those who HAVE earthly things in the first place.

What most people don't realize is how hard it is to give up an addiction. The only people who realize fully are those who have an addiction. Most of the time, in the instance of a drug addiction, the rehab does no good. Oh, sure they don't need the drugs, but when the drugs are gone they have nothing, forcing them right back to the drugs. When someone has been an addict for most of their life, it's not just an addiction anymore. It becomes a lifestyle. The book takes an idea from the movie The Shawshank redemption.

"One of the prisoners, "Red" as he's called, says that men who have been in prison for a long period of time become "institutionalized"-unable to function in the normal world. They didn't know anything other than a life of crime or drugs before they entered prison. Then once inside, they become dependent on the structure that prison provides. Once they're out, they're set up to land right back in prison because they were never truly free."

He goes on to talk about the structure in drug addicted lives and how they need something to fll in the hole. We need to help fill in that hole, that empty vacuum that nothing but Christ can satisfy, we need to spread the news; you can be satisfied, you can be whole, just come to Christ.

A couple years ago, my youth group went on a missions trip to Hamilton, Ontario (that's in Canada). We did volunteer work, helped at kitchens and homeless shelters, talked with the homeless there. They were really glad to see young people actually caring about someone else. It was amzing the hope brought into their lives just because a couple of gangly teenagers came and talked with them. I thought I understood homelessness then, and in a way I did. I understood homelessness; unfortunately I didn't understand what it was like to BE homeless. After reading part of this book, I understand it more, yet reading a book, or even "being" homeless like Mike won't show the truth of what it's like. Mike has the chance whenever he wants to leave the streets and pick up where he left off. The majority of people on the streets don't have that option. They have no earthly store. They need Heavenly treasure, and Godly love. Show compassion on others, and truly love your neighbor. Reflect Christ for those who have nothing, that's what I'm trying to say.