The Least of These

"He will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
-Matthew 25:45

Last weekend we joined our church family under a bridge in Downtown Boise, to reach out to the local homeless community. The plan was to hand out snack food and water, while introducing ourselves. We chose to include our children on this endeavor, hoping to educate them about homelessness.

There is a hidden disease in America. It is dark and disturbing and many simply distort and dismiss. Some assume the homeless are men. They are older with a beard and no shoes and always drunk or in search of their next drink. Our children are often shielded from these people as they are dirty and sick. It was important to Mike and I that we teach our children that the homeless community is only one thing for sure: homeless. They could be a single dad and a baby, a woman living in her car or a man who served his country for 8 years in Vietnam. 

The Saturday morning alarm was set for 6:00am. We bundled up for the chilly morning and headed to the church. We arrived in Boise around 8:45am. The plan for this morning was to meet the people who live on the streets in the area, introduce ourselves, and hand out some food and water. We wanted to ensure them that this is not a one-time visit; to know who we are so that we can build relationships and take care of at least some of their many needs. We loaded the children up with plastic bags full of snacks and the men with cases of water. We prayed for safety and that our visit would be well received. 

We met so many beautiful people with so many smiles and none who could not accept food from our little ones. I watched my children step out of their comfort zone and talk to a stranger in a strange situation. Flattened cardboard was the only cushion from the cold hard concrete for most on these streets. One lady was trying to sleep with merely a see-through blanket. The shadow of the bridges and stale air added to the grime of this environment. Even through the filth, the love of Christ shined through the little faces of children. 

We made many connections on our first of many visits. We hope to return in two weeks to distribute blankets and coats for our brothers and sisters living in the elements. Our children learned a valuable lesson on Saturday. We would like them to not only be a part of but also contribute to this mission. We cannot ignore these needs. As Christians we are called to care for the "least of these." In doing for others, they were blessed far more than they could have ever imagined.