Posted on 12/15/2010 5:01:10 PM PST by wmfights
GRACEVILLE, Fla. (BP)--He was alone, stretched out on the bench in the gazebo at The Baptist College of Florida. Most students rushed by to make their 8 a.m. classes. Visibly out of place, the stranger had long, disheveled hair, layered camouflaged clothes and a backpack near his side.
Experiencing the first cold snap of the season at BCF's Graceville campus in early December, one student offered the seemingly homeless bum warmth by pointing him to the student center. Another offered the man hot coffee and food, and struck up a conversation. A professor and two students gave him a Gospel tract explaining the plan of salvation.
Some students and staff members glanced at the apparent intruder and turned away. One staff member, concerned about the safety and well-being of the students on campus, asked him to move along.
The man was invited to attend the 10 a.m. chapel service by two students. He accepted the offer and sat on the back row with one of them.
The chapel service began just like any other with musical praise and worship.
Then BCF President Thomas A. Kinchen came to the microphone to pray and introduce the morning's chapel speaker.
To the congregation's bewilderment, the chapel speaker was either late or not coming. Kinchen was in mid-sentence talking about the guest speaker's topic, foreign missions, when the campus stranger on the back row spoke up and asked, "What about home missions?"
After a brief exchange, Kinchen invited the stranger to come to the podium and allowed him an opportunity to speak. The "bum" obviously had something to say to the students who passed him by yet were enrolled in college to prepare for ministry and service.
The chapel audience seemed to hold their breath as the stranger who had been sleeping in the gazebo now was quoting Scripture and sharing his heart for a lost world.
The speaker's bold depiction of "when you've done it to the least of these, you've done it unto me" changed attitudes and hearts in the auditorium.
The kindhearted stranger thanked Kinchen, then removed his glasses.
"I'm not really a bum, y'all came up with that yourselves, based on my appearance," the man said. "I'm actually a businessman and the pretty lady on my left is my wife, the guy sitting next to her is our chief pilot and will be taking us to Fort Worth and the campus of Southwestern Baptist Seminary as soon as chapel is over."
Kinchen then introducing the chapel speaker as Richard Headrick, designer and manufacturer of some of the most beautiful signs and crosses displayed all over the world. Kinchen said Headrick has dedicated his life to making a difference for Christ and opening the eyes of people to see the plight of lost and rejected individuals in society.
Headrick said in the 14 years he and his wife have engaged in "bum ministry" at churches and college and seminary campuses, to his disappointment the Gospel message has only been shared with him 20 times.
He was pleased to report the Gospel was shared with him three times that morning on the BCF campus.
"Most of the time my wife and I do the 'bum ministry' together, but on college campuses it seems best to do it by myself," Headrick said. "The thing that hurts me most when I'm bumming it alone is that I'm in the midst of hundreds of people, yet it's as if I'm invisible to them.
"Loneliness and rejection is a terrible feeling," Headrick said. "but it makes it much easier to understand why Jesus [before His resurrection] died of a broken heart."
He was pleased to report the Gospel was shared with him three times that morning on the BCF campus.
It reminds me of that great book from the 19th Century, “In His Steps”.
It reminds me of that great book from the 19th Century, “In His Steps”.
Bttt.
Great story and food for thought. Thank you for posting that!
Great story and food for thought. Thank you for posting that!
We ought to be sharing the Gospel with everyone; as we don’t know what people are suffering and we’re shy about intruding on the other person’s beliefs. (I can’t help but think of the Madoff boy and his tragic, tragic end that didn’t have to be. Christ died for him, too.) Christ is the only way to the Father; what He did on the cross will turn out to be the MOST important thing in this brief existence on this earth. Yet, many are ashamed of such a “messy death” and talking about it. The first Adam messed up. God must surely have known he was going to mess up when He created man. The result of us being “in Adam” from the first was that WE messed up, participated in it. Only calling on the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, Yeshua, and repenting, asking Him to save us accepts His sacrifice; a sacrifice He knew He would have to make for us as the “second Adam”, the perfect man.
I couldn't help but think, this must be a pretty good University. I don't know how long he was sitting there, probably a couple hours, and two people witnessed to him and another two invited him to services.
Food for thought, indeed.
But I would have a quibble. It’s a little unfair to blame people for forming an opinion that he was a “bum”, when he had obviously gone well out of his way to present exactly that impression. When you act like a bum, dress like a bum, smell like a bum and talk like a bum— it should not be a surprise to find that people perceive you as a bum.
Had he sat in the gazebo in a suit and tie and cleaned up... of course people wouldn’t form that same image.
The truth is, most of the time you can in fact read a book by it’s cover.
Yet, many are ashamed of such a “messy death” and talking about it.
We need to help one another, especially when someone starts to share their faith. We need to be ready to jump in and "have their back". I think sometimes Christians worry they won't say it "just right" and nobody likes to be mocked or rejected.
“Loneliness and rejection is a terrible feeling,”
How true, and how sad in an abundantly populated world that anyone experiences either.
Old trick.
I thought that was what was so impressive. Even though he went out of his way to project this image, students did witness to him and some invited him to services.
Merry Christmas
God Bless
I thought that was interesting, too. Several people did reach out to him. Good for them.
I’ve been in both places. I’ve tried to help a person here or there that was down on their luck. But I’ll also admit to turning away as well. I’ve gotten somewhat more cynical than I used to be. Like... the folks you always see at freeway offramps and busy cross-streets... with the little sign that has their focus-group-tested buzzwords du jour on it. “Homeless Vet...”, “Unemployed mom, 4 kids”... then you come to find out that some of these folks (at the best intersections) are clearing over $50K a year, in cash, untaxed.
I hate to get cynical, but I also hate being taken advantage of.
Amen
We don't know how many were running to class, or something else.
I’ve tried to help a person here or there that was down on their luck. But I’ll also admit to turning away as well.
Me too. It gets tough with the professional panhandlers. Also, most of the homeless have addiction problems, or mental problems so there is some concern with that as well.
Lewis Duiguid is a liberal columnist for the Kansas City Star. Not sure if he still does it, but he used to dress in old clothes and stand around on the street near city hall once a year or so. He would then write a typical left wing column about how poorly he was treated and how his shabby appearance made him invisible to the people with whom he normally interacted in his work.
One year he reported in total amazement that the only person who had recognized him and greeted him as if nothing was out of the ordinary was a staunch conservative with whom he totally disagreed on all things. He is still a loony lib, so I guess he learned nothing.
>> I hate to get cynical, but I also hate being taken advantage of.<<
God reward us for what was in our heart. Once that money, or whatever we give, leaves our hands the responsibility for what the taker does with it is theirs. If we give because they may really need it the Lord looks on that. If we don’t give, we are the ones who the Lord Judges. If the taker is a scam, they are the ones who are judged.
Ping
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