Ever since I was a kid I was absolutely terrified to go into the city of Atlanta. I guess its because of all the stories of shootings, drugs, sex trafficking, etc, that’s always given me that deep feeling in my gut telling me not to go. But just a few months ago a friend of mine invited me to Passion City Church right in the heart of Atlanta where Chris Tomlin leads worship and Louie Giglio speaks scripture. Everyone’s always shared with me the amazing experience that you gain from going and they were definitely right. God fills my heart with this distinct feeling that I’ve never really experienced before whenever I worship there.
Within just a mile of the church you pass three strip clubs on your right and you start to see the amount of aid that the city is in need of. It breaks my heart to see woman most likely with families putting themselves out for the regretless sin of humanity… There’s also homeless people roaming everywhere; you can just sense the misrible despair in their lives. And who is doing anything to help them? Honestly I’ve been one to look and them and imagine the evil in their hearts and judge them for who they might not be. I’m not saying that they’re all good people that have just had an unlucky draw. I’m sure a lot of them are out there for drug addictions, criminal records, and other things like that. But what about the ones that aren’t? I guess its impossible to know all of their past transgressions but do they even matter when we have a forgiving father that doesn’t care about our pasts when we trust in him and make a commitment to change the outcome of our futures? I believe that God can forgive them just as easily as He forgives you and me on a daily basis.. I feel that everyone has the chance to be saved, but they can’t to do it on their own. They need someone to push them and nurture them through the process.
I want to give these people that are sleeping on the concrete in the freezing cold a chance. Would Jesus want us to just walk past a person that needs food, water, and clothes? I don’t think so. I want to talk to them and learn their story because I know if I was in the situation I would want the exact same. I feel that Atlanta is a city of the stereotype we gave it. We need to stop looking at them as drug addicted criminals, but potential followers of Christ!
