Have you ever noticed someone on a street corner asking for spare change? Or have you ever seen someone living under a bridge? I’m sure all of you at some point in your life have. The question is what did you do? How did it make you feel? I always feel sorry when I see people like this. For at least 2 years I would drive past 3 or 4 guys sitting underneath an overpass in Syracuse and feel driven to stop and take them to the local Diner to buy them a hot meal. My issue was I never stopped. I was shy, I was nervous, I was selfish. I never stopped until 3 months ago. I went down to the overpass and asked one of the guys if I could take him to lunch, he said no. I was a little surprised; I figured he would be thrilled that I would stop out to buy him lunch. He wasn’t. I went away feeling a little sorry; I really wanted to help these guys out. The main thing was I just wanted to sit down with them and listen; I wanted to hear their story, I wanted to show them people care about them.
I went to dinner a few days later with friends from church. I was telling them about what I did, trying to buy the homeless guys lunch. They told me of a friend, Jim who had a ministry going out and helping these guys. A few weeks later Jim called. We talked for a few minutes and he invited me to go out with him sometime. About 3 weeks went by and I let time pass without calling Jim. I called Jim last week and we set a time for Wednesday.
Wednesday came and I was filled with conflicting thoughts. The white suburban side of me was wondering if I was going to get knifed. The Jesus in me said to love these guys the best I knew how. Jim called to confirm and I asked him how I should dress and if I should bring anything. On the way out the door I snagged some older sweatshirts and a case of bottled water. Jim and I met in the Lowe’s parking lot off Erie Blvd. And we set out. Jim has been going out and helping our brothers and sisters for a few years so he knew exactly where a lot of the guys were staying.
First we drove under one of the bridges in Syracuse. We drove up and met John. John was sitting there on his knees in front of a turned over 5-gallon bucket with a 40 half empty in front. Jim has known John for a long time so I was a welcomed guest. John offered an empty milk crate for me to sit on; I sat down on the dirt with him and Jim. Jim and John talked about their friends and what everyone was up to for a while and would stop every so often to explain whom they were talking about so I did not feel left out. We shifted gear to pray for John. I got to pray for his neck to be healed and started to laugh a little when I quoted a scripture from the book of John for John. Then I started to tear up thinking that this was Jesus living under the bridge. We said “Amen” and brought John over to Jim truck so we could get him some food and cloths. When I gave John a Yankees hat I bought he started telling us about how his dad used to take him to the sky chiefs games. We left John after getting a list of some things he needed that included sizes 36 jeans and a belt.
Next Jim drove over to a wooded area in the middle of the city. We walked up a short trail and ducked under some brush behind two billboards to meet Steve just as he was returning home from flying. Flying is the term used when holding a sign asking for money. As soon as we arrived Steve was setting his six pack of beer down and carefully un-zipping his jacket to remove his cardboard sign. He opened a fresh pack of smokes and lit one up breathing deep as to say, “I’ve missed you old friend”. Steve welcomed us in as he sat down to rest his weary knees. We talked for a short time. Jim and Steve were talking about friends that had hitched a ride back to Syracuse from Georgia for the summer. Steve said he’d been just about everywhere in his time, He was 52 and had fought in Vietnam. Steve is a nice guy with a content smile on his face and a grey ponytail. Steve let us pray with him for peace and strength and for his nasal passages to be cleared and the headaches to go away. We left Steve for a little while and walked over the railroad tracks to check out a campsite Jim found the last time he was out. We walked a narrow dirt trail and leaned up against a fence to squeeze thru to the tracks. Jim had warned me to watch where I walked and I’m glad because I almost stepped in a pile of human waste on the side of the trail. We walked along the tracks and came to a roadblock, or so I thought. There was a small bridge running about 20 feet above and perpendicular to the road beneath with cars driving by. There was a chain link fence than ran across the bridge so we had to shimmy across the ledge and hang our upper body over the road beneath. Jim had done this before but I was nervous and it showed when I stopped in mid sentence so I could focus on not falling to my death. We approached what Jim explained to look like an old roman coliseum where gladiators fought. It was about 30 yards in diameter. An almost perfect circle with walls made up of old fence, blue tarps, metal siding, trash, rope, empty barrels, just about everything we throw out. Nobody was living there at the moment. We left after I snagged a few pictures. We ran into Jay who was returning to his and Steve’s home. Jay had a cart he made to collect scrap metal so he could break it down and sell it to the junkyard. Jay had this contagious smile on his face, a smile I’ve never seen on anyone before. He sat down showing us his treasure and telling us about a job he got painting a garage for someone. I was amazed how pure Jay’s kindness was, especially since Jim had just met Jay a week ago. We told them to follow us to the truck so they could grab some food and cloths. I was able to give Steve a few sweatshirts and we got to pray for them again for protection and peace and Gods love. We left Steve and Jay and drove around checking a few more homes that were empty. We stopped for a smoke near a few sites and were warned by the employee of a transportation company that we were on private property and we should leave because someone blow us in. I think he walked away to tell on us, he seemed a little mean.
Jim and I started to drive back to Lowe’s and I started asking questions. What was our mission? Are we supposed to help these guys get cleaned up and get them a job and an apartment? Are we just giving food and prayer and letting them do their own thing? As soon as the words left my mouth I realized how selfish I was being. I am not supposed to project my wants on these brothers. Who said they had to go work at “normal” job and live like the rest of us? I believe that with a healthy view of God and His love and forgiveness for us, some of these men would change their lives. That does not mean that my love for them is only good if they show progress of change. If these dear family members of ours choose to never change I am still responsible to feed them and clothe them and above all, love them.
According to the Rescues Mission, there are over 4,000 homeless people in Onondaga County. I only met 3 and I thought that was too many. The church and God aside, as humans we should not tolerate this. As Christians we should be held to a much higher standard of love. Let us not forget that this is Jesus living under the bridge, this is Jesus flying at the exit ramp on Hiawatha Blvd.
I will be joining Jim in his battle to heal our Brothers with the love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. I urge anyone that reads this to do the same. Wherever you live, search for these lost family members of ours. Please don’t be like me and allow pride and ego get in the way of helping.
I will be getting a list together from Jim of things needed. I pray that everyone can give something; it can be your time, your food, or your money. It can be here, in Syracuse or in your own town.
With Love and Peace to all.
- Anthony.
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