A view from the street up

Posted by admin on Nov 2, 2006 in Community | 0 comments

A homeless person is not defined solely by their lack of a home. At one point, these people had a job, a family, and even a home. But their lives were changed by their decisions, which eventually brought them to the streets of Vancouver.

The first time I heard of Trinity Western University’s Street Evangelism, I thought I would go and see what all the hype was about. That decision changed my relationship with Christ, my outlook on people, and my perspective on what it means to be immersed in the lives of homeless, drug-addicted individuals. I realized that it’s one thing to drive along East Hastings Street on your way to Robson for a shopping spree; it’s quite another to actually interact with these individuals. Of those who call East Hastings their home, more than 6,000 currently struggle with an addiction – most commonly to heroin, cocaine, or ecstasy.

I will always remember the first conversation I had on my very first night at the Youth Drop-in Center, which is an arm of Street-E. As I began to talk to a woman and her boyfriend, I felt terrified because I didn’t know what to talk about. The first words out of my mouth were a simple “How’s it going?”

They began to tell me about their day, and the fact that the woman was 19, pregnant, and had no place to stay that night. Even though I haven’t seen them at the drop-in center since that night, my talk with them remains the most memorable conversation I have had throughout all of my Street-E experiences. At one time, I had thought homeless people were scary, and that they only wanted to hurt, bother or steal from me. But during that first night, I began to see people in a different light.

I began to see them the way I believe that Christ saw Mary Magdalene. Jesus Christ did not come to be served but to serve. He lived a humble life, growing up in a blue-collar family and earning a living through carpentry.

I believe that we fight a battle that often goes unseen. No matter where life has brought them, the homeless remain people with needs. The homeless have tangible physical needs, but they are also in great need of spiritual renewal through salvation.