Under the Overpass

Wow! Talk about a book that one gets lost in.... I read this book in just a few days, which is a MAJOR feat for me, having a 9 month old around the house who loves lots of attention. This was a pretty popular book a few years ago, but I didn't really want to read it, i think due to its high popularity. But, when i came across it at a library sale for a dollar a few weeks back, i figured i couldn't go wrong. And boy am I glad that I did!

For those of you who haven't heard of this book, it's about an upper-middle class college guy who decides that he's too comfortable in his lifestyle and needs to actually DO something that is going to help him to live out the kingdom in an active way, instead of just learning and talking and giving money. He wanted to learn what it was like to be uncomfortable, to sacrifice his wants and needs for someone elses, and to make an actual sacrifice....giving not only out of his abundance, but to where he actually feels it and must change his lifestyle.

Initially, I was very critical of him. Reeeallly? i thought-- you think that by living on the streets like you're homeless for 6 months is going to change you? you dont know what it feels like to not have the hope that you're ever going to get out of it. you have this continual thing to look forward to... knowing that you're going to get all cleaned up, sleep in a soft bed, and eat everything you want in just a half year. BUT, he anticipated this from his readers, and explained himself early on... saying that he's aware of these things, but that he still wanted to go for it, not letting himself be discouraged by it.

And really, throughout this book you can tell that he really got into it. He suffered. He went without food. He panhandled. He cried. He was lonely. He was cold (or hot). He was jeered at. He felt it, if even for a short time. And as you can see at the end of the book, he changed because of the experience (which is exciting, because not everyone always changes after a big experience like that). He wanted God to teach him and he was teachable.

Anyway, one of the big themes of the book was the way that christians interacted with him throughout his months on the street. Sure, a few were nice and gave him some change and one group actually invited him to hang with them (shower and eat and sleep in a bed), but for the most part, he was IGNORED. And that was so sad to me. Again and again. Some of the stories make you so mad! But then again, do I ever walk by a homeless person? of course. Do I ever invite them to eat with me? ha, never. offer a bed? no way. smile? mostly not.

This book was eye-opening to the church's reaction to the least of these-- to those who are outcast of society, who often do have addictions and are smelly and are not pleasant to look at. But that's all the more reason for us to love them- unconditionally- and to serve them as if there were Jesus.