Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Risking the Truth, Sleeping in Indianapolis

I visited my friend Mari yesterday. She had recently had to give away her car -- a 1960's vintage Chevy. She ran it until it didn't run anymore. I have ridden with her in it a few times. Bench seat, front and back. AM radio. Stick shift that takes a little muscle to move. It's got it all. But now it's dead. She had a hard time letting it go. But no one could get it running safely for her. She found an old 1970's Monte Carlo (though she's frustrated that it looks "mass produced") that she is driving now.

She gave her old car to the "kid" next door. He's in his early 20's. He often has other young men over to visit with him. She keeps an eye on her neighbors. She is always willing to be helpful -- within her limits. This was something she could do.

Sunday morning, just a short time after she had given the car away, she remembered that she had left some pliers under the driver's seat. She went to get them out and as she opened the door, she noticed something shift in the back seat. One of the young men, looked groggily up from the back seat. He had spent the night in the back of her former car. She told him it was alright -- to go back to sleep and that she was headed to church (she said she mentioned that last thing so that he might be comforted by her appearance).

She told me that she was sure that several of the young men are homeless. When she told her neighbor who she had given her car that she had found this young man in the car, he said "Oh, I told him that I could give him a ride home." She stared back at him and said, "I know he has no home."

She talked with me about the invisible homeless who are not at the shelters downtown but instead at places like this. We talked about young people. We talked about young people who grow up into young women and men without a home. We talked about the invisibility of so many people.

And I continued to think about how it is that God calls us to see and know the invisible. I don't know one thing -- ONE THING -- that I can do about this. But I'm glad I know about it. Because by knowing the truth, I might be able to see the gift that is there. If I don't see what is real and true, I won't be able to know anything else. I won't be able to learn what there is to learn, here.

I talked today with a friend who is struggling with a deep dark secret. And he thinks he is alone. He isn't. But he feels like he is. Because he doesn't want anyone to know the problem he is struggling with -- and it just makes him feel more alone. Talk about a Catch-22!

I wish my friend knew that there are others struggling with similar issues. Others in his church. Others in his community. I think that is one of the blessings that there is in the urban church. We know that we nobody is perfect. We can admit our brokeness and our need for healing. And we are a safe place for that. But my friend doesn't know that yet. He doesn't feel safe enough yet. At some point I hope he will risk the truth. I hope he will. Because his struggle is our gift -- it is a blessing that we can receive from in overflowing measure. But not if it remains invisible. I pray he will risk the truth. I pray for young men sleeping in cars. And I pray for the eyes to see.

1 Comments:

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