Kelsie and I went, this past week, over to the Nazarene church (that I attended growing up) to help sort clothes that were to be taken to the river bank in Huntington, WV, on Saturday, and given to many homeless individuals...who traditionally meet there for clothes, fruit, coffee, conversation, prayer, and even some evangelism.

We were given the offer to come and join the different churches who partake in this "ministy"...whatever that may look like.

In the spirit of the current peace meetings, SOA protest, and general boredom, we got up, brewed some coffee, and met up with two individuals at Plaza 52...and went from there to hang out with some homeless.

It didn't take long to see the different needs being met...whether it be fresh pairs of socks, or just a simple listening ear. Kelsie and I were quite engaged with a vietnam veteran, with all the proper symptoms of PTSD, including alcohol, domestic violence, disability, etc...who jumped at the opportunity to tell us all about the difficulty of "turning the other cheek"...but how God had removed him from (what was/is) a very violent situation with his step children who were stealing his money (disability check) to buy crack...and placed him in this better/safer place...which is the city mission.

Something became redefined for us...in the sense of actually encountering an idea we (especially I) often challenge ourselves with. The majority of our ideals about community were totally being lived out by these generally homeless people who live together in the mission. They (men/women) came to the river "together", and went back to the mission, "together".

We have this idea of not buying anything new...but only sharing and buying used items (we fail miserably). I happen to ask one dude if he needed a new jacket (while sorting through), and he said he had like 12 jackets, and that he passed them on to anyone who needed one.

The fact that there is a sense of safety for these broken (often drunk) individuals, as well as an announced dependence on each other and God, and an unprecedented thankfulness to God for sustaining them...is tragically beautiful...because they often fuck-up, and the weight of abandonment and trauma is mostly too heavy to carry...but like the early church, they serve one another, so that, there is not one who is in need among them (Acts 4:32-37)...and they continue to confront our bullshit standards of organized/systematic theology and church with thier everyday dependence on Matthew 6.

At the end the church gathering, the seeming leader/organizer came up and let us know that "it isn't about my church vs. your church, it is only about being church". We responded with "well...we sure are on board with that"...then offered to bring something next week...to which they replied..."bring whatever God wants you to bring" (which historically means, give everything you have and follow).

And so it was great to have most of what we believe (and try to live) thrown back in our faces by the homeless.

Like Eddie Vedder will soon explain, it changes the meaning of "I'm still alive".