Between the blog and facebook, this has been a great discussion... one that I hope reveals that tip of a very complex iceberg! I don't pretend to have all of the answers to the myriad of difficult questions. Let me share a little of my journey in this issue:44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
I began walking downtown - riding my bike up and down the streets, in and out of the alleys and I was moved to tears by what I saw - the hungry, thirsty, needy, and sick all around my church. I asked my pastor if the church might donate some blankets that I could take our to the people on the streets - and they did - dozens and dozens and dozens - old and new. I would strap as many blankets onto my bike rack as possible and ride the streets handing out blankets. Soon I knew many of the regulars and they knew me as the 'blanket man.' I took out Bibles, food, coats, blankets and anything I could. Some weeks I was downtown 5 or 6 days. I did this for at least a couple of years... living and working outside of the city, dropping in for an hour or two at a time to 'minister.'
Fast Forward more than a few years... God calls us to plant a church in the heart of downtown. The church gathers Sundays at the Capitol Theater, I have an office on Cherry Street, I am involved in the city now more than I am outside of the city - heck I might as well already live in the city! As a church we have members of our body who are serving at the Macon Rescue Mission every week. We have others who minister through a picnic every Sunday afternoon. We have held multiple canned food drives on our own and through partnerships with others donating hundreds of pounds of canned goods. My study is OFTEN interrupted by homeless people who want money, or a cold drink from the fridge, or use of the bathroom.
One Sunday we had a new family visiting with us at the Theater. The family moved in that weekend from Texas and NCCd was their first visit as far as churches go. They returned the next week. I scheduled lunch with the husband and father. He met me at my office on a beautiful sunny day. Fifty feet from my office I was met by a man who appeared to be homeless - and smelled homeless as well. He asked me for $1 so he could get some tea. Truthfully I told him I had no cash on me... so he quickly headed to the visitor from Texas. I turned to the visitor and walked over as the man was asking for money. I interrupted him and said, 'they are serving lunch right now at Macon outreach. It is just a couple of blocks away, why don't you head over there.' The homeless man turned to me and began to yell and cuss: 'I don't want that ________! That's _____________! I ain't eating their ____________ ________________ ___________! Just give me some ________ __________ money so I can get what I want __________ _______ want!'
He was still yelling at us as the visitor and I walked away and down the street. The visitor and his family (a wife and 2 little girls) never came back. They never came back to New City Church, and as far as I know - they never came back to the Greek Corner Deli, or anywhere else for lunch. I have not seen them downtown since.
Then there was the man who ran into my office white as a sheet and shaking because someone who appeared to be a vagrant stood at his car banging on the window saying that he wanted money and wouldn't leave the man's car. And the homeless guy who stopped right in front of our plate glass window on Cherry Street, unzipped his pants, and urinated right on the sidewalk. I could go on... I realized that at least part of the reason that so many stores remain vacant and so few people come downtown was right there in front of me.
Given the option to go to a North Macon restaurant or shop where you are not asked for money, or yelled at, or cursed at or to go downtown where you get all of that and sometimes the excitement of seeing a fight between drunks or a drunk woman raising her shirt to show off her not so good goods which would your family choose? Yeah - almost always the choice is somewhere besides downtown. And what happens to businesses when people don't frequent them? They close. And what happens to those jobs when they close? they are lost. And what happens to all of the money that the business man invested in his business? Gone. Often he/she is left with a stack of bills and a failed business.
The problem is complex. Much more complex than a friend suggested - just love them both (the homeless and the business owner) and let God take care of it. I do love them both.
