Conversation with a homeless man

Last week I felt prompted to stop and buy lunch for one of the homeless men that I see every week when I go to Norfolk. Not out of a self righteous duty, but rather out of a spiritual nudge that I had received. I scoured the streets looking for one man in particular. David was his name. It always seems that God sends me to people whom I have things in common with. Being that my name is Jonathan and in the Bible David and Jonathan were best friends. My brother and father's name is David. There are just a lot of David's that I know.

Anyway, So I approached David and asked him if I could buy him lunch. He quickly obliged my request. After I bought him his lunch for him, instead of high tailing it out of there after I had done my good deed I just sat there with him and began to talk. I asked him questions about his life. I found out that he was raised in Virgina. His father was military. He played sports, his favorite being football. He was a receiver but was told that he was too small to play. I asked him how he became homeless. He told me that he couldn't work anymore because of an injury. An injury that he never thought could happen to him. I just patiently sat there as he slowly picked at his food.

Then religion came into the discussion. After I revealed to him that I was a pastor, he emphatically stated how he was "down with the Lord", "most of the time". That last part stuck out to me. I asked him why he felt that way. He then proceeded to open up and tell me how he feels that the way humanity treats itself is a direct reflection of God. He began to almost yell as if speaking to someone else about why they couldn't spare more than a dollar to help. My heart began to hurt. How many times was I that person that walked by not willing to spare some change or even say hi? How if I being a Christ follower could I just simply be okay with not helping in anyway? Was my un-involvement a direct reflection of the loving and giving God I serve? I hope not.

Jesus talks about this and how we are to respond in the face of poverty in Matthew 25:35-40-

“When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, ³⁶and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me." ³⁷Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, "When did we give you something to eat or drink? ³⁸When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear ³⁹or visit you while you were sick or in jail?" ⁴⁰The king will answer, "Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”

I told David that I wanted to meet him every week and buy him lunch and try to bless him anyway that I can. Of course he said yes. Probably with skepticism, but I really want to be there to be the hands and feet of Jesus. Through this I might be able to bring back one of Jesus' lost sheep. This isn't a project, but rather it is a prompting that I must obey.

I will continue to update you on my conversations with a homeless man. May it open your heart as it will mine.