Monday, June 2, 2008

Missio Weekend~Breakfast for Homeless



I got stuck in a bike race on my way to the breakfast that Missio Lux holds every last Saturday at the end of the month so I was late arriving for it. When I walked in, I was given a delightful glimpse of Missio Lux in action. There were whole families present to cook the breakfast, one man came without his family but he stood at the griddle teaching the delicate art of making scrambled eggs and griddling pancakes. The person who leads this Missio is Brad. He loves what he does, enthusastically greeting each guest for breakfast like they are the king of the world.

I went out to the line with him to greet the guests before they came in for breakfast. I met many; Billie, an older woman who came for the first time, Tom, who has come for several months and struggles to believe God exists because of the daily suffering he experiences and sees taking place in his world; Robert, who had a fight with his wife and took off for a few days, and ended up on the streets, Princess, who wears a tiera and a veil and has an infectious smile.

One of the breakfast guests told me that they love to come to this breakfast because they feel welcomed and made to feel like real people. He compared it to other shelters where the attitude is more one of regiment, let's get this done, than hospitality.

I left the breakfast so full. Not from the food, I was too busy to eat. But, from the experience of offering Jesus a cup of cold water and a warm meal through the people he delights in! And on top of it, to see how Missio Lux really does understand that serving is a lifestyle, that when we go beyond our own borders and care about those outside of our everyday life, God's life in us rises up to bring us one step closer to the abundant life Jesus invites us to experience.

How are you living a Missio Lux lifestyle today?

No comments: