Voice of the People - January 20, 2009

Night with Bubba was enlightening

On Dec. 27, eight ministers and I embarked on what we hoped would be a life-changing experience. One that would teach us the true meaning of being like Jesus, one that would take us out of our comfort zones, an experience that would take us from the safety of the church and into the reality of the ministry of Christ. On this night, our titles meant nothing, our education could not prepare us for what we were about to experience; for on this night Bubba, who was homeless, would become our teacher and we, the preachers of God, would become his students. There was no way to prepare for what was about to come! At home, I did my best to prepare myself for the cold of the night: I put on three pair of socks, pajamas under my pants, four shirts, a hoodie, a sweat shirt, a hat and a pair of gloves, still to be outdone by the chills of the night air.

As we sat under the noisy underpass on the cold concrete ground, listening as Bubba took us through his life story, a common thought was expressed by all of us: Truly, no one seeks to be homeless. At any time in our lives, we, too, could be faced with a life-altering situation that could take us from stability to survival, that the little things that we complain about are really little things. Bubba's life story was a ministry to us; it showed us that Jesus was more than just words, but Jesus was the leader in the charge to help those who were in need. Jesus didn't criticize those who were without but taught us that as we do to the least we have done to him.

For the first time in many of our lives, we saw firsthand the importance of effective ministry. Effective ministry does not get comfortable in a million-dollar facility with cushioned seats and stained-glass windows, or a pulpit overlooking thousands. Effective ministry is about rolling up one's sleeves and getting your hands dirty. Ministry is about doing things when no one else is around and not seeking to be seen, but doing what you do for the glory of God. Ministry is when we can take the teaching of our ministers and apply it to the common good of man.

An interesting thing happened as we left from under the I-77 overpass. Not only did we leave, but Bubba left, also! Amen.

Minister C.T. Kirk

Feed the Hungry Ministries

Rock Hill

This story was originally published January 20, 2009 at 12:22 AM with the headline "Voice of the People - January 20, 2009."