Welcome our December Guest Contributor: Cathy Herzog, Mission Team Leader at Ashford United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas (her story adapted for blog)
Twice a month, Ashford UMC volunteers join others to make sandwiches for people on the streets in downtown Houston. Twelve to eighteen volunteers gather to make 1200 sandwiches. Two sandwiches are packed with a drink and snack item. Each person receives 2 packages. Recently I joined the delivery team ... Usually we drop by 4 different locations. Last Monday it was raining and this night was different than other nights ...
That night we had left over sandwiches. After some discussion, we drove to a place where the massive highway system flies overhead. We stopped near a place called loaves and fishes. Four or five highways with huge pilings cover a large portion of land. The highways cross over the city below: by day busy streets with shops and office buildings, cheap apartments and luxury apartments side by side ... directly under the pilings - dirt.
As we stopped on the street by the dirt, someone got out and said “Anyone want a sandwich?” A few men and women were sitting at the street and there were piles scattered on the ground. As we got out and began to move through the sea of piles handing out sandwiches, the piles began to move. I realized the "piles" were blankets covering folks. The piles of blankets were not close to one another. They were probably 10 – 15’ apart from one another. It made me think of people in their houses, close but not too close; everyone taking their own private space. In all, around 50 people came for the sandwiches. My sense was that many of them were sick. They looked at me with eyes holding blank expressions. Most were very thin, but every one who was served thanked us. After each person got their 2 bags, we realized we didn’t have enough meals to go anywhere else.
We ventured out to the piles to reach out to the others and give out the meals until they were gone. It was muddy and the smell made me hold my breath ... which didn’t last very long because I have to talk to the folks! I could see as I entered the “neighborhood” there were a few couples on some of the blankets. There was one pile from which the person didn’t come out so I put the meals next to him and asked his neighbor to be sure that no one bothered the food I was leaving. His neighbor looked at me in what I took as surprise and said "No one will bother it."
Monday night as I returned to the sidewalk I was led to lower my head and raise my hands to pray to God specifically for the people under this bridge on that rainy cold night. My hope is that our little act of kindness lets them know they are not alone in this world and their lives have not been lived in vain. I know homeless people exist ... these people with few sparks in their eyes ... these people you find living in "pile cities." I believe they probably have never known a life much different from what I saw and smelled and heard and felt. With hunger in their bellies, they dive in to eat as soon as they get their bag. Yet every one looks back at us one more time to say "Thank you."
I’ve read where the homeless don’t look directly at people. But I’ve found this to be the exception not the rule. Most look at us and say "thank you." Several of them will shake my hand. This past Monday, I even got a couple of hugs – one from a man under the bridge. I often hear people say “those people” don’t appreciate things given to them, they complain about this or that. For sure that has not been my experience.
As I continue to reflect on my experience last Monday night, I agree whole-heartedly with the founder of this mission to feed the homeless. “This is the church, the church as it is meant to be!”
Thanks for sharing Cathy! Peace, Cindy
As Cathy sat and told me her story ... I thought about Ezekiel's vision of the Valley of Dry Bones found in Ezekiel 37:1-14. The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Mortal, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord God, you know.’ ... Thus says the Lord God to these bones ... "I will put breath* in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord." As I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone ... there was no breath in them. Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.
Then he said to me, ‘Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people ... I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live!’ (excerpts chosen by Cindy-Click the link at the beginning for the entire passage)
A Modern Affirmation (of faith) begins: Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is the one true Church, apostolic and universal ... An apostle is a follower of Christ who carries the Christian message of LOVE into the world. An apostolic church is one that "sends" people to be the hands and feet of Christ. This will always be a risk-taking endeavor. Through Spirit, God is at work in the world to bring life to the lifeless, and God invites the church to participate in mission to the world. Yes, Cathy, you had an extraordinary experience of "church." Risk-taking mission? Absolutely! Thank you for sharing your story with the world (or at least the readers of this blog!)
So ... tell us ... where does Cathy's story touch you?
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