"I guarantee there isn't a homeless person in Portland who couldn't tell you the gospel verbatim. They've had to listen to it three times a day to get a sandwich. They've heard about Christ, but they haven't seen Christ. Who will sit next to them while they panhandle, who will enter their world? I've had friends doing that for 15 years. That is seeing the gospel."
-Rick McKinley pastor of the Imago Dei Community in Portland, Oregon.
Taken from "Dei Laborers" in the Fall 2007 issue of Leadership journal.
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In Lexington, KY I went to help with a ministry to the homeless. One cold rainy Sunday afternoon in Feb I attended one of their meetings. Overall, it was good - I think. They fed the people, had nurses on hand to offer check-ups and also some articles of clothing. At the end of the meal a pastor stood up and delivered a very impassioned message on needing to be saved. In fact, he kept calling for responses, asking people to come forth, like a good altar call should, for what seemed like 10 minutes. At the end of the meeting, I left got into my warm dry car and drove back to my warm dry house. Meanwhile, the homeless that were there picked up their stuff and went back out into the cold wet afternoon to who knows where.
Something about that whole scene really bothered me and still does today. Guess I'm just not sure how much good we really did. Did those folks "see" the gospel?
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