Jesus People!

Well, Gus and I finally arrived in JPUSA! It was just about five blocks away from our friends apartment in Chicago, so it wasn't too much trouble to find it. I had been here once before for a week, about four years ago back when I did Josiah Project (a summer Christian leadership developement school), and I'm loving my second trip here. It's been a crazy time here so far--it's kind of like living in a church and a college dorm at the same time. The community of approximately 500 JPUSA people live in an old hotel with 9 floors. Every morning, Gus and I wake up around 7:30 in order to wash dishes and sweep the dining room floors, as part of the "home crew"--what most people are put on who first come to the community. The first night Gus couldn't sleep because our two roommates had trouble with snoring and flatulence! (even with earplugs in, he could hear both!)
One of my favorite things about our time here (we've only been here since Sunday) has been the variety of cool people we've met. Just tonight I was talking with a guy from South Africa, who has lived here for the past eight years, and shortly plans on going hiking the Appalachian Trail, then perhaps going to seminary, then perhaps feeding animals with a circus for six months (he admitted this was a little weird, but he wanted to do it anyways), then going back to the orphanage he had worked and taught at in South Africa. The two women who run the orphanage actually adopt the kids, so the goverment can't take them away, so the whole place is run like a large family. He said when he first got there, it was a mess--they had a room full of donations (most of which were junk--why do Christians give their old, used stuff to help others out!!!!!arrgghh). So, though he had never built computers before, he was able to build six computers for them out of the mess of computer parts that had been donated. He said his family had come to visit the orphanage, but they just cried, and didn't help much. If only we could learn how to move beyond sympathy and towards com-passion ("to suffer with", according to the roots). He mentioned his brother, who is a pastor who lives a very wealthy life and who actually preaches the health and wealth gospel. Meanwhile, he has a Zulu maid who lives in a slum and works for him for less than what is the general going rate given to maids and who goes home every night praying the marauders in her township won't kill her and take her money, or perhaps that her drunk husband won't find the money that she's hidden in her house, and use it for booze instead of for food. The world is crying out, and the church is sleeping.
"Don't close your eyes
Don't pretend the jobs done"

And Jesus still calls out to us--us ragamuffin, lost followers--he calls to us, singing us a love song--calling us home--away from the "mess" of following the world---
"Come away, come away, come away with Me my love,
Come away, from this mess, come away with Me, my love."
(lyrics from Keith Green's song "Asleep in the Light")

Let's do it! Let's join in Jesus' army of followers who will follow him to all the abandoned places where His light shines brightest! What have we to lose!? Our lives? Oh, yeah--we're supposed to be dead anyways, so what does that matter!?
Let's go--there can be no better life! Into the foolish maelstrom of Love.