Under the Overpass: Ch. 2 - "I thought Jesus talked about love!"

Overnight, the life Mike had known ceased to exist. As he walked away from his dad's car and into the Denver Rescue Mission, he entered a world saturated with pain, suffering, disease, hopelessness, addiction, and smells he'd never smelled before. His goal in starting within a rehab center was to get acclamated to the language, demeanors and lifestyles of a culture with which he'd had little connection...plus, it put the minds of his family and friends at ease to know he'd start off somewhere a little safer than the open streets!

What he learned, slowly, was to lean on Christ more than ever...and to speak thoughtfully about Him. He learned to go beyond religious platitudes and to minister to the part of the person that was really in pain. As he began to form friendships with the men at the shelter, Mike realized the importance and freedom of honesty - brutal, vulnerable honesty. After a particularly moving conversation with James one night, Mike reflected on the ease with which many of these men shared their pain, partly because hiding it took too much effort. He compared it with the discomfort many of us have in admitting our weakness or brokenness. Reflecting on Psalm 34:18 (The Lord is close to the brokenhearted), Mike writes, "I wondered if pretending you're not broken keeps God at a distance."

In listening to the mandatory sermons that the guests of the rehab program attended, Mike's other honest thought was this: "Do speakers assume that to be homeless or addicted you are on the road to hell?" In a moving reflection on that question, Mike reminds us that Jesus came not to minister the well, but to heal the sick - that his message to those who were burdened was "come to me and I will give you rest." This didn't mean that you didn't preach repentance, but rather, you preached it by sharing Christ's infinte love for those who were weary, burdened, sick and lost. By preaching hell, fire and damnation, Mike says, "...these speakers [were] condemning the broken for being broken."

Over his month in Denver, Mike transformed his life and his heart more than many of us have ever tried in our lifetimes. He had seen men's lives changed by the saving power of Christ and in turn, his own faith strengthened by witnessing how scripture comes alive in the presence of the suffering.

Discussion Questions:

• How do we view the lost and the broken?
• Are we honest about our weaknesses and brokeness...With ourselves? With each other? With God?
• Do we turn to the Word of God in our lives? Has the Word of God ever come alive for us when we are in need? When others are in need?
• What can we do to help Christ's invitation to the weak materialize today: "Come to me you who are weary..."?