Taboo

Christians, as the people of God who should be assisting in the redemption of creation in Christ, have some difficulties to face. One of those is cultural taboos. There are many things which are considered taboo which we as Christians need to participate in. Our culture tells us that the homeless are on the streets for a reason which they caused and that we should not acknowledge their existence. Yeah, it is o.k. to give to the Salvation Army or volunteer at a soup kitchen around Thanksgiving. But actually acknowledging the homeless as people, that is something different.

A couple of weeks ago I was at a meeting with "city officials" discussing an emergency homeless shelter which we opened up this past winter and how we could better prepare for future winters. The city was concerned that the homeless did not freeze to death on their streets but that is about as far as their concern went. One of the "officials" commented that she actually made a connection with one of the guests and opened up to her, another "official" stated that we need training so that the volunteers can learn to keep their distance and not get attached. It was seen as taboo to be vulnerable to the homeless at the shelter. About a week ago I was reading a web page about reaching out to the homeless and it warned not to look at homeless in the eye when around them. Don't look at them in the eye, what are they animals?
If we are to follow in the footsteps of Christ we need to treat the homeless as what they are, people who have found life difficult. We need to look them in the eye and vulnerably enter conversation, enter their lives so that we can help open the door for the savior. We need live taboo lives.
Encountering street folk is not the only place where we need to live taboo lives, Jesus was constantly being accused of being a sinner, drunkard, and all sorts of other taboo things, because he lived with those who were living taboo lives. If we are to reach the whole world with the gospel we need to go and do likewise, we need to live taboo lives.