I walked a mile in your shoes. Here's what I learned.

As part of the "get dirty" campaign at Lifehouse and an illustration for our series Dirty Little Secrets, I came to church a few weeks ago as a HOMELESS MAN. My clothes were torn, old, and smelled of sour milk. Our resident make-up artists gave me a really bad beard, growths, scars, and dark shadows around my eyes. I walked slowly, and my right hand shook uncontrollably. After walking about a mile to the theater, I arrived before 9am, while many volunteers were still arriving and getting ready to go in for our regular prayer time. I sat outside on the curb, kept to myself, and eventually came into Lifehouse during communion. Finally, after Pastor Dave got up to preach, I interrupted him (well, not me, but the homeless man, everyone thought I was), and I began to speak.

You can listen to the sermon at our website here.

Thought I'd share a few things I had learned while walking a mile (literally and figuratively) in the shoes of a homeless man:

• A TOUCH MEANS SO MUCH! First thing that really surprised me: how many people at Lifehouse touched me. In all my prep, I honestly did not expect anyone to get close enough to me to smell me, let alone touch me. Loving hugged me, put their hands on my back, rubbed my leg, placed their hands on me and prayed. It actually meant a lot (and I was just acting).
• WE'RE NOT INVISIBLE. We all notice each other, even the homeless man on the curb, it's just that we choose to care or ignore them. I didn't know what to expect at Lifehouse, but hoped that many would come up to me and give me food, love, care, whatever. I was regularly greeted, offered coffee, food (although, ENOUGH WITH THE CHEEZ-ITS), got invited into the cafe, service- multiple times. After the service, many people apologized for ignoring me. It wasn't that they didn't see me. They saw me, and chose not to stop and help. I'm not rebuking them. That's what they actually told me.
• IT'S OKAY TO COME AS YOU ARE. Here's what I saw as the homeless man, when I came onto the platform (after being stopped by security, but invited by Pastor Dave):

"Thank you. Thank you for accepting me as I am. You didn't ask me to put on a tie, but invited me in just the way I am.

"Thank you for NOT making me hide my pain, my hurt, my regrets, my abuse. You told me it was okay for me to just come in and that God loves me!

"Thank you to the woman who called me 'friend', and the man who told me, 'You are special and God loves you'. Thanks for overlooking my smell, poor appearances, and troubling shake.

"I know that being on the stage is making some of you uncomfortable, but thanks for just loving and accepting me. You didn't ask me to pretend that everything is okay...

"My question to you is: WHY is it OK for me to be me at church, but not for YOU? Why did you tell me that I can just come in as I am, but you work so hard to COVER UP, to wear your masks so well, to not let anyone see your pain, hurt, and regrets?

• BEST MOTIVATION IS LOVE NOT GUILT. I intentionally avoided the guilt-for-not-helping-the-homeless-man message, since I figured that's where everyone would expect me to go, and I like surprising our church. Plus, I hope we, as Christians, are more motivated to compassion out of love rather than guilt. If I motivate Jesus-followers by guilt, it won't last long (think of tithing), but if by love, it will transform their whole way of life and lead to true Christ-like living. I never got the sense that anyone helped me out of obligation, for show, or out of guilt, but because they genuinely cared and wanted to offer a helping hand.
• I HAVE YOUR MONEY. A few people gave me money, and after service, I offered to give it back, but no takers. However, it was put into the regular offering. If you'd still like to get that $20 back, let me know. We weren't trying to trick anyone into giving to the church.
• CHILDREN ARE SO COOL. Brian, our hospitality leader came out with coffee and food, prayed with me, and his son even talked with me. Then, his son repeatedly came out to check on me, asked if I needed anything else, and came to talk to me. So, first- parents, keep a close eye on your kids, they might NOT be taking your counsel to heart, and ARE taking to strangers :). Also, kids are so cool!