Dear Family and Friends,

Writing this blog makes me feel uneasy.  This is out of my comfort zone to blog my personal thoughts and emotions.  In addition, blogging can easily become a prideful, indoctrinating, finger-pointing electric pen.  With that said, my intent for this blog is to ignite some good dialog on better ways to empower people to end homelessness for themselves.  My goal is not to sign readers up for the Michael Hatcher School of Homeless Theology.  My goal is to offer life changing challenges. Remember, this blog is an expression of my own thoughts, emotions and suggestions.  So God bless you if you agree; God bless you if you disagree.  Your comments are welcomed.

As my friends on the street would say, “Let’s keep it real.”  The problem facing the homeless is not homelessness.  The problem is a caring issue.  Very few of us, including the Christians handing out the Jesus-loves-you-sandwiches, care enough to make a difference.  Ask yourself this question:  Do I care enough about the homeless plight, do I care enough about the homeless people, do I care enough about my brothers and sisters in Christ on the street, to make a difference in just one life? Do I truly love as Jesus commanded? This question gets all up in your grill, doesn’t it? I know what’s holding some of us back: the flesh convinces us that this is not our calling – my job is my calling, my family is my calling, and homelessness is just a messy problem too big for one person to clean up…why bother.  Right?  Just keeping it real.   The thought of investing my time and my life into a homeless person invades my clean little selfish world and it makes me very uncomfortable. Heaven forbid our comfort is sacrificed!

Do you care enough about the homeless plight to make a difference in just one life? If the answer is yes, I challenge you to go find a homeless man or woman and love them, help them, walk with them until they are empowered to end homelessness for themselves. 

No! I don’t have the details of what that process would look like; each case is different. Let us be reminded homelessness is not against the law nor is it a sin, and neither is building a relationship with a fellow human being. 

Another question comes to my mind: how uncomfortable was Jesus when he walked with twelve cursing fisherman, sinners and tax collectors?  Is homelessness really the problem?  What do you think? Please send me your thoughts. Let me know if you are willing to accept this challenge.  Keep it real!