School Newspaper Article

Jesus Wrecked My Life

South Shore Train tickets: $18.00
Chicago Transit 7-Day pass: $20.00
Housing before and after: $10.00
Walking in someone else’s shoes: definitely a God-thing

Sometimes being a Christian just doesn’t make sense. It’s not logical. And we’re called to experience things that aren’t a trip down sunshine lane. For most students, spring break is a time of rest, relaxation, and warm weather. However, I was compelled to something different. For me, spring break was spent in Chicago…homeless. One may ask “Why on earth would you want to experience homelessness?”

That’s a good question. Last semester, Wheaton in Chicago (my study “aboard” program) students read From Brokenness to Communion. In his lecture, Jean Vanier defined communion as two-fold. The first half of his definition for communion is “to be with someone and to discover that we actually belong together” (16). The second half of communion is “to walk with them” (16).

Since returning to campus, these concepts continued to intrigue and pursue me. For me to only possess sympathy for another’s condition wasn’t good enough anymore; God had bigger plans. He challenged me to empathize with my fellowman, my brothers and sisters of the human race. He challenged me to desire to care on a much deeper level for the overlooked, the marginalized, the forgotten, and the outcasts.

He challenged my outlook of urban ministry from a one-way attitude of “help [us] bring Jesus to the people we are serving” to one of partnership. I was given the belief that ministry happens with people, not to them. It shouldn’t be a “minister to others” type of thing but a “ministry with others” type of thing.

So, why did I spend spring break experiencing homelessness? Because I believe communion happens when you are you and I am me, and we decide to walk alongside each other. God prompted me to walk alongside my homeless brothers and sisters. And I said “Yes.”

As I engaged in the homeless community by living in an overnight shelter, the layers of misconceptions and myths came falling down. One of the most obvious misconceptions is that homeless people look a certain way or have a certain appearance. They don’t; they dress just like you and me sometimes in name brand and sometimes not. Another misconception is that homeless people smell bad or are dirty. This misconception is true of those who drink or smoke heavily. However, the overnight shelter where I stayed required that the women shower at least every other day.

A third myth is that homeless people are lazy. Not true. One of the women at the shelter was my age and studying to get her GED. She aspires to be a hygienist. Another is turning her life around and starting new. Three of the women are currently employed and saving to be able to afford their own place. A number of the women have case managers and are learning the skills needed to get hired for a decent paying job.

The women I came to know over a week’s time have goals and aspirations not that different from you and me. The woman studying to complete her GED to become a hygienist has been alone since the age of 17. She had lived in Chicago before with her mother until her mother left her. She moved to Georgia to have a fresh start and things didn’t work out; so she is back in Chicago trying to get back on her feet.

The second woman I encountered came to know Christ as her savior and he is why she is making a new start. She was a drug addict, alcohol drinking, prostitute who bore six children. None of her children live with her; they’ve all been adopted and one day, she wants to reconnect with them. Her hope and faith in Christ is what gets her through each day and gives her hope for the future.

A third woman and her husband became homeless after he lost his job. Because they are an older couple, it was difficult for him to find another job. So, they moved from Kansas City to Chicago because it offers a better opportunity and assistance to help them back onto their feet. He is getting assistance finding a job while she is working to gain access to low-income housing.

These are the faces and people I found behind this issue we call homelessness. These are the stories and lives that touched my own for a week. These are the women who showed me how many luxuries I take for granted on a daily basis: a place to call my own, a comfy bed with oversized pillow, a refrigerator full of food, a warm shower that can last more than ten minutes long. I went to Chicago to experience someone else’s condition and in the end, I discovered my own.