Slumming it.

I spent this weekend sleeping in a cardboard box. I didn't want to, and i hadn't been unceremoniously removed from my home. It was to prove a point, raise awareness, and raise money.

'Slum Survivor' is a charity that works in conjunction with Tearfund, and 'Soul Survivor' to raise funds for those that live on the streets in homelessness and poverty all around the world. The strapline is that we aim to 'Spend a day living the way billions spend a lifetime'. As a youth group we built our own slum out of cardboard, plastic and anything else we could find from skips and rubbish bins. We then camped out on the church premises in our very own mini-city; some of the ever creative teenage girls even had a television, complete with changeable channels!

As the evening went on, there were definately aspects of the challenge that began to irritate us! Hunger, cold, boredom and the deadly slow passing of time became particularly obvious. We soon became aware of how compelling any form of escapism seemed, drink and drugs particularly. However there was something deeply grating on my conscience throughout the whole experience: we will never fully be able to recreate the life of the homeless.

This thought was articulated perfectly when i visited my friend's church this evening, and took part in their youth group. Talking to the intern based at her church, i shared the Slum Survivor experience. His honest and somewhat naive answer struck a chord with me: 'How many homeless were there?'. We can never know what truly living like the homeless is like unless we walk with the homeless. I may be crazy, but I believe that my God is a relational God, and a missional God. The 'Slum Survivor' experience created great relationships on an inter-youth basis, we raised four thousand pounds for the work of missons charities in South Africa and Central America which is more amazing than anyone could ever dream of. Yet, it is my thought that we neglected the people that mattered most. We neglected those on the streets that do not know relationship, those who do not know what it is like to feel loved, to feel ministered to.

My new boss is hot on this thing he calls 'Incarnation ministry'. Jesus says at the end of Matthew , 'Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything i have commanded you.' Jesus instructs us to 'Go'. We as Christians should be fulfilling this 'great commission', and making disciples by walking with those around us, learning with them, laughing with them, crying with them. In youth ministry I as a leader have to meet with my young people on their terms, to walk with them, learn with them, laugh and cry with THEM.

Similarly, the youth of my church needed to GO and be with the homeless in South Croydon. They needed to walk, learn, laugh and cry with the homeless of South Croydon. I needed to walk, learn, laugh and cry with the homeless of South Croydon.
I have no doubt that the experience as it stood, enriched the knowledge and awareness of our youth fourfold, as it did me. When the clocks went back, and a traditional glorious extra hour in a nice warm bed was traded in for an extra hour under a cardboard blanket on a concrete mattress, i can't deny how real the experience of everyday homelessness became.

But I'm already getting itchy feet (and no, it's not from any disease i contracted from my weekend). Lets take it to a new level and obey the call to GO. Will you join me?