Category Archives: Homelessness

On the Cost of War: A Demonstration of Extreme Love and Loyalty at Great Cost

A recent trilogy of Rough Translation podcasts tells an amazing story of two people who make great sacrifices. I was struck by the display of the often unseen cost of war and violence and by the great display of love … Continue reading

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God is at work in Long Beach (written for Kingdom Causes December 2011 Blog Post)

God is at work in Long Beach. That’s my theory. It’s more than an intellectual thing, actually – it’s a belief. Tied in with my belief in God and trust in Jesus to be one of his children is the … Continue reading

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Do you guys have a written policy for your mercy ministry? Do you have anything that explains your process or exceptions concerning helping people in need?

Someone recently (late 2011) wrote me and asked this question. This is a slightly edited version of what I said. Think of it as a description rather than a prescription. Actually, we do not have any official written policy. We … Continue reading

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Independence and Community

Recent experience has reminded me again of a difficult issue. The issue is independence. And how independence intersects with community. Americans, and perhaps westerners in general, value independence. We expect people to “pull their own weight” – to “contribute to … Continue reading

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The Christian life is not a quiet escape…

As quoted by James Calvin Schaap in The Professor’s Death Song,” Books & Culture, Eugene Peterson wrote the following comment on the Christian life while considering Psalm 121: The Christian life is not a quiet escape to a garden where … Continue reading

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Ever been asked for spare change?

A friend of mine was recently in Houston. His report: A street person asked me for change. I asked him if he could direct me to the best nearby restaurants. He knew every one, but confided that the cafeteria in … Continue reading

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Gerald May on Addiction, God, and Human Freedom

Addiction cannot be defeated by the human will acting on its own, nor by the human will opting out and turning everything over to divine will. Instead, the power of grace flows most fully when human will chooses to act … Continue reading

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Dignity and God’s Glory

It seems nearly impossible for people from conventional backgrounds, particularly Christians, in my experience, to approach those who are homeless or otherwise in unconventional circumstances without trying to “fix them”. It seems that we are afflicted with a desire to … Continue reading

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Four Reviews at Barclay Press

I reviewed four books a few years back. The reviews were done for Barclay Press, but are no longer available on the Barclay Press website (as of August, 2015). Having had some requests to be able to read them, I … Continue reading

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