Over the holidays, John and I had an opportunity to go to New York City for a three day weekend.
You might ask which show we took in, or if we did any shopping at Times Square. Well, it was none of that actually.
Along with a group of 15 others, we piled into a couple of vans and headed to NYC. Our goal was to reach out to those on the fringes of society and share with them a hug, a prayer, a sandwich or hot soup, some needed supplies like a warm blanket, coat, or personal necessities.
As you might guess, there are a lot of people in need in NYC. The economy has taken its toll and has left many folks in some pretty dire situations. On Saturday, during our visit to a ministry called "The Father's Heart", we, along with dozens of volunteers, served 632 people a hot, all-you-can-eat breakfast and gave them a hug, a smile, and a bag of groceries when they left. A few were homeless, many were elderly, some were sick or disabled, and others were refugees and immigrants trying to make their way. They're all people loved by God, no matter what their circumstances.
That evening, during the height of the storm, we drove around looking in those places where homeless folks seek shelter. Our search revealed people huddled up, trying to stay warm underground at Penn Station. Some of the vendors cheerfully offered muffins and other goods from the day's business to subsidize the sandwiches and juice we were handing out. The Christmas spirit was alive and well in Penn Station that night.
Why did we do all of this? It's simple really. We believe it is necessary for all people to take as many opportunities they can to help their fellow person. Christmas is a great time to do that. It's pretty cold outside and definitely snowy, but it sure gave us a real life view of the suffering a homeless person has to endure.
Sure, it makes us feel good to do these kinds of things. But that's not why we do it. We follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. All throughout His ministry he taught of loving your neighbor, taking care of the hungry, clothing the naked, tending to the sick. The word "Christian" means Christ-like. If we don't do what He did and taught, we can't really call ourselves Christians. He loved us first, so we love Him back by taking care of the weak. Jesus said, if we do it for them, we do it for Him as well. That is our real purpose for going to NY. Maybe another time we'll take in some sites in the beautiful Big Apple, but we'll definitely be back!
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