On my ¼ mile commute to Lake Avenue Church I walk over a
bridge which many homeless people call home.
Overpassing 10 lanes of traffic and 2 train lines, with elevator and
stair access to the metro station below, the bridge is a busy place with a lot
of opportunity for hand-outs as well as many corners to sleep in. I’ve become accustomed to my early morning
walks including the stench of urine coming from the elevator, passing by at
least 8 sleeping people on my side of the street (many more visible on the other
side), and sometimes dodging vomit and other nastiness on the sidewalk.
O come, Thou
Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine
advent here
Disperse the gloomy
clouds of night
And death's dark
shadows put to flight.
About 2
months ago I started seeing a woman on the corners of Corson and Lake on Sunday
mornings. The first few times I saw her
I was very confused by her. She held
artistic signs proclaiming “GOD LOVES EVERYONE!” and “EVEN A SMILE HELPS!” She was flamboyant in her mannerisms, smiling
and waving at every car passing by. At
first I was offended and thought maybe she wasn’t homeless, but someone who
chose this particular area to proselytize on Sunday mornings. She
was rather forward and I was uncomfortable walking by her.
Word of the Father,
now in flesh appearing…
After a
few weeks of seeing her on her corner regularly, I realized that she most
likely was homeless and this corner was her home. The first day I talked to her she was
crying. I asked her if she was ok and
she told me “This sweet little angel, this little girl, just gave me this bag
of candy and a note that says “God loves you” and it is just the nicest thing
anyone has done for me!”
He Comes to make his
blessings flow, far as the curse is found...
I
stayed and talked with her for a few minutes and she shared bits of her story
with me. The first thing she shared with
me, proudly, was that she had been sober for a few months and doing very well.
She was (and since has always been) clearly sober, and not inebriated in any
way. She shared snippets of horror from
her past: A boyfriend who pimped her out for money, gang violence which led to
clearly broken and poorly healed fingers, temporary blindness due to an
eye-drop bottle which was given to her actually being full of acid… yet all of
this was shared not for pity, just to tell it like it is. Her experience had clearly toughened her, and
she proudly proclaimed “I don’t bruise!” I asked her name, and she answered “Holly” and
pulled up her sleeve to reveal a tattoo chain of holly leaf and berry around
her bicep.
Veiled in flesh the
Godhead see…
“Holly,
what do you need?” “I need to get
inside. I have money, I can afford some
rent, but I need sober living so I can keep on track.” I promised her I would look up sober living
in the area and get back to her. The
next day I brought by a cup full of hot chili (to which she asked if it was
gluten free J )
and a list of phone numbers for sober living in the county. She was so grateful, and impressed that I
came right back the next day. “I hope
this will help you be able to get off the streets, you need better than this.” “Well, I do want to be inside… but this is
where I’m supposed to be right now. God
wants me here. I’m working for him here. All of these people need me. Every day He
shows me another person who needs a smile, or someone to encourage and each day
I see Him doing good work by me being out here.”
Mild He lays His glory
by
Born that we no more
may die
Born to raise us from
the earth
Born to give us second
birth
I see
Holly regularly now, and each time I’m greeted with at least 2 hugs. I’ve learned to try to give myself an extra
10 minutes to get to church so I can be sure to visit with her for a bit. The more I get to know Holly, the more
humbled I am by her story and faith.
Holly talks theology with me, often referencing C.S. Lewis, quoting
scripture and one day she had Madeleine L’engles A Wrinkle In Time folded open on her stool. She tells me about her day, which includes
sweeping her corner, helping stop traffic when emergency vehicles need to get
by, feeding stray cats, and waving at all of the vehicles. She tells me who has been up to trouble
lately, pointing out the man on the next corner as someone who isn’t homeless
yet stands there “lying to all the cars that he needs money.” She knows everything that’s going on, and
acts a bit like the military mom of the streets, keeping people in line and
calling the police when necessary. She
makes lots of friends, like me, who pass her on their commute. (One day, there
were three of us visiting with Holly!) People bring her food to eat, which she
distributes to her neighbors who are more hungry than she is. She makes me laugh with jokes about how the
new Volkswagens are made with windows that “don’t roll down” (to give out
money) and encourages me with my new job in Children’s ministry saying “With
someone like you, I see hope for the Church!”
Born thy people to
deliver,
born a child and yet a
King,
born to reign in us
forever,
now thy gracious
kingdom bring.
After
my first few times of visiting Holly I started to realize that she is one of
the best examples of Jesus I have met in a long time. Incarnation: Christ’s sacrifice of giving up
the glory of heaven to enter into the pain of humanity, as one of us, in order
to bring redemption and salvation to our brokenness. Choosing a manger in a stable and a cross on
a hill instead of his throne in heaven. Humble
obedience knew that true JOY would come from serving His father and his people
instead of serving himself. As Holly’s
prospects for moving “inside” progress, she tells me firmly that “even if I get
inside, I will still be here every day.
This is where God wants me. This
is where I need to be.”
Who, being in very
nature God,
did not consider equality with God
something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
We’re
all called to do the same. Through the Joy
we find in Christ we are told to set aside our own needs for the needs of
others. Holly’s humble and steadfast obedience to “do Gods work” on the corner
of Corson and Lake has exemplified compassion, love, grace, and JOY to so many
who encounter her each day. By choosing
to give up the opportunity for a better life, one which doesn’t involve
sleeping in a tent or being harassed and looked down upon regularly, Holly is
embodying the love of Christ in the best ways she knows how. She’s
not perfect, she'll be the first one to tell you that, but she’s living out her
convictions with sincere integrity.
…Good news of great
joy that will be for all the people…
Christmas
is about Joy. It’s about love. It’s about a lot of feel-good things. But along with these cheery things, it is
about a King who chose to enter into the pain of those who were most unworthy
of his grace. Incarnation, or a ministry
of presence, is about lingering with people in their pain. I’ve been inspired by Holly to linger. All of the theology classes in the world couldn’t
teach me what she knows about grace. This Christmas, as I’m surrounded by decorations of holly leaves, I’m reminded of a
friend who lives outside whose life points to Someone who once lived outside …
and I’m humbled, and drawn to deeper worship, deeper compassion, and deeper
JOY.
O Come let us adore Him!
