Front Porch Fellowship

Our doorbell rang late last night.

A drunk man I haven’t seen in 2.5 years stood on the front porch. We spent 10 minutes talking outside.
The last time he stood at our front door, I was returning his clothes that had just gone through our washer and dryer. His face filled my mind as I wrote a blog post about it October 2016.
He’s a homeless alcoholic and IV Meth user who drifts between our neighborhood and family out-of-state.

Shocked to see me when I opened the door last night, he repeated, “you’re still here, you’re still here!”

He started crying after mentioning how I’d previously helped him. The tears surprised and embarrassed him; he assured me they weren’t a sign of his weakness.

Before he walked back into the darkness, I hugged him, prayed for him, and invited him to our 4:00pm [now 10:30am] Sunday service and dinner. I also invited him to return for a shower in our gym and a chance for me to wash his clothes.

About half our conversation was incoherent- stories about those who hurt him while on the streets. Near the end he said, “thanks for letting me vent.”

This man needs more help than our church or I can give. And he doesn’t need me enabling his self-destructive life.

What I can give

But tonight’s encounter reminded me a few things I CAN give him, and all people like him, who ring the Parsonage doorbell:
-Prayer
-A few minutes of time
-An unafraid hug
-A hot shower
-A chance for freshly-washed clothes
-An invitation to join a loving community
-A meal with people who won’t abuse him, take advantage of him, or steal from him
-Lord willing, my familiar face at the door if he doesn’t return for another 2.5 years

Your situation may not allow you to give all I can give. Not everyone has a church gym with shower facilities next door. Not everyone’s house is well-known among the local homeless. And not everyone should open their door at night to a drunk homeless man.

But what could you give to those in need? How could you help those who need it? Start there.

And to my pastor colleagues…
What could you do to stay? What changes in your neighborhood might happen once people start realizing “you’re still here?”