It was my absolute pleasure to attend Saint James Lutheran's open house, showcasing the plans for a tiny homeless shelter community.
On the property behind their church, featured was one of the tiny homes already built that will accommodate 2 homeless individuals should the church board vote to go forward with this beautiful, long overdue, positive first step in alleviating homelessness in the city of Redding and Shasta County.
Saint James Lutheran has boldly and bravely accepted the challenge to be one of the first to demonstrate the Love of Jesus Christ and provide for the needs of the "least of the brethren."
Other churches and the City of Redding are soon to follow, with hopes of building other micro shelter communities in and around Redding.
With layers of supervision and accountability, it will certainly be a situation of a hand up, and not a handout. Providing homeless with the "first step of a ladder" to climbing out of the dreadful situation of being homeless.
And why not, the Holy Bible from one end to the other speaks of Gods desire that we should help the poor, and the rewards of that will reverberate through the city with the Blessings of God.
Oh, there were the naysayers, the NIMBY folks and immediate neighbors were quite unhappy and let their thoughts be known. And strangely enough even several folks from next stores Our Lady of Mercy Catholic church came by and voiced their concerns. Strangely still, the church secretary was concerned that these folks would come next store and consume all their donations from their food giveaways.
Of course, when Jesus Christ was freely giving of the loaves and fishes homelessness was not a barrier for their physical and spiritual needs, nor should it be for the church next store...
After all, we serve the same Jesus Christ, ... Don't we?
"Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation"
