Barrels of Hope

For the past week I have been heavily involved in this. This is a project initiated by Dan and Jenny Keeran, a wonderful God fearing couple who has a huge huge heart for the homeless. In fact, I thought I had a heart for the homeless until I met them. Just being around them, my Grinchesque heart has grown 3times it size. Our project involves interviewing the homeless of Calgary, getting to know the nameless, faceless invisible people of our city and giving them respect and gifts for this holiday season. After we interview, we post their story and things they need on the above website where Calgarians can go and read the stories of our city's homeless and then purchase gifts for whoever they choose. I have yet to come across an initiative as practical and holistic as this. We have completed over 300 interviews which is about 10% of the homeless population in Calgary.

Besides the stories themselves, the most encouraging thing has been the media's willingness to cover this story, broadcasting our website on the news, web, newspaper and radio. In fact, Canada Am is interviewing me and Dan next Thursday so it'll even go national. Its amazing to me that "helping people" is still so unique that media is willing to broadcast it everwhere. Yes I realize that without the media this project could not fly, but still, its made me analyze how common this sort of thing really isn't.

Dan and Jenny's vision is that all Canadian city's will do this. And that it will grow into something that spans well beyond Christmas but includes birthdays as well.

Last night, we were interviewing the homeless of Salvation Army's Centre of Hope. A dozen people from our church showed up to help conduct the interviews. As we were interviewing, a bunch of police began to form right outside the window. Half an hour later it was confirmed. A man had been stabbed to death in a Cul de sac no more then 20 meteres from where we were. Apparently the cul de sac is notorious for this sort of thing and is even known as "crack cul de sac."

As I've reflected on the events of last night the irony has not been lost on me. Hope inside. Homicide out. Light in dark. Life in the midst of death.

This project has shaken me up. As I've listened to and read the countless stories of my city's homeless I can't help but think, that could be me. Over half of them work full time jobs, just like me but simply can't afford the God forsaken cost of living in "the greatest city in Canada." The ones who are not working are mentally ill or addicted to crack just to be able to make it through the day. Many of them have watched their kids carted off to homes until they can manage to get a home themselves. The teenagers have parents who have abandoned them, kicked them out, washed their hands of their filthy offspring. As I write this my heart aches. They need Hope so bad. I have friggin barrels of it in my basement yet they can't seem to find it beyond a $20 hit of crack. What am I to do with all my Hope? I must continually give it away. I don't think God will be impressed if I arrive in the afterlife driving a fork lift carrying barrels of Hope. I think I should arrive with just enough for me to have made it through this life. Just enough for me and the hundreds of others who now have just enough too.

I'm guessing you have barrels too.

John