Homeless

Out of curiosity I “googled” the approximate number of churches/congregations in the US….460,000…Somewhere b/w 3500 and 4500 close their doors per yr.

How many homeless: 760,000..

The churches could begin with solving the homeless problem……Less than two per church. Dave

Dave, this is good thinking. How to bring this about is the issue. Plus, so complicated. If I were a pastor, I would adopt my "two." Now, that I am thinking about it, I am going to adopt my two and "play like" I am a Church. The first one is not homeless but close, actually a chaplain, seminary graduate. Long story that I don't know but think mental illness involved.

A couple of years ago, Meg, talked me into this annual program in the City, where all kinds of helping agencies show up for a day long attempt to reach the homeless. I was on the interviewing team. After about ten people, I wanted to kill 'em: most ruined their lives with drugs.

I came away, which I'm sure I've mentioned before and everyone was right with it, leaning forward in the foxhole. I think the so called homeless fit in three groups. The first ones are those who love the lifestyle. Drugs probably, they have learned the system, probably we could use the old term: bums. Forget them, we are not going to reach them. A little different than this next group who are basically addicts. Rarely, can we help but with patience, we can maybe reach one or two--lots of energy and resources wrapped around them: rehab/problems of recidivism. Then, there is a third group, families, in particular--if we are willing, we can help 'em. We have to get them in housing and help them with a life plan.

The problem of homelessness is not going away. We are not going to solve it. The old BS of platitudes, force them to work, no welfare, on and on won't hack it. We are not going to let even the sorriest among us starve. We are not a third world country. San Francisco has a welfare to work program that does fair. Homelessness is like emigration. We have to do the best we can but we cannot solve it and, it was Jesus who said, the poor we have with us forever and seems He was their champion.

{{{{{{{Jerry}}}}}}