We are in the winter season in Johannesburg currently. Thanks be to God for the different weather seasons he gives us every year. However, this cold weather reminds me of one night sleeping on the street, and that is where I realized how warm cardboard boxes are when they are used as blankets. We also had imbawula – an outside heater made out of fire and woods in a 20l metal oil drum. So that heater kept us warm before we went to sleep. Luckily, it was not snowing. Well, this event happened during my varsity years, when some of the students from different organisations planned a project of reaching out to the people who live on the streets with an aim of experiencing what living on the streets look like. I went as part of the Student’s Christian Fellowship group, and we took this moment as a great opportunity to reach out with the good news about ‘God who loved the world so much that He gave His one and only son Jesus Christ, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).’
So we started off from varsity and headed to the place where we would all meet. The place was in one of the towns in Vanderbijlpark, which is part of the Johannesburg area. We arrived at the place and we had to search for the people whom we were meeting, and we invited them to join us . It was not difficult to find them since most of them were close by the designated location. There were about 20 of them who came. We had great conversations, and some conversations were not great. But the gospel, the good news, was part of those conversations. It was such a wonderful time of sharing the gospel and praying with those who needed prayer. Some of the students were sharing their warm clothing and the shoes to the group of people who were there. It was a great picture of love and compassion towards that group of people. We can still extend the same love by sharing warm clothing and blankets, even the food, if we can afford to.
Then the night came, we slept, and the cardboard boxes did the work, and the Lord protected us all. The next morning, there are some people who came with a kitchen truck to serve us fresh bread and coffee on recycled clean tins, which we used as our coffee mugs. This was a very interesting experience. Ultimately, we took that risk of reaching out in the streets at night as a group of people, not individually, for safety purposes. Law enforcement people were also made aware of this plan, should anything go wrong. Otherwise, it was well thought out, and we prayed about it as well.
Overall, it was a successful event, and it was rewarding, too. That day was a great reminder to me that all people are made in God’s image, and we need to embrace each other whether we live in houses or in the streets. Moreover, with the love that God has shown us in the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we can ask God to help us share the same love with others. You can also tune in and listen to the sermons on Jonah from the good book, themed ‘God’s Relentless Pursuit.’ These sermons were really challenging, encouraging, and comforting too. Moreover, they challenged me to reach out to others with the love that God has shown me on the cross. I hope they will do the same to you. Check out the sermon series on this website: https://www.christchurchmidrand.co.za
lifewithdudu 