Cold night

This afternoon I went to Randy's funeral... a young homeless man who hung himself in the woods in Elkton, because, it's being said, "he was tired of being cold." The minister prayed for the homeless, but even better the church will open it's doors next month as a partner in the rotating shelter. What could he say about this tragedy... what can I or anyone say, except to echo Randy's cry... "we're tired of begging, pleading, demanding... in the midst of such affluence."

I just got back from the rotating shelter, it's cold outside, a damp cold, and late. The Baptists are staffing it in the Assembly of God church. The Presbyterians staffed it last week. There were over 40 people again in a shelter designed for 20... and 6 kids. As long as I have done this work, I can never get used to seeing the kids in our shelters. Two folks tonight are deaf, and several others mentally ill.

A young mother told me her child had a birthday yesterday, one year old. I asked her what they did to celebrate... "went to McDonald's... until they asked us to leave, then went and sat in the hospital for a while, then over to the men's shelter for lunch and the women's shelter to wait for the church van..." So his first birthday and he walked the cold streets with his parents.

It's on a night like this that I feel the call in this moderator stand. Maybe we can say some things that will make a difference... over the next 4+ months. I can only ask God to give us the chance to speak for these, the least among us... but perhaps closest to our Lord, who also walks the streets tonight and whose head rests with theirs on a pillow in the shelters....