Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Tent Villages - Hurt or Harm? - Daily Inspiration

I've been watching on the news in St. Louis about how Larry Rice of New Life Evangelistic Center has bought land in order to put a tent village for the many homeless people in St. Louis. The people surrounding this land keep complaining about all the things that "might" happen with these homeless people being in their neighborhood. They say that it would be unsafe to have people live there.

Larry Rice is the advocate for the homeless in St. Louis. He really cares about them. He has a place for them to eat. And he even shows them how to run the television station he has in his building downtown. He wants to make a difference.

These homeless people in St. Louis are currently living in cardboard boxes, under overpasses, in their cars and anywhere they can find shelter. All that seems very dangerous to me. And they're not just the normal homeless depicted on television. There are many people out of work these days that used to have big houses, big jobs and big dreams. Why are the people in St. Louis snuffing all that out?  I just don't understand. I don't get it. We're supposed to look after the least of these, right, not shove them farther into the gutter.

After Larry Rice bought this land, the moment he opened the tent village, he was arrested. I understand that the residents around this village think neighborhood might become a little shady because of the influx of these homeless people. But why couldn't it be the other way around. Why couldn't all those people in that neighborhood befriend the homeless in the tent village, become their advocates, their cheering section. So then maybe everyone else would do the same and take the stigma of homelessness off people who just can't help it that they can't find a job in this harsh economy.

So, my prayer for you today is to think on this, contemplate what we can do to help the homeless situation. Pray for them because I know they desperately need it.

Blessings to all.

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