Imagine a Home where the Buffalo Roam

By C.S. Lewis

"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself." C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
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Poll: Many Going the Wrong Way

According to a recent poll that closed here at Homeless In America, self-righteousness may be an across the board concern, spanning the lives of Catholics, Protestants and Evangelicals in America today. In all reality, it may be part and parcel of the general population and our human condition of pride - the “original sin”. Regardless, although being the wrong way, it may be difficult to see. Jesus once said, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20). Apparently the real measure of the existence of this type of hypocrisy comes when the unfeigned charity of Christ is set aside in exchange for an unmerciful attitude of judging and condemning others.

Jesus said, “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye." (Matthew 7” 1-5)

Over the past year, bloggers and readers were asked the following question: “In your opinion, have Christians strayed from Christ’s Gospel of charity and placed too much focus on others’ personal sins resulting in abuse of power, control and self-righteousness in many political and religious sectors?”

Here is how they responded . . .

5% Just Protestants have strayed.

10% Mostly Evangelicals have strayed.

10% For the most part, Catholics have strayed.

75% Protestants, Catholics & Evangelicals have all strayed.

0% None have strayed, it's all good.

Thank you for participating in this and all the polls. Scroll down to near the bottom of this main page and participate in the new surveys recently launched.
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Tears

Blessed are you that weep and morn, one day you shall laugh. Luke 6:21

By Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis

"Tears are the humble, created water of my heart that corresponds to the powerful uncreated water of the Spirit's life in me. Tears are perhaps the most rejuvenating and re-creating water of all, the evidence that I have allowed grace to melt the ice at the center of my being. As Leon Bloy says strikingly, where there are tears, there is the Holy Spirit, because the Spirit of God is always, as at the beginning, 'hovering over the waters.' What areas of my life are still rigid, refusing to yield to resistance and be shaped by God's fingers?

"In what parts of my person do I still allow the old inflexible grouch of sin to have his way? Each one of us, according to our state in life, has different strategies for allowing the old Adam and Eve to survive in us. We may have that rascal, the decrepit old self, locked away safely, but surreptitiously we still pass him food through the slot in the dungeon door, do we not?

"The Glory of God is always found in movements of love, in communication of life, never in static routine cramped piety, thoughtless repetition of official acts of conventional observance, external religious acts that could easily become the letter that kills, the continuing tyranny of the old, sinful self. The Spirit by contrast, is wind, fire, light, water, Glory; the unexpected, the transforming, the self-communicating, the self-outpouring Power that shapes by embracing and not letting go. The way of the disciple is necessarily a way of discipline, because discipleship is the living school in which we learn how to be like Christ by intimate association with Him."

Erasmo Leiva-Merikakis is a Cistercian monk and the author of Fire of Mercy: Heart of the Word, a three volume commentary on Saint Matthew’s Gospel.
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Persecution, Complaints and Unjust Accusations: It’s all Good

By Saint Anthony of Padua

“It is only in adversity that we come to know whether we have made real progress in goodness . . . Two things the devil fears above all: the fire of charity and the well-trodden path of humility . . . The poor of Jesus Christ, who are marked with the sign of his poverty as long as they are in this world, consider themselves pilgrims and exiled from the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6) and walk roughshod over the passing things of this world. Unless we keep our hearts thus unfettered, how can we come to the Lord?

“Nothing apart from God can satisfy the human heart which is truly in search of him. Patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in us. Practically, we are required to be patient in many ways: for there are some things, trials and crosses, which come to us from God; others, temptations and enticements that come to us from our old adversary the devil; still other difficulties that arise from our neighbor: persecution, complaints and unjust accusations. Against all these we must be ever on our guard lest we give way to complaining against the trials our maker sends us; lest again we be led astray into sin, which is what the devil wants; or to be overly disturbed by the thoughtlessness or unkindness of others. For if we want to have our own way always, aren't we really seeking our reward here below in the things of this life? Let us couple patience and long-suffering in the spirit of meekness and faith (and so bring forth fruit in patience)!”
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To the Max

Over the weekend in Salt Lake City, the Associated Press reports that a private investigator says he has tracked down a homeless Utah man and delivered some good news: He's inherited a lot of money.

David Lundberg said he found Max Melitzer pushing a shopping cart filled with personal possessions in a Salt Lake City park Saturday afternoon.

Lundberg declined to disclose how much money Melitzer will be receiving, but said the man's brother who died of cancer last year left him a "significant" amount in his will.

The investigator said he broke the news to Melitzer while they were sitting on a bench at Pioneer Park. While Lundberg said he didn't tell Melitzer how much money he was inheriting, the man was excited.

"He's still in shock. This came out of nowhere," Lundberg said. "He's a really mellow guy in his 60s, very sweet and more articulate than I thought for a man in his position."

Earlier this month, a police officer found Melitzer sleeping in a car in an Ogden salvage yard.

The investigator said he found Melitzer with the help of a tip. He received about 60 or 70 such calls after news about his search went out Friday.

"Someone called today (Saturday) and said they saw him at Pioneer Park. I thought it was another crazy tip, but sure enough, there he was," Lundberg said.
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An Encounter with Jesus

By Mother Elvira Petrozzi

"Those who suffer truly help us understand who we are inside. We enter again into that sacred place of our heart where man is moved to cry, suffer, and rebel. With the eyes of faith it can be see that pain and suffering are the presence of Jesus Himself in the family. If you receive suffering and welcome suffering, it will save you.

"One day a mom came to visit me and said, 'Our baby girl, who is already six years old and has never been able to walk, has saved our marriage and our family.' This family looked with eyes of love, faith and truth perceiving in that mysterious cross the even greater mysterious light of the Resurrection.

"Some families of our young men were present at a recent Eucharistic celebration. One parent prayed saying, 'I thank you, Lord, because through the drug problem of my son, and then, through the sickness of my son, you have restored and saved our marriage.' Thanks to an encounter with Jesus, what seemed like a heavy cross became an instrument of salvation.

"Our God is Love. He waits, knocking at the door of our heart until He can enter and transform it. We must commit ourselves, not to live alone, but to live in the constant presence of Jesus. He helps us to understand the poor, the sick, and the suffering and pushes us to help them, to get out of our comfort zone and give up something that belongs to us for them. Then we realize that an infinite joy is born within us. We need one another to encounter the joy of embracing the Cross."

Mother Elvira Petrozzi is foundress of Communita Cenacolo, welcoming the lost and desperate in 63 houses in 15 countries.

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Grassroots or Bourgeois?

"Being a Christian is less about cautiously avoiding sin than about courageously and actively doing God's will." — Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, (photo) a German Lutheran pastor theologian and martyr (+1945), lead the grassroots Christian resistance against Nazism. Bonhoeffer was an exceptional pianist, and his parents thought he might pursue a music career. He was also athletic and played such games as tennis and chess with passion. Expected to follow his father into psychiatry, Bonhoeffer surprised and dismayed his parents when he decided by age of fourteen to become a theologian and later a pastor. When his older brother told him not to waste his life in such a "poor, feeble, boring and petty institution as the Church", 14-year-old Dietrich replied: "If what you say is true, I shall reform it!"

In the 2003 movie, “Bonhoeffer”, the filmmakers assert that Dietrich believed that the mainstream church had become bourgeois and thus ineffective in standing up to Hitler. The film produces actual photos of church leaders in handshakes with Hitler that are in an apparent show of support for his errant vision.

In your opinion, where are we as a Church in America today, grassroots or bourgeois? Scroll down and vote in this and all the polls, located near the bottom of this main page. Thank you for your participation.
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Preacher Poll Closes

Today, a poignant poll comes to a close. In it, our readers for the past twelve months provided their opinions about broken, yet inspired, residing in many of our churches around the country. Bloggers were asked this question . . .

“Jesus chose prostitutes, a midget, fishermen, homeless disciples, tax collectors and an accomplice in murder to preach. Today’s preachers are selected for intelligence, degrees, MMPI psychological profile and success. In your opinion, why is this so?”

Interestingly, no one felt that Jesus’ selection method is obsolete today. About 25% assessed the fact that quite possibly liability insurance companies will not support Jesus' strategy and that could account for this discrepancy in preacher recruitment. Ultimately, more than 55% of Homeless In America voters responded saying, “Over the centuries, the church may have lost sight of who Jesus calls. “ Further, 10% felt it was all the above and another 10% felt it was none of the above.

In summary, on the issue of preacher recruitment, Christian-leadership.org who specializes in growing Christian servant-leaders writes . . . “[Your church] may have delusions of grandeur and only want a famous [well-educated] name to lead you. This is the way to miss God’s best for your church. Finding a new pastor for your church is about understanding and obediently following God’s will for your church rather than following your own ambitions. The only guaranteed outcomes in the Christian life are a result of obedience to God’s will.”
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Homeless Mom's Lament

Recently, a homeless mom wrote in and posted the following . . . "I am a homeless single parent of 3. Every day is very hard. But I sell jewelry that I make to pay for a cheap motel, food, clothes. It takes every ounce of energy, and emotional strength to survive. I am not lazy and do not feel sorry for myself. I know that things are going to be okay. God gives me and my children strength. [While reading Homeless In America] it was refreshing to know that some people have it easier. And face it, a good amount of homeless do not have a sharp mind and really need those handouts. And most of all they need respect and to be treated with love. Thanks for [the post,'Down and not so out in Beverly Hills'] giving me something to laugh at today."
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Boatlessness

Homeless in America shares primarily about homelessness, however with a slight digression from the norm, this story is one of boatlessness. It comes by way of Chaplain Pam, a woman’s prison pastor in California. She writes . . .

The recent Orange County Register article about a recent boating accident does not tell you what really happened, I know because my 34 year old son Brian was there. He and his friend Bob decided to fish off the jetty two Sundays ago. But after being battered by the 30 mph hour winds and the 9-10 ft. waves, Brian decided it wasn’t worth it, and told Bob he was going for a walk on the shore. While walking, he noticed a power boat dangerously close to shore and knew the people on board would have to jump out before it began rolling on them in the high surf.

Brian, running along the shore to the boat saw a man thrown from it. The man’s wife on the shore pleaded with Brian to go and save her husband. Brian peeled off his clothes and jumped in to swim to this man, but with the conditions as they were, he knew it would be a fight to save to him.

In the meantime, another man hearing the calls for “help” jumped in to assist Brian, but at once panicked because of the size of the waves and began to drown as well. Fortunately, another man seeing what was happening jumped in to save this man. But Brian continued on to the man who remained in sight about 15 ft. off shore.

After much time passed getting through the crashing waves, Brian watched as the man went down for the last time, still out of arms reach, and knew he was dead. For my son, the most difficult part of all of this was accepting the fact this man died and he had failed to save him. Now, due to sheer exhaustion, he knew he was drowning as well, and would need to fight hard save himself.

Brian told me, “Mom, I knew I was going to die . . . that this was it. I also knew the only chance I had to survive was if God, would somehow pop me up with this last wave, and throw me quite a distance off into the rocks. I curled into a ball so I wouldn't hit my head on the rocks and waited for the wave.” In answer to his prayer, the Lord and Savior that Brian has loved all his life, did just this . . . He was thrown on to the rocks.

Bleeding, Brian climbed as quickly as possible over the rocks to the jetty. By now every rescue crew available was there, along with a huge crowd and pulled him from the jetty . . . When he reached the top of the jetty and began walking off of it, drowning man’s wife ran up to him, “Did you save my husband?” Brian said he couldn’t tell her, and instead pointed to the rescuers to help her.

Unfortunately, no one on the boat was wearing a life vest on that day. The three remaining in the boat could have perished, not to mention the three others who jumped in after this man. But, through the grace of God, only one died, not six . . . the man Brian tried so desperately to save.

My son second-guesses himself now, wondering if he had just done things a little differently, had seen the people in the boat a little sooner, or if he had just done . . . But, we don’t second guess God, and He allowed it to happen the way it did. We may never know the reason, but I know this, Brian was saved because there is still more for him to do on this earth, and although it will be a process of acceptance, “survivor’s guilt” will not get the best of him. And so he grieves. He said he is asking for prayers of comfort for this man’s family. I would ask also for prayers for Brian.

I drove to San Diego to see him on Sunday, to hold on to him, and hug him as I listened to his heart still beating with life, and thanking God for His great compassion and mercy. Here’s a picture of our reunion.
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"Without Me You Can Do Nothing"

Faith which works through love is indeed a grace of God, because our believing, our loving, our doing works which we know to be good -- these are not things that we have attained by any preceding merits of ours but from the one who lavishes them upon us, and it is he who says, "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and I have appointed you that you may go and bear fruit." And that we may attain eternal life on account of faith, love, and good works -- this is a grace of God, because in order to keep us from turning aside from the good path, we always have need of that very leader to whom it is said, "Lead me, Lord, in your way, and I will walk in your truth." And also, as if he were saying clearly, "Unless I have you as my leader when I enter upon the way of truth which I have begun, by no means am I sufficient to hold to it."

So as not to falter in good works we ought always to rely for support on the help of the one who says, "For without me you can do nothing." Hence in order to express the fact that the start of faith and good action is given to us by the Lord, the psalmist properly says, "My God, his mercy goes before me." Again, in order to teach that the good things we do must be accomplished with his assistance, he says, "And your mercy follows after me all the days of my life." In order to show that the prize of eternal life rendered for good works is bestowed upon us freely, he says, "Who crowns you in compassion and mercy." He crowns us indeed in mercy and compassion when he repays us with the reward of heavenly blessedness for the good works which he himself has mercifully granted us to carry out. - Saint Bede the Venerable (+735) From Homilies on the Gospels, Book One, Advent to Lent. Translated by Lawrence T. Martin and David Hurst, OSB

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You might be homeless when . . .

You are living with friends temporarily, on a floor or on a sofa.
Your name does not appear on any lease, rental agreement or mortgage.
You don’t have a mailing address.
You lack resources for personal care, a shower and a place to hang up clothing for interviews or work.
You are chronically living out of a recreational vehicle.
You have to urinate in a container or frequent libraries and coffee shops to use the bathroom.
You have purchased a gym membership in order to shower.
You live out of your car.
You sleep regularly in a sleeping bag.
You are exploiting yourself sexually in order to financially get by.
You consistently lack a good night’s sleep.
You consider crimes of theft to survive.
You have been a victim of crime.
Your shoes are worn and torn from excessive walking.
You sleep behind a dumpster.
You carry with your all your personal possessions.
Your personal items have been stolen or torched.
You have been harassed by law enforcement.
You have mental illness and/or addiction(s) that have gone untreated.
You lack dental care and are losing your teeth.
You have been taken into a shelter.
You eat only one meal a day at a church or rescue mission.
No one knows your name.
You fear dying alone and no one will know you are even gone.
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