As promised, here is one of the double posts!

This story also comes from Friday night evangelism in Wrigleyville (this post assumes you have read the previous post).

About half-way through the conversation my partner and I were having with the homeless men, they asked for money.  Now, I don’t really think about the “They’ll Get Drunk With It” policy.  I just personally don’t carry around cash – I don’t need to!  Thus on Friday nights I usually have zero dollars in my pocket.

Well, my partner told them that he didn’t have any cash, and the money he did have was going towards a train ticket so that he could feed the homeless the very next day.  They were asking for $10 each.

During my partner’s absence (again read the previous post) I wanted to talk about Jesus and about their relationship to him and the Church.  But something inside me was persistently saying, “Don’t say the name Jesus.”  but it was weird it felt like the conviction I usually get when it’s the Holy Spirit. 

And then the saying in my mind was refined to something like, “Don’t say my name without providing for their needs.”  What good is it, if people come to our door longing to be fed with food and warmed with clothes, we send them away saying, “Jesus loves you”?

Is not the gospel about JESUS meeting WHOLE PEOPLE and not just paying attention to their souls alone.  Souls have a body and together they create the one person!

So I found a cash machine and gave them the money.  Wow, the look on their faces!

I believe they will really try to see me next week.  And while part of it makes me suspicious (are they just coming back for the money?) another part of me says, “I obeyed.” 

The name of Jesus doesn’t have to be spoiled by our hypocrisy of ignoring people’s needs.