Jeremy L. Berg

What thoughts or feelings do you have when you pass a person on a street corner holding a cardboard sign, asking for help? Do you give them some cash and a smile as you roll by? Do you think, “Why don’t you just get a job?” Do you look the other way, avoid eye contact, and drive away feeling uneasy and conflicted? All of these are true for me at times.

But my primary thought for many years has been, “If only this person had a church family and support network they could rely on to help them.” I often want to direct them to the nearest church, and assure them that they will find help there. But I know better. 

I know they may find many church doors locked. At others they may find a friendly but busy church office administrator who simply points them to the local social services. They will ask to see a pastor, but the pastor will be too busy in meetings all day. I know churches get lots of walk-in requests for help, and many are prepared with gas cards and such. I also know many folks try to take advantage of “the system” and go from church to church, trying to get a quick handout rather than work with social services to deal with the heart of their problems. It’s complicated.

But at the end of the day, I am only responsible for how our church, MainStreet Covenant, will respond when such folks coming calling or knocking. I got that call this past weekend. A dad and mom and three young children called the church, asking for help. Apparently, their (rental?) house flooded earlier this summer when a child left the faucet running all night. They’ve been moving about, living in motels for weeks, and finally ran out of money near us where they were staying in a run-down motel. They had plans to check into a shelter in Minneapolis the following day. They had a vehicle to get there, but no place to sleep that night. 

It was the weekend, I was busy disc golfing with my son, and didn’t feel like spending my afternoon helping them. But then I wondered how many churches they had called that day before I answered (it was a Sunday). I remembered all those times I thought that if a homeless person showed up at MainStreet, we would be different. We would try to “see” them and listen to their story. We would try to offer some tangible help. 

Mother Theresa saw in every needy person the very face of Jesus, and that’s what drove her ceaseless compassion to the “untouchables.” The Bible warns us to show hospitality to needy strangers, because we could be entertaining angels in disguise (Hebrews 13:2).

I won’t drag this story out, and I am not trying to toot my horn for being generous. I just wanted to share that we as a church have a benevolence fund that is available for these moments, and I am glad to say Isaak and I met this family at a local restaurant, bought them a good lunch, filled up their gas tank, and checked them into a hotel for the night. (Keri gave me permission to invite them to our house for the night, but I figured I would bless them with a clean and quiet night in a hotel, rather than afflict them with a night in our wild and raucous abode!)

It wasn’t much, but I want us to be a church that answers the phone, looks people in need in the eye, sees their humanity, listens to their story, withholds judgment, and does what we can in the name of Jesus. So, would you please say a prayer for Dave and Lana and their three precious children. Lana is a military vet, Dave power washes houses, and they are trying to put the pieces back together. I was able to put a firm hand on Dave’s shoulder, look him in the eye, and tell him, “You have a beautiful family, and lot to get up each morning to fight and work hard for. They need you so please don’t give up!” 

One additional note: When they first called my phone, I answered and found silence on the other end. So I hung up. A few minutes later it rang again. I answered, and talked to Dave. As we were having lunch together later, Lana told me she was on the line the first time, and found herself unable to speak because she was in tears and afraid when I answered. 

It’s scary to ask for help. It’s scary to risk rejection. It’s painful mustering up the courage to call a church you know nothing about only to receive a lecture on personal responsibility, some unbiblical jargon like, “God helps those who help themselves,” or a cold judgmental gaze of self-righteousness. This fear or experience of rejection from people often translates into a fear of rejection from God. I hope by answering the call and being a somewhat friendly voice on the other end, will give them hope that when they call out to God for help, they will also find a loving and gracious response from Heaven. Not shame and rejection. 

We are Christ’s ambassadors, so may we represent God well in our interactions with those in need — especially with those who may not “deserve” a free handout. None of do. Yet “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!…No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us” (1 John 3:1; 4:12).

May it be so!