Eric’s Story

“I’ve become so aware that we’re all made in the image of the same God, and born under the same curse. They’re not scary people, just other people.”

I was on the road with my friend, Ryan, who was collecting clothes for the homeless.  I asked him what organization he did this with, and he replied, “the organization where some friends and I go out and take stuff to the homeless…”  It wasn’t complicated, just a simple invitation, and I went.

After a while of going downtown and sharing with people there, we started to become aware of other needs we could fill.  When the Nashville flood (May 2010) wiped out Tent City, many of those folks were relocated to government subsidized housing nearby.  We realized there were needs, and started to bring meals and build relationships among the tenants.  

It’s really different than going downtown, where the homeless culture is much more transient and remarkably selective about their lifestyle choices.  At the apartments we found people who are working hard to bring about changes in their lives.  So on Monday nights, half a dozen of us show up with a tray of food, and folks come out with their own plate and utensils to join us.  It’s the same people most every week, and we sit and talk for quite a while.  Our next project is to build a picnic table to create a place for this community to hang out and let the walls of fear come down. 

I’ve become so aware that we’re all made in the image of the same God, and born under the same curse. They’re not scary people, just other people. They live in a diverse community and watch out for each other.  While there is an element of normalcy in their jobs and dwellings, there is also a sense among them that “this [poverty] isn’t how things should be”.  So I’m excited to come alongside and encourage them as they move forward.

In my own story, people have come alongside and called me out when I’ve been self-absorbed and short-sighted. So I know how much others need to hear the truth from someone who loves them.  Still, it’s much easier to nod and remain passive, than to reach out and say something about the destructive patterns you see in them. I feel convicted to be a man who will speak truth to my friends.  I’m not loving them well if I’m unable to speak the truth.