Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me… Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me. –Matthew 25:34-36, 40
Nashville is an incredible city, with a vibrant history and an amazing creative arts scene. Sometimes called the Los Angeles of the South, this city claims a lot of awesome things: country music, incredible barbeque, stunning monuments, beautiful libraries, and the Grand Ole Opry. But there’s another side of Nashville we don’t always see on the TV or in the magazines: homelessness.
The homeless population of Nashville is massive, with large concentrations in the downtown area. The chronic homelessness stats read about 25% higher than the national average. Many just look the other way in regards this issue, making homelessness Nashville’s dirty little secret. But this week, our team is serving alongside those bringing light to the places covered in shadows.
On Monday night, our team went to downtown Nashville to work with the ministry People Loving Nashville. Every week, People Loving Nashville serves fresh food for about 200 people. Before leaving to serve the meals, our students decorated many of the food trays and wrote cards of encouragement to pass to the new friends they would make downtown.
Once we arrived downtown, we spread out around the Memorial Plaza where People Loving Nashville serves food. Dinner was a hot meal, a cool drink, completed with a slice of birthday cake. As dinner was served and everyone sat down, our students walked around and chatted with people as they ate, picked up the food trays, and passed out birthday cake.
It seemed intimidating at first. What should we say? Will we have anything in common? But as I soon found out, the conversation, the laughter, the smiles, and the time together were a piece of cake.
Some of our students spoke with ex military snipers, former higher ups in the auto industry, factory workers, grandmothers, and many others. What struck many of our students was how similar these people are to people we know. Stereotypes melted away as we listened to stories, as we shared pieces of ours, and before we knew it—we had many new friends before the night was over. We came to bless the homeless of downtown Nashville, but I think we can agree that we returned home that evening more blessed then we could have imagined.
Kingdom comes like a piece of frosted birthday cake and a conversation. Jesus, let your kingdom fall fresh over Nashville.
