One time many years ago our team was carrying the cross around a place called Harry Hines, which is known as the red light district in Dallas.
As we were walking down the street, we met this small group of young people who were very open and excited to talk to us. Amazingly, they even invited us to the place they were living.
We all walked together a few blocks and when we arrived, it didn’t look like a home at all. It almost looked like a broken down business. Just a small, old, run down building of some sort. It certainly didn’t look like a place where you would find people living in.
We walked in. I would say bravely walked in because we didn’t know what we were walking into. We go through the front door and it opened up into a kind of community room, where many other people were sitting. The air was smokey because of the cigarette smoke. This was in the day time, but I remember it being dark inside. There were some dusty couches and chairs. I just remember everything being really dirty.
As we slowly kept walking through this place, we noticed, I guess what you could call some bedrooms. Where in the world were we? Carrying the cross can sure lead you to some interesting places, that’s for sure.
We come to find out that we are smack dab in the middle of a drug house. I don’t know what else to call it. Typically when you think of a drug house, you think of a house where drugs are sold out of. This probably was that also. But from talking to them and them opening up, they for sure were a group of drug addicts living in this house.
As we were there, we tried to get to know everyone. Some people were a little hesitant at first but they warmed up to us. I think with a lot of people we meet, especially when carrying the cross, we want to make sure they don’t feel judged. Our heart behind carrying the cross is to show and express the heart of Jesus who loves ALL people.
At the end of our first day in this house, we prayed for this group and then after that they invited us back! Every time we would come back they would welcome us with open arms. They would even call us to invite us back if we hadn’t been there in a few days.
One day when we were there, in the group was a girl who was a heroin addict who we think was selling herself to get money for drugs. We spoke encouragement to this girl and saw tears in her eyes and then we asked if we could pray for her. She said yes and we all gathered around, including all the drug addicts, and held hands and prayed for her.
As we were praying, it hit me like a ton of bricks. Who is going to love and reach this group? Here we are, working on a street mostly known for heroin addiction and prostitution, in a run down drug house. Who will reach them and who will reach those like them?
Most likely the answer is nobody and that grieved me. When I hear these people speak to us, I can feel the hope in their voice, but there is no hope without people going to hurting people and loving them.
After we prayed, they were making comments like, there are no churches around here and no churches have ever come and talked to us. Well of course I know there were churches around there. Not directly in Harry Hines, but there were dozens and dozens of churches within 5 miles of there. One after another, on block after block. The reality is that these churches are not actively seeking out these kinds of people. There are around 5,000 churches in the Dallas Ft Worth Metroplex that could be here. There are hundreds of thousands of Christians who could be here.
Who will reach them? Someone has to go. Someone has to take the time and effort to seek out the hurting and those in dark places. Someone has to be willing to go love and build relationship with people. What is stopping us? What is stopping you? What is stopping your church?
You can probably answer those questions in many different ways. The answers are obvious I think. At some point in our lives, we have to look in the mirror and ask ourself, what is my purpose in life? What is the church’s purpose in this city? If it’s anything other than doing anything and everything and going everywhere to reach all people in our city despite the risk and sacrifice of our own lives, then my advice would be to go and find others who want to run this life with you. To live out His purposes. To love and reach all people at any cost. Is this not His purpose for you and the church?
The churches should empty out and flood the city to go out in love and reach all people, everywhere. No one left out. No people group. No race. No addicts. No people who you don’t agree with. Everyone. Everywhere.
Imagine the scene I was talking about when telling the story of praying over the heroine addict. A few of us holding hands with addicts, praying in a circle, crying out to Jesus in the middle of a drug house. No judgement, only love, offering hope. Oh how beautiful He is. Oh Jesus, let this scene play out in every corner of our city.
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