A Christian's Response to Homelessness

"The city of Angels: home to almost four million; a destination for 42.2 million annually. This place is an artist’s aim, our culture’s compass, and darkness’ dwelling. Beneath the glittering skyline is an infamous place known as Skid Row. 50 blocks that most avoid, as it is littered with trash-turned-treasures, permeated by unbearable stenches, crammed with tattered tents, saturated by drugs and alcohol, and home to over 2,500 souls. If Jesus were to be walking on earth today, I know that it is with those of broken pasts and hurting hearts that I would find Him. That is who my Savior is; that is why He came. That is why He died and rose again."

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Wrong Assumptions

For eight months I spent my Friday nights listening to sojourners’ stories, cooking warm meals, and praying with those on Skid Row. When my season of living in Los Angeles came to an end and I moved back to Chicago, I wrote the paragraph above as I reflected upon moments that had undoubtedly changed my heart. Why had I become so drawn to these people? What made a night spent on the streets what I desired? It’s rather simple: I began to know the names, the stories, the past traumas, the dreams-- the image bearers-- who sat behind stacked shopping carts and underneath filthy, thin blankets. I genuinely sensed Jesus’ presence there, where people were honest and relied on God for their daily sustenance in a way that I have never known-- or more accurately, personally acknowledged.

I may have been leaving a homeless ministry behind in Los Angeles, but I knew that there’d be no shortage of people on the streets in Chicago. What was I going to do in light of my past experiences and intentionally formed relationships? How was I going to engage those on the street as a fellow image bearer who also identifies as a Christ-follower? For starters, I now refer to anyone I see on street corners and under bridges as “people experiencing homelessness” rather than just “homeless people” because that’s not their identity to God. I also no longer mark this entire population of society without a safe place to lay their head as lazy, ill, or unavailing. They were— and are— much more valuable than that. And it’s utterly not true of many on the streets.

In opposition to the overwhelming presumption that I once held about those without homes and their assumed lack of work ethic, Reverend Andy Bales, the CEO of Union Rescue Mission (URM)— a long-standing ministry in the heart of Skid Row— once stated in an interview that “almost everyone that we’ve encountered wants to work and does their best to make that happen.” This makes sense in light of Genesis 2— we’ve been made to work. It gives us purpose and dignity, and fulfills the creative intent and giftedness God has bestowed upon man. What hinders some from working? Bales has found that poor work histories, criminal records, and disabilities keep many people’s resumes from being read (Arnold). I would also add the lack of education for some, though 48% of those homeless in Los Angeles have a GED and 32% have a bachelor's degree or higher ("The Problem of Homelessness...").

People are Not Problems

In case the Los Angeles government’s solution to group those in their city without homes into a few crowded blocks to keep them away from the wealthy producers and constant flow of buzzing tourists, I will testify to the truth that homelessness is a complex social issue. In fact, I have yet to meet two people who gave the same reason for why they were on the streets. The Bowery Mission, a faith-based homeless shelter located in New York City, points to “mental illness, substance abuse, untreated medical issues, traumatic events, violence and abuse, lack of affordable housing and difficulty sustaining employment”. Such marks one of every 128 New Yorkers, adding up to around 63,000 homeless men, women and children in this one city alone (“Reaching Out”).

Justice Revival, another Christian ministry, likewise states that insufficient income and lack of affordable housing are two of the greatest factors for the estimated 2.5-3.5 million Americans without homes today. Sadly, domestic violence is a leading cause for women on the streets. And in case you haven't thought about this, women face unique challenges in protecting themselves from those who seek to exploit them while living without walls. I cannot fathom how exhausting sleeping with "one eye open" every night would be. On top of this, some laws enacted by the U.S. government such as the banning of sleeping in cars keep many in contact with the criminal justice system and prevents them from moving on from their criminal record in order to finally flourish (Timm).

Seeing the Whole Human

As long as there are poor people in the world, which Jesus promises to be the case until He returns, there is a definite necessity for faith-based missions and church ministries that come alongside people for however long they need. According to a Baylor University study, “ministries provide 60 percent of emergency shelter spots available in 11 major American cities, and the more faith-based shelters operating, the smaller its homeless population”. These ministries are responsible for having saved taxpayers about $119 million. Why are they so much more effective in keeping people off of the streets? Jim Reese, president and CEO of the Atlanta Mission, explains that building relationships and trust is what truly transforms lives (Shellnutt). I think Jesus' relational way of being would strongly attest to such.

Truthfully, loving relationship is just as much a necessity for man as food and clothes— it’s how it is being made in the image of a trinitarian God who has been in community for all of eternity. This is not to say that tending to the physical needs is at all less important. According to James 2:16, it is not an either-or but a both-and in regards to helping people, demanding that we acknowledge as many of the facets of man as we are healthily able to. In my own experience, offering the gifts of time and a listening ear should not be underestimated. I also do not think that we should choose to do nothing because we can't do everything, as the enemy would love to keep us paralyzed in our inward-focused feelings of inadequacy.

What We Can Do

Most of us may never be on staff at a homeless shelter, but we still interact with those on the streets-- even if it's ignoring them. What should we do when we pass strangers on street corners? Those at the Bowery Mission offer a few tips: first, they say to acknowledge by offering a simple smile or word of kindness seems homelessness oftentimes brings about deep-seeded loneliness and a low sense of self-value; second, be ready by having granola bars, lotion, water, or gift cards on hand when possible, as they say handing out cash isn’t ideal; third, learn by listening to another’s story; fourth, share by volunteering at a local ministry; fifth, guide by offering help to find a local mission or shelter; and sixth, pray by asking if you can go to the throne of grace on their behalf. It’s never a matter of whether they— or we— need prayer, but rather what it is that needs prayer ("Reaching Out”).

I’ll admit that I went into ministry at URM with the expectation that I would come out of it with admirable ideas and sustainable solutions for best practices to help those experiencing homelessness. I didn’t. I still feel great tension every time I pass a panhandler on the street, and I know that I do not sit in this uncertainty alone as John Piper has also written about this topic. He admits that his heart is naturally calloused against those who beg for money without even knowing their story. He recognizes that this is an ungodly attitude, suggesting that a Christian’s “default should be to give” and to “risk being ripped off rather than shrewd enough to say, ‘I didn’t get ripped off’”. But, he goes on to cite Jesus’ command in Matthew 5 to love one’s neighbor as himself and surprisingly follows this with a warning against feeding another’s bad habits by tossing a few dollars out of convenience or pity, as this does not seek the good of one's neighbor with genuine love (Piper).

Entering Into Another's Story

I will never forget what it was like to worship alongside fellow believers on Skid Row’s sidewalks and in front of a worn out laundromat. The rich and poor came together, the Lord being Maker of all (Prov. 22:2). I have witnessed the transformation of lives, noticing that God loves plot-twists. For this reason, and I risk coming across as harsh, I don’t hand out money anymore because I honestly want people to get to the rock bottom that prompts them to enter into a Christian mission or shelter where they can get real help-- discipleship, career counseling, emotional support, mentorship. It's one of those prayers that is hard to pray for ourselves or those we love-- the one that sound like, "Whatever it takes, Lord."

So when I do pass a person on the street, I try to stop and ask them how they are, what their name is, and whether I can pray for them. Usually this brings me the opportunity to listen, as not many give them their ears, much less their eyes. I’ve had times where I invite them to coffee or ask if I can buy food for them. When they deny the offer, I do not feel guilty for not giving them a few dollars. In my mind, I’d only be adding unnecessary barriers between where they are and where they can get to if they’d become willing to get help. I realize that I cannot help people lose the shackles of addiction or mend a broken familial relationship in a brief passing, but I might help them stay complacent with the few dollars I could hand to them.

Final Thoughts

Jesus never calls us to what is most cheap, convenient or comfortable. Transformation will take work but that’s my prayer for George-- my praying friend in front of a local Starbucks-- and every other person I see on the streets. There is more to this life and they need to know. They have been made for more and they need to find out. There is hope for them still and they need to be shown that. And there are open doors. I know that URM would never deny a woman or her children, even if it meant that they’d go over capacity— even if it was an inconvenience. This is because there are over one thousand sex offenders in the area surrounding URM, and God calls us to be defenders of the poor and powerless (Proverbs 21:13). There is also a form of TB found no where else in the world other than Skid Row. On every level, it is a perfect place for a child's innocence and wellbeing to be stolen. I believe that a heart-orientation of being willing to be inconvenienced out of love for another reflects Jesus, as He always met people at the soul-level, never seeing anyone as an inconvenience or as being unworthy of His healing touch— neither physically or spiritually. May we be like Him as far as it depends on us. And let us also remember that what we do for those in need, we ultimately do for Him.

Works Cited

Arnold, Gage. “Combatting Homelessness with the Dignity of Work.” Center for Faith + Work Los Angeles, 11 Oct. 2018, www.faithandworkla.com/blog/urm-work.

Piper, John. “How to Handle Panhandlers.” Desiring God, 27 Nov. 2018, www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-to-handle-panhandlers.

“Reaching out and Helping the Homeless.” The Bowery Mission. Rebuilding Lives Since 1879., www.bowery.org/homelessness/tips-help-homeless/.

Shellnutt, Kate, et al. “Why a Christian Approach to Fighting Homelessness Pays Off.” Christianity Today, Christianity Today, 6 Mar. 2017, www.christianitytoday.com/ news/2017/march/christian-approach-fighting-homelessness-pays-off-baylor.html.

“The Problem of Homelessness and What URM Is Doing About It.” Union Rescue Mission, urm.org/solution/.

Timm, Allyson. “Honoring God by Loving the Homeless.” Justice Revival, 10 Aug. 2017, justicerevival.org/honoring-god-by-loving-the-homeless/.