Where is Jesus?

We saw Jesus.
but we weren't in the Superdome.
We weren't in the Imax theatre.
We weren't in the learning center or the interaction center.
These are good places to be; air conditioned, acccess to rest rooms and food, happy places! Its a hot day in New Orleans.

But we were under a bridge next to the new orleans Mission on OC haley BLVD. We went there with cold drinks and some food at lunch time that we bought at a local grocer and, together with our friends from Christ Lutheran, Elizabethtown(PA), we gave them away to over 100 homeless people. Most of them were African American men. But there were white men and women, too. They told us their stories. They drank and ate. We prayed with them and listened to them.

We didn't learn about poverty in a movie or a lecture. We stood with the poor. We held their hands. We gave them water. We listened to their stories.
These people did not deserve us, nor we the privilege of serving them here. We were there because of Jesus, not because of them. Admittedly, our reasons were partly selfish. We wanted to feel good about our works of service. It was rewarding.
But God sent us today and they will be there tomorrow too and we will get on buses and go home. May we not forget that Jesus is found in the forgotten, overlooked, rejected, undeserving, punished, and broken ones under the bridge.
I will write more tonigh with pics and comments from all of the kids, whose fear turned to faith as we served the LORD and saw the face of Jesus today.