Encountering Christ on the Streets

Back in July, I participated in something called the PIT count.  PIT stands for “Point-in-Time” and it is a count of both sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night.  HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) requires that this count be done every January, but Wisconsin also does it in July in order to get a more accurate count, as more people are likely to seek some sort of shelter indoors in January in WI due to the extreme cold.  I was assigned to the downtown Green Bay area with a group of three others and was not quite prepared for the number of people my group and I would encounter that night.  From the hours of 11:00 PM- 4:00 AM, we drove around and walked to different areas to find as many people as we could.  We collected some data, provided water/snacks and some other basic items, and just talked to each person, meeting them where they were at and in the places they likely regularly spent their nights.  And in the process, I encountered Christ.

In Brown County, the downtown Green Bay area is one of the areas where the highest number of people experiencing homelessness can be found.  The first area on our route we went to that night was by St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.  As we pulled up, there were probably about 20 people gathered on the front steps of the church, some sitting down, some laying down already trying to sleep, and others standing at the bottom of the steps.  As my group members and I split up so that we could talk with each person, more people made their way to this area in front of the church, getting ready to settle there for the night.  At that moment, I was struck by the reality of homelessness.  I was stretched out of my comfort zone. 

As we went throughout the night and talked to the people we found, I realized that every single person has a different story.  Whether those we encountered were by churches, in parks, in vehicles, under bridges, near businesses, or elsewhere, I was reminded that regardless of how they ended up on the streets, they each have dignity and worth given to them by God that cannot be taken away, no matter what the world may think and say about them.  Maybe they developed addictions to drugs or alcohol, racked up debt, committed crimes and had nowhere to go when released from jail, were fleeing domestic violence situations, have a mental illness, made poor life choices, and the list goes on.  The thing we need to remember is that those who are experiencing homelessness are not defined by their choices or situations.  They are defined by a Father who created them, loves them, and knows their hearts, and they often just want to be seen.  

Even if we fail to understand these situations or choices of those on the streets, it doesn’t change their value or the fact that they are created in the image and likeness of God.  I was reminded that it’s not our place to criticize or condemn those experiencing homelessness, but rather, to love them as Jesus does and to serve them in whatever ways possible.  It’s easy to look the other way and pretend the homeless don’t exist, as we live our comfortable lives with everything we need and much more.  But Jesus commands us to serve those in need, because when we serve them, we serve Him.  

That night in July, as I looked into the eyes of the people we encountered on the streets, I knew in those moments, I was looking into the eyes of Christ.  That night, Jesus broke open my heart just a little bit more, so that I could learn to love more and see those who are homeless with a heart of compassion rather than judgment.  This has been a work in progress for me, as there is always room to grow. 

That night during the PIT count, I encountered many more people on the streets than I thought we would.  The number was overwhelming.  And in those encounters, I encountered Christ Himself, asking me, “Can you see Me in them?  Will you love them as I do?”  May we all ask Jesus to expand our hearts for people experiencing homelessness and reflect on how we can love them and serve them better.
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Jesus, thank you for our lives that are often very comfortable and filled with much more than we need.  Help us to step away from that comfort at times to encounter “the least of our brothers and sisters.”  Remove our hardened hearts that are full of  judgments and criticisms.  Give us hearts filled with love and compassion for those who are homeless and give us eyes that see You in them.  May we never become blind to those in need.  Amen.
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