We've had amazing success getting roofs over the heads of a significant number of homeless guys over the last two years. But there is still one or two who refuse to be helped.
So i'm glad for them guys the summer is on Its way, because they have had to endure another harsh winter.
As I walked to church with my mate Gazza C on Sunday morning to prepare myself to preach, I noticed that Lee was fast asleep in the doorway directly next to our building.
This doorway has attracted loads of homeless since we have been here.
It's frustrating with this guy because I could get him a bed in a number of Salvation Army places but he just won't go.
So on Sunday morning I shook him until he woke up. He wasn't best pleased and I obviously couldn't repeat on my blog what he told me to do or where he told me to go!
He nevertheless squeezed out of his incredibly filthy sleeping bag and came with me into S21.
We made him a coffee and I abandoned my normal preaching prep routine of basically locking myself away and pumping worship music through my earphones, and just sat with him.
There was little conversation for ages as he was still pretty mad with me for waking him.
He came round after a while.
I asked him why he chooses that doorway.
He said this.
"Because its near to the church and I feel safe and it feels like I'm near to some sort of family."
Which to me was really inspiring, because another guy who slept in the same doorway last year had said the very same thing.
Such a powerful message. I thought about the sermon I was about to speak out.
It felt a bit lame compared to the message that see guys were speaking out, that they felt drawn to a Christian community, that they felt safe and close to family.
Really although they don't really know it, it's actually the presence of God they are drawn to.
They are so drawn to it they even want to sleep near it.
My mind closed in on the love and care that many people have invested in these people. The justice, the unquestionable servanthood, and the incredible reserves of compassion that people in our church and our team have lavished on these guys sometimes in the most difficult of times. The unconditional attention and care has been truly extraordinary. We've cleaned some of the most despicable of messes up from toilet floors, we've sat and ate with people who haven't been able to wash for months, sometimes years, I've seen members of our team cry with them and not sleep at night worrying about them. I've seen our relationship with the police, who have shown equal levels of compassion, work to help a good number of people who are desperate. We've fed, watered and cleaned up after many who others wouldn't touch with a barge pole. We've rejoiced together when someone has got a roof over their head. I've seen people sitting for hours having to listen to the most crazy talk imaginable but never the less listening anyway. I've seen the love of a missional community working.
Extraordinary.
No wonder people are drawn to the presence of God because the presence of God is in those who are giving their lives to the cause of the lost.
In the simplicity of that?
Justice happens.
Compassion happens.
Changes in people's lives happen!
The thing about justice and compassion is that Gods mission can't be experienced without the heart of a church in motion, who are in a truly passionate and unrelenting relationship with Jesus.
That's my thinking anyway.
And I'm blessed by the extraordinary people worldwide who live to see the lives of others touched and changed.
As this young homeless guy described how he was drawn to he near the church.
I wonder about the opposite of that?
How ready are we to be drawn to the desperately needy?
I believe we are living in times where the church is being drawn deeper and deeper into the darkness of the poor and the needy, deeper and deeper into the hearts of the lost, to reach out to them with arms so open that they couldn't get any wider. To open our hearts to a flood of compassion. I believe we are called to abandon restrictions on our outflow of love which will mean doing and attending to things we would not normally dream of doing. I believe we have to change our perceptions of what we see in the world and drastically turn our attitudes to others around. I believe we need to seriously consider our priorities in terms of mission. I believe we need to call a halt to the over complication of mission and tap into the main thrust of mission which is love, acceptance and compassion.
James 4: 8 is a simple biblical truth.
"Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you."
A divine exchange.
A missional exchange.
So when Lee says, "I feel I want to sleep near the church", I understand in the light of is scripture what this exchange really means.
So.
Imagine.
The outcome of this exchange?
An Army of God.
That as it marches in mission will draw bring the many to his presence.
And lives will be changed.
The world will be changed.
We will be changed.
For good.
