A Homeless Christmas

Last night I had the opportunity to go with my church to hand out backpacks to the homeless in LA. I didn't really know much about it, but since I am on vacation and don't have to be up early Monday morning, I thought it might be fun. My partner in crime, Katrina, came along.

(A little back story - Katrina and I had made a trip up to LA about a year and a half ago to do some shopping and explore a little using public transportation. We asked for directions from a rather dour metro ticket lady at Union Station, who sent the two of us off into downtown LA. We departed from the subway station down Fifth toward our destination - the fashion district. I had on a tank top and skirt, with my big purse at my side - dressed for a day of fun in a hip city. We kept walking and I noticed things were getting a little shadier...people were starting to look a little tougher...buildings had more security. But because they had security, I felt okay - we could duck into one of those if we needed to.

Well...eventually, the building began to look scarier - bars everywhere, shaded windows. and no more security guards. I didn't know which was scarier - the street or the shops. It was primarily men on the streets, a few prostitutes, homeless lining the way. I realize this was not a good situation and we were about half way to our destination. As much as I wanted to turn around, I thought it would not look good to turn and act like we were scared or didn't know what we were doing. So, I held my head up and looked straight forward, kept my purse tucked in closely, and walked purposefully and fast. Katrina did the same.

I finally said to her, "do you think this is a good idea?" and her answer was a resounding no, but she felt the same as I about what to do and she hadn't said anything earlier because I guess I had fooled her into thinking I knew exactly what I was doing! A man urinated next to us on the wall...we kept going. She asked me if I had my pepper spray, to which I answered, "yes, but I can only use it on one person at a time" pretty much letting her know I didn't think it was going to do us any good in this situation.

In all my travels, I had never found myself in a situation as vulnerable as this. As scary as it was, the amazing thing is that no one even acknowledged our presence...it was like they didn't see us. We were as obvious as a bright red mark on a crisp white cloth walking down that street, and yet nothing....I did envision two big burly men walking on either side of us as our guardian angels. We finally reached the corner to turn and there was a line of tents, shopping carts, cardboard houses, etc. Then, we passed a nice looking storefront that said, "Skid Row Housing Authority". A light went on - that explained it. We were on Skid Row. I had never been there before, and had no idea where it was, but NEVER thought that a metro ticket lady would send us straight down Skid Row.

Well, we continued quickly past the warehouses (hopefully no one would pull us in and kill us), and eventually got through the flower district and into the fashion district. We did our shopping and decided to try another way home and ended up walking through a very safe and secure jewelry district...now why hadn't the metro lady sent us that way...was she trying to get us mugged?

Anyway, Katrina and I made it through safe and sound without losing anything and I decided I did want to come back to Skid Row. You see the lives of these people, you see their faces and you just wonder what their life is like. How did they get there? What is their story? Why do they live like this? Is it their choice to be on the streets? At what point did something go so wrong that they would rather have this life? Or what went so wrong they were forced into this life? What choices led them there? I appreciated a comment Oprah made once that we are all a few paychecks away from the street ourselves. I have been spared in my life from any physical, mental or psychological disabilities. I have been spared from severe trauma that could cause my mind to break. I have been spared from hunger and lack of shelter because of family that cares and is supportive. Had I been born into a different family or a different life, that could be me out there on those streets. Had I made a few different decisions in my life...that could be me. Are any of us really that far above that possibility?)

So, back to last night....Katrina came too - I have to stop and give her props - she is a great sport and a great friend who just goes along with whatever odd adventure I get us into. We weren't really sure what was going on and we just decided to show up at church and help how we could to pack backpacks. I met the pastor leading the trip who didn't have a lot of information since this was his first time doing it. Well, after getting all the supplies into the cars and loading up (mostly women - 2 men and 7 women...sorry guys...but where were you?) we headed to a McDonald's where we met probably a couple hundred more people from different organizations and churches. We loaded our packs and boxes into a big Ryder truck and then caravanned over to Main and 3rd where a long line of homeless stretched in anticipation. We eventually found parking and walked up to a very organized outreach. Our job was to merely form a chain of people to help guide the line of homeless up to the truck. They walked by and we wished them Merry Christmas and shook hands.

Again, it made me want to know their story - the man who has no teeth left to the beautiful woman with delicate features and bright eyes, the children walking through that are obviously a little scared and confused to the jovial ones that eat up all the attention and you know network and have more street smarts than you ever could. You see ones that carry their cell phones and digital cameras, the ones that have their carts packed high with who knows what, the ones whose weathered faces betray the tough lives and hardships they have been through, those that have done the best they could to maintain their human dignity and show the humility of people who never thought they would be there. There were mothers doing the best they know for their children and those that fiercely protected and helped their crippled homeless friends who were probably the only family they have.

I admire the people who give their time regularly to work with these people. It is tough work that does not always show a lot of fruit from the efforts. There are the triumphs of getting people into shelters and providing training, and placing them in jobs. There are also the frustrations of working with people whose addictions are stronger than their drive to clean up, people whose minds are confused with some kind of mental illness, or people who have never been modeled a healthy lifestyle. If we can help to encourage or make the jobs a little easier for those daily in the trenches, I think God will bless those efforts. If we can bring a little joy, show a little kindness or provide a little relief to those on the streets, we bless the name of Jesus. After all, it is only by the grace of God that we are not in the same place as those homeless people.

Matthew 25:31-45

31 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36 I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

A link to the organization with whom we worked last night: http://www.efuse.com/clinic/CCC/html/jackets_4_jesus.html