which doesn't fit? football...pizza...pimp

This past Thursday night at our high-school hangout we had a very interesting mix of attendees.

For those of you not familiar with the area/neighborhood that Rock Island is located in, let me just say this, the women walking the streets of 9th and Blackwelder aren't selling ice cream, newspaper subscriptions or delivering girl-scout cookies. They're working. We know it. Our kids (when I say kids I mean the kids we work with, not like my actual children, I have none) know it. Everyone that lives in the neighborhood knows it. This particular street is notorious for that very reason.

Also on the corner of 9th and Blackwelder is a church. This church has been there for a very long time and they are also very familiar with the happenings that occur on their street. Recently this church decided to hold an all evening/night concert/worship on the street corner. One of their motives, along with others I am sure, was to cut down on the activity that generally takes place on their street corner. I can only imagine all of the meetings, opinions and controversies that took place while organizing this event at this specific church, but for what it's worth (which may be zilch to many of you) I like their train of thought.

Basically what happened was the women moved their work a street one block east, Mckinley. That's us. The schedule we have at Rock Island is pretty consistent, so for the most part anyone relatively close to Cross and Crown or Rock Island knows when we are and when we aren't going to be there. Needless to say, between Rock Island being open with 25+ kids running around inside and out of the building and church- woodstock (I'm not making fun of it, I really just picture it to be a really small version of what woodstock would be like, minus the drugs and other garbage) concert going on, I think we really messed up business for the ladies that night.

The hangout at Rock Island started at 6:00 pm and so I showed up around 5:15 to get a few things ready ( low and behold Ron was already there. I could have gotten there at 3:15 and he still would have been there at least 5 minutes before me). When I pulled up a girl and her pimp, literally her pimp, were on our street corner. They had clearly been forced out of their normal area of work and also seemed a little antsy when kid after kid started to show up for the nights' hangout. Regardless of the fact, they stayed there. Around 7:15 or so several of the kids followed me across the street to help unload some donations. After unloading the final items the boys started to throw the football back and forth in the middle of the street. I was somewhat nervous at first because I could just imagine the young man who was pimping this girl thinking in his head, "You have got to be kidding me. Is this really happening? " Meanwhile he just becomes more and more frustrated. Boy was I wrong...

While I was nervously walking back into Rock Island to discuss with Ron what sort of action we should take I turned around for a brief second only to see the young man in a full sprint to retrieve an arrant pass. (As a side note, the ball was very well overthrown and there was no possible way this guy could catch up to it. He had no shirt on and I thought for sure that he was going to dive for it for some reason. But, he didn't. Good, that would have only added to the already complicated scenario.) After discussing the situation with Ron for a few minutes, while we watched from the window, we couldn't help but at least chuckle about our situation. Many times during the work day, both at Cross and Crown and Rock Island, Ron, Chandy or myself will be caught in a situation and say to the other something to the effect of, "I didn't sign up for this", or, "What other job has to deal with things like this", or my personal favorite that I have copywrite on, "This wasn't in my job description when I signed up". After further discussing the situation Ron and I decided to have the kids all come inside. Our main reason was that we felt the parents of the children would question our decision making process and safety of their children if we had decided differently.

After all the kids came back inside Rock Island they were quickly entertained by the other forms of entertainment available. Shortly after they were all inside, you guessed it, the young man/pimp thought he would check things out from the inside of Rock Island. I spotted him when we was about 10-15 feet away from the front door and meet him at the door as he opened it. I asked him how I could help him and he understandably asked for something to drink. After introducing myself and explaining what Rock Island was I asked him if he could wait outside (I explained to him that in order to come in you had to be in junior-high or high-school. Let it be known he isn't the first adult who has expressed interest in coming to Rock Island on a regular basis). I grabbed him a diet coke for both himself and his friend and meet him outside. As I was handing him the drinks he began to explain to me how he was a barber. He seemed somewhat nervous (for good reason, he was lying to me) but I told him it was a pleasure to meet him and told him not to be a stranger. I invited him to come to our Sunday night worship in September and to not hesitate to come get some food from us sometime. He politely accepted my invitation and said he would defintely do so. I honestly hope he does.

My job is ministry. When I go to work I go to minister to people in need. Some people need food, some people need clothes, so need legal help, some need glasses to see, some need a toothbrush, all need Christ. Alot of times when I 'minister' to people, it's easy. Not that that's bad, but because my job is ministry, people that I see on a day to day basis at work are open to receive ministry because that's what they came for. I have been asking God to present people to me that aren't necessarily seeking ministry. What an extraordinary opportunity to minister to someone who isn't directly/purposefully seeking ministry.

Alot of people, "church-goers" or "non-church-goers", would frown upon this man and turn the other way. They would look at this man and his way of life and do everything they could to not associate with him.

I don't approve of this mans' line of work. Bottom line is that it is sinful. But what I wont do is deny this man what he really needs simply because of how deep he is in sin.

" While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

This scripture, quote from Jesus, is mentioned several times in the new testament. It seems so simple. Why would someone go to the doctor if they weren't sick? Or, why would a doctor go to heal a person who is completely healthy? Jesus is saying that he is on earth for the same reason. He isn't here to call all the people who believe already, those who have accepted him. He is here to call those who don't believe, those who haven't accepted him.

Now that is something that is in my "job description" when it comes to having accepted Christ. Isn't it for all of us? When you accepted Christ didn't you agree to let others know about Him? Even those, especially those, caught so deep in sin most people wont even associate with them?

I'll keep you posted on how our relationship with this young man grows.