Urban centers report record homelessness during winter storms

A pastoral reflection

There is something particularly piercing about the image of a person with nowhere to go while the wind chill drops below zero. Shelters stretched to 115% capacity mean real human beings are being turned away into the cold tonight. This is not an abstract policy failure; it is a crisis of bodies and souls exposed to danger while the rest of us sleep under warm blankets. Jesus was direct about where he locates himself in scenes like this one. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. (Matthew 25:35-36) He does not say 'blessed are those who feel bad about homelessness.' He identifies himself with the person in the cold and calls us toward action, not sentiment. Grief for what is broken in our cities is appropriate, but grief alone leaves people outside. If your community has an emergency overflow shelter, a warming center, or a church opening its doors this week, that is where faith becomes visible. Cold nights like these are a test of whether we believe Jesus meant what he said about who he is found among.

Try this: Locate an emergency warming shelter or overflow center in your city tonight and donate blankets, socks, or hand warmers, or volunteer for an overnight shift this week.