Thursday, August 06, 2009

Deer In Headlights

I've only been a pastor for eight years, but there are very few things that surprise me anymore. Last night was the first time in awhile, and what happened really blew my doors off. Here's what happened:

I was visiting the homeless with 7 Bridges to Recovery ministry, sharing meals and prayer and love with the "last, least and lost." A woman came over and asked for a pastor. I went over and she said "See that man over there? In the hat?" She pointed at a guy sitting with some others on milk crates. "He took a hot bottle and put it on my leg and burned me, and he did it on purpose. So you know what I told him? I told that tonight, when he sleeps right over there.." -she pointed to an abandoned old parking lot- "...I'm gonna pour gasoline on him and set him on fire. What do you think of that?"

That's not a question I get asked a lot in Alpharetta, and I just looked at her trying to figure out if I'd really just heard what I thought I'd just heard. I was speechless (if you know me, you know how rare that is). All of a sudden, one of the men from 7 Bridges to Recovery is there and he said "Exodus 14:14, sister. The Lord will fight for you, you just be still. You have to let it go. Forgive him, find a way to love him, you gotta let it go. Exodus 14:14. The Lord will fight for you, you just be still." She broke down crying, there were hugs all around, prayer, and I could see the anger and hurt fade from her as we shared the love of God with her. She came broken and angry, and she left feeling hope and love. It was amazing.

I'm not going to forget Exodus 14:14 for awhile, I'll tell you that. I'm not going to forget that woman or that conversation either. When Jesus walked the earth during his ministry in Israel, he spent time in places like that, with people like her. It's been awhile since I felt as close to God as I did when we were talking to her. If you're looking for God, you might want to look there too- in the face of the poor, the homeless, the addicted and lost. I found Jesus last night in a hurting, broken woman, and it was amazing. I bet you can find him there too.

Monday, August 03, 2009

Star Wars explained