Sacrilege Safari

"Sacrilege safari
Into jungles of tradition.
Will we make it back to life
Or die of malnutrition?
Sceptics sneer with icy eyes
In the bushes they lay hidden
We want to reach the heathen tribes
But our methods are forbidden."
-"Jungle Music" by Servant (classic song, check it out on iTunes)

This is how we at Anawim sometimes feel when a church kicks us out because of the people we work with. Some churches assume that all their problems stem from allowing the homeless in one day a week. Some churches think that we are being "taken advantage of" and that the homeless are lazy or worse and so unworthy to be in their church. Some think that the homeless are just interested in food or showers and aren't interested in worship.

None of this is true.

If anyone provides an opportunity for the homeless to worship God, they will see that many of the homeless are sincere believers. While most of these are weak believers, they are no less of a percentage of weak believers among the middle class.

I firmly believe, however, that if we challenge the homeless to be strong believers, that they will rise up to that challenge. Yes, it will take time, faithfulness and patience, but God will do the work in their hearts, if we would but provide the opportunity.

God is not weak-- neither in his compassion, nor in his Spirit. If he can do a work amongst the wealthy, then He will even more so do the work among the poor, whom He says are His people.

Never fail to pray for the homeless. Never fail those who seek to serve them.