In the Beginning

Day 1

We should probably start this blog with some history of how we arrived at this point but we are going to skip to the most recent events surrounding the creation of this blog and the naming of our future church.

We serve the homeless.  Ministers and social workers agree the leading cause of homelessness in America is the erosion of support, suddenly or over time.  The erosion is aided by a multitude of variables or combinations of variables including: the loss of a loved one, unemployment, family or friend conflicts, mental health issues, substance abuse and aging out of foster-care.  It is has been our mission for the past several years to help those we serve reestablish support systems.

Sounds simple right?  It is so much more complicated than it appears.  Take a moment to imagine your life without the people who have defined you.  Every relationship you have ever had is a connecting point which informs you about you.  Erase them and your place in time and space begins to blur.  

Have you ever attempted to connect with a friend from your past and received a shock when the person you remember so vividly barely remembers you?  Jeff had that experience recently.  He contacted a friend from his high school pack.  The friend responded, "yes, I vaguely remember you, sorry, to be honest I have tried to forget my high school years, they were not my best years."

Are Jeff's memories flawed?  Did Jeff really live in Arlington Heights, Illinois in the 1980's?  If he did he must have been an idiot to not notice his friend in distress (we'll have to explore that later).  Fortunately, Jeff has other connections which help him define that time in his life, but not as many as he thought.

Relationships are important.  Without bonds of friendship, shared experiences, and common memories we are adrift without the anchors we need.   Mental health issues often manifest themselves in isolation. We have become too self sufficient.  We take less and less time seeking authentic relationships and encouraging each other.  Homelessness is a byproduct of our cultures inwardness.  

God offers the solution.  He has given us the blueprint to how to establish meaningful relationships with Him and those around us.  He loves each of us and has given us gifts and talents which work best in concert.  By God’s design the church is where those pieces come together.  What if the church seems dysfunctional because the necessary parts are missing?  What if the missing parts are the disconnected people we see on the street each day?  

We have been blessed with family and friends our entire lives.  However, Jeff woke a few nights ago feeling adrift.  He counted the number of deep relationships he has formed and he was amazed at how few there were.  He said to himself, "erase those relationships and who am I?"

Through Jeff's experience we were given a deeper understanding of the despair which plagues those who are experiencing homelessness.  Repairing old connections and creating new ones is difficult.  It will take an abundance of love, patience, and sacrifice. Fortunately, God embodies those attributes.  

Take a few minutes today and thank God for your relationships.  Then, offer words of encouragement to as many as you can.  Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, never failed to offer a word of encouragement even when speaking correction.  We are too selfish, we expect others to encourage us but too often fail to offer a kind word of our own.  Help stem the tide of self absorbtion by reclaiming your relationships.