|
Oct 02
2009
|
  |
 |
I have another story to share about my time on the streets of Hollywood last night. To anyone who is thinking, "didn't you just share a story about last night?" the answer is yes. My other story entitled "Enthusiasm for a Parking Lot Church" was about a woman named Essence. If you haven't read that story yet, you should. It's a good one. :)
Well, while our small group which included Essence was having discussions about the sermon last night, I would occasionally look around to see what else was going on around us. (There is always lots of crazy activity going on out there. Last night, some young drunken clubbers who were all friends got in a *fist fight* over who got to sit in the front seat of their car! It all took place just a few feet away from us!) Almost every time I looked up, one of the other ladies from the street was looking at me. This is odd for (at least) two reasons. First, we don't encounter a lot of real women on these streets and last night we had at least four in our church service. Second, it wasn't just one of them. Three ladies were like taking turns. And it wasn't coincidence either. They had to turn their shoulders to see me. So, anyway, after our little discussion group broke up, one of the ladies approached me and I finally got to learn why she kept looking. (The other two will remain a mystery.)
The young lady who approached me was rather petite and wore equally petite clothes that covered everything but her hands and face. Her demeanor and attire led me to suspect that she didn't like being noticed. I gave the sermon last night, so the first words out of her mouth were "Are you a minister?" She said this almost in a whisper so I had to lean in and have her repeat the question. In my head I thought, "No, I am a software developer", but I didn't think that information would have served the situation well. So, I paused for a moment and made some awkward faces before I replied with "Um... well... I have never been to, like, church school, like, a minister, but I do read and study the Bible quite a bit." To this, she awkwardly replied, "Well, I have a question for you. ... A little while ago someone was telling me about the 'three heavens' but we didn't get to finish that conversation. I was really hoping to learn more about it and if there were different levels of heaven you could get to depending on how good you are."
I also reminded Rena about the story of the two men who hung on crosses on either side of Jesus while he was dying. I say "reminded" because Rena actually knew this story and was able to quote both men and Jesus. Here is the passage that Rena quoted. It comes from Luke 23:39-43.
Rena was relieved to hear all this from me. She says she wants to be good and she wants to go to Heaven to be with Jesus, but it's just so hard. She is always sinning and she feels like she is letting God down, like she is unworthy. At this, she let me know about how she is unmarried and always having sex with different people. She has a son named Darius that just turned 3 months old. Not too long ago, Rena sold vacuum cleaners and later she worked for a school district, but she was laid off from that job. She has been without a job and homeless ever since then. She told me that even though she sleeps on the streets most nights, she always finds a safe place for her son to sleep.
As we concluded our conversation, I told Rena that I was going to pray for her and that I already had plenty to pray about but I asked her if there was anything specific she would like me to pray for. She said that she longed to have a job by the end of this month so that she and her son could get off of the streets for good. So that is what we prayed for. Can you pray for Rena and Darius too?
Well, while our small group which included Essence was having discussions about the sermon last night, I would occasionally look around to see what else was going on around us. (There is always lots of crazy activity going on out there. Last night, some young drunken clubbers who were all friends got in a *fist fight* over who got to sit in the front seat of their car! It all took place just a few feet away from us!) Almost every time I looked up, one of the other ladies from the street was looking at me. This is odd for (at least) two reasons. First, we don't encounter a lot of real women on these streets and last night we had at least four in our church service. Second, it wasn't just one of them. Three ladies were like taking turns. And it wasn't coincidence either. They had to turn their shoulders to see me. So, anyway, after our little discussion group broke up, one of the ladies approached me and I finally got to learn why she kept looking. (The other two will remain a mystery.)
The young lady who approached me was rather petite and wore equally petite clothes that covered everything but her hands and face. Her demeanor and attire led me to suspect that she didn't like being noticed. I gave the sermon last night, so the first words out of her mouth were "Are you a minister?" She said this almost in a whisper so I had to lean in and have her repeat the question. In my head I thought, "No, I am a software developer", but I didn't think that information would have served the situation well. So, I paused for a moment and made some awkward faces before I replied with "Um... well... I have never been to, like, church school, like, a minister, but I do read and study the Bible quite a bit." To this, she awkwardly replied, "Well, I have a question for you. ... A little while ago someone was telling me about the 'three heavens' but we didn't get to finish that conversation. I was really hoping to learn more about it and if there were different levels of heaven you could get to depending on how good you are."
Before answering the young lady's question, I asked her her name and we formally introduced ourselves to each other. Her name is Rena. Thanks to this delay, I was able to think of some good answers. :) The 'three heavens' question was easy. I started by mentioning that various religions have notions of multiple levels of Heaven based on our works and such. I then said that none of that is from the Bible. There is an old Hebrew understanding of that phrase that refers to 1) the sky (our atmosphere), 2) outer space, and 3) Heaven. But what Rena was really asking was, "Am I good enough to get into Heaven, even if the part of Heaven that I am allowed into is inferior to the other parts of Heaven that better people get into?"
I think that answer is easy too; at least it's easy to explain. Accepting it as truth is a whole different thing. The answer is clearly laid out for us in a parable that Jesus told as recorded in Matthew 22. We often refer to this story as "The Parable of the Wedding Banquet". If you want to know the whole story, please go read it. I told the whole story to Rena last night and emphasized the following phrase from Matthew 22:10. "So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests." I emphasized to Rena that it's not about being good or bad but it's about whether or not you accept the invitation. In other words, in spite of your sins, do you acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord of your life? Or are you like the other invited guests from the story who "paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business"?
I also reminded Rena about the story of the two men who hung on crosses on either side of Jesus while he was dying. I say "reminded" because Rena actually knew this story and was able to quote both men and Jesus. Here is the passage that Rena quoted. It comes from Luke 23:39-43.
One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!"
But the other criminal rebuked him. "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong."
Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."
Rena was relieved to hear all this from me. She says she wants to be good and she wants to go to Heaven to be with Jesus, but it's just so hard. She is always sinning and she feels like she is letting God down, like she is unworthy. At this, she let me know about how she is unmarried and always having sex with different people. She has a son named Darius that just turned 3 months old. Not too long ago, Rena sold vacuum cleaners and later she worked for a school district, but she was laid off from that job. She has been without a job and homeless ever since then. She told me that even though she sleeps on the streets most nights, she always finds a safe place for her son to sleep.
As we concluded our conversation, I told Rena that I was going to pray for her and that I already had plenty to pray about but I asked her if there was anything specific she would like me to pray for. She said that she longed to have a job by the end of this month so that she and her son could get off of the streets for good. So that is what we prayed for. Can you pray for Rena and Darius too?
