Baby, it's cold outside

I'm getting used to being disappointed.  I know everyone's wrapping up their semesters; I know it's cold outside; but some blind glimmer of hope in me still thought people would come out to wander the streets of Center City.

Eh.

At least Rena and I had a good time.

We left Lakeside (my apartment) and went "where the Spirit led."  Honestly, for the first few blocks, I just walked where there was a green light.  I figured that the Spirit wouldn't want us to get run over by cars.

As we got to Spruce and, I think, 15th, I started feeling a weird nudge.  So we made a turn onto 15th.  After a couple blocks, we encountered a Dido Riviere (spelling?).  He was wishing everyone who walked by, all suited and bundled up scurrying to their hotel-looking apartments, a happy holiday.  We asked him if he wanted a blanket.  "God is good!" he responded.

That was the only blanket we handed out.

We continued down 15th street.  Another strange impulse caught me: the lighted trees in front of the Comcast building.  "I want to walk through them," I said to Rena.  So we turned down JFK.  Lo and behold, Andre and Joe.  We exchanged hugs, holiday greetings, and urgings to get somewhere warm.  (It was cold!)

As we passed through the silver blue trees, we observed those inside the Comcast building.  There was some ridiculous visual display (y'all who've been by there know what I mean).  Everyone was just gawking.  (I gawked a bit myself.)

Rena said to me later, "It bothers me... that they're also so consumed by money, basically, that they don't know what's going on behind them."

Behind them were Andre and Joe.  And beneath them were our brothers, who don't have the privilege to ignore anything.

To close off, we walked to City Hall, where Penn's prayer for Philadelphia remains as forgotten as our friends:

William Penn's Prayer for Philadelphia, 1684

"And Thou Philadelphia the virgin settlement of this province named before thou wert born, what care, what service, what travail have there been to bring thee forth and preserve thee from such as would abuse and defile thee. O that thou mayest be kept from the evil that would overwhelm thee, that faithful to the God of thy mercies in the life of righteousness, thou mayest be preserved to the end. My soul prays to God for thee that thou mayest stand in the day of trial, that thye children may be blest of the Lord and thy people saved by His power." 

The nature of receiving through giving

Just to add on to what Elliott said, I was very encouraged to see a larger turnout of college folks and young adults than expected on Saturday, Dec. 11. At first, it was a bit awkward because there were too many people to help with handing out food and utensils and for about 5 min, they were idling. But then they started to move into the crowd and strike up conversations with the people who had received their food. I think there is great potential for God to bless these individuals if we continually give our time. As Elliott said, it really is God who is in control. I hope more GCC people continue to come out to experience God in action. I don't want to say we were there to help, because it feeds into my ego that I am performing a function whether it is handing out napkins or talking to the people from a higher platform. God doesn't need our increased participation to bless the homeless, and in the past 2 weeks that I've been coming out with Diakonos, it's the homeless who've been blessing me more than vice versa. That's actually quite liberating. Anyways, thanks for the inspiring reflection.

In Him,
Mike

inspiring story.

http://www.wimp.com/wecould/

A Letter to Diakonos about God's Provision

Hey all,

I just wanted to share how God provided today. I knew the original crew from the other church would be down 5 men. So you can imagine I was kind of let down and sad that no one showed up at 9:40a as scheduled for Sat morning's ministry. But God provided. A few guys walking back from Overflow ran into me and I asked them to join. Two of the three accepted my invitation. Afterward, two of the usual members joined. Although they came a little later, I was glad they came. Also, when I got there, I saw a few young adults that I would have never expected to show up. I realized then and there that when we seek to follow God's will, He provides.

Love,

Elliot

Hey Diakonos,
Wanted to share some ways I have been blessed and have experienced more of God recently through Diakonos and family group:

• Alvin: Alvin is the "picture guy" who has taken pictures for many couples / families / everybody in front of the Love sign. Recently, he's gotten into trucking school and is almost licensed to drive a truck for work. God has seen him and taken care of him through many trying times. I see God's constant strength and joy in Alvin.
  
• Ed: Ed is a mural painter. He's been in Philly for four months after being in DC for a while. God has gifted him w/ an ability to paint, which is his way of spreading the Gospel; his murals have images of Jesus, images of the cross, and themes like encouragement and hope. Part of him wants to just leave to another place when things get tough, but he wants to be faithful here. Please pray for him that he remains faithful and opportunities open up for him to paint. It's encouraging for me to keep going on what we know about God, expecting to see more clearly what He has for us. I see faith in Ed's life.
  
• Jimmy: This past Monday, Jimmy was sitting upstairs by the escalator. He said he was an Army Ranger once. He said he believes in God and was raised going to church but he isn't sure about Jesus now. I'm praying for him to come to the truth and live in the truth now. God loves him so much and will accept him back if only he lets God in. I see God's grace in Jimmy's situation, that God loves him so much.
  
• Family group: Yesterday, my family group read the passage of the circumstances of Jesus' birth. It really struck me how crazy that just as intentional as all parts of Jesus' life on earth where He fulfilled all the prophecies, God's will was for Jesus to be born to an ordinary person in Mary and to be placed in a manger. God chose that to show Jesus came to serve in humility. He's all our hope =)

homeless, but never hopeless

26 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.

30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. 31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss.

32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left.

38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Today, right before we went into prayer, we witnessed a drunk man stumbling away from the police. He was muttering indiscernible words and having trouble staying on two feet. To be honest, when I saw this gentleman, one word came into my head: hopeless. This was my prideful heart speaking. Unconsciously analyzing the situation in my head, I could see of no way how "such a man as this" could possibly restore his life.

However, it was at this point when God humbled me, like crazy. I thought back to the story of the demon-possessed man whom Jesus heals. In Jesus' eyes, this man, who had been rejected by society, who terrorized villagers in unleashed fury, was not "hopeless." Not in the very least. Jesus saw the problem through spiritual eyes. He didn't see what everyone else saw; He acknowledged the demon and cast it out of the man.

I'm not saying that the application of this story is to find every man like the one we saw by the SEPTA station and begin exorcising. But, I want Jesus to open my eyes to the real battles that are going on. I'm tired of seeing things through the lens of the world, the same lens that just relegates the homeless into the "hopeless" category. I'm tired of allowing my own reasoning lead to me conclusions that are not glorifying to God. I want to see in these people the same sin that poisons my own life and take comfort in the grace of God.