Christians Takes a stand for the Homeless
03/12/06 10:34 PM Filed in: Ministry
In the
book
The Irresistible
Revolution, Shane Claiborne
describes how Christians stood up for the rights of
the homeless in Philadelphia. The city had passed
anti-homeless legislation, making it illegal for
homeless people to sleep or ask for money in the
parks. In an effort to stop those who were seeking to
help the homeless, officials went even further by
banning all food from the park. Claiborne
writes:
In the
book
The Irresistible
Revolution, Shane Claiborne
describes how Christians stood up for the rights of
the homeless in Philadelphia. The city had passed
anti-homeless legislation, making it illegal for
homeless people to sleep or ask for money in the
parks. In an effort to stop those who were seeking to
help the homeless, officials went even further by
banning all food from the park. Claiborne writes:
About a hundred of us gathered in Love Park with homeless friends. We worshipped, sang, and prayed. Then we served communion, which was illegal. But with clergy and city officials there supporting us, and with police and the media surrounding us, we celebrated communion. Most of the police sat back and watched, not daring to arrest anyone, especially during communion. Then we continued the "breaking of the bread" by bringing in pizzas. It was a love feast, and then we slept overnight in the park with our homeless friends.
We did that week after week, with the police watching over us and the media standing by. And then, one night after worship as we slept under the "Love" sign (which we had covered with a big question mark), the police circled the park and arrested all of us.
Later, Claiborne stood before a judge for his "crime," wearing a shirt that read, "Jesus was homeless." The judge was intrigued, admitting that he didn't know Jesus had been homeless. The judge said that the real issue at stake was the constitutionality of the law, then declared:
Let me remind the court that, if it weren't for people who broke unjust laws, we wouldn't have the freedom that we have. We'd still have slavery. That's the story of this country, from the Boston Tea Party to the civil rights movement. These people are not criminals; they are freedom fighters. I find them all not guilty, on every charge.
The newspapers announced it as a "Revolutionary Court Decision," and Claiborne writes that the judge asked him for a "Jesus was homeless" T-shirt.
About a hundred of us gathered in Love Park with homeless friends. We worshipped, sang, and prayed. Then we served communion, which was illegal. But with clergy and city officials there supporting us, and with police and the media surrounding us, we celebrated communion. Most of the police sat back and watched, not daring to arrest anyone, especially during communion. Then we continued the "breaking of the bread" by bringing in pizzas. It was a love feast, and then we slept overnight in the park with our homeless friends.
We did that week after week, with the police watching over us and the media standing by. And then, one night after worship as we slept under the "Love" sign (which we had covered with a big question mark), the police circled the park and arrested all of us.
Later, Claiborne stood before a judge for his "crime," wearing a shirt that read, "Jesus was homeless." The judge was intrigued, admitting that he didn't know Jesus had been homeless. The judge said that the real issue at stake was the constitutionality of the law, then declared:
Let me remind the court that, if it weren't for people who broke unjust laws, we wouldn't have the freedom that we have. We'd still have slavery. That's the story of this country, from the Boston Tea Party to the civil rights movement. These people are not criminals; they are freedom fighters. I find them all not guilty, on every charge.
The newspapers announced it as a "Revolutionary Court Decision," and Claiborne writes that the judge asked him for a "Jesus was homeless" T-shirt.
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