Our friend King who lives on the street is trying to get sober. He loves Jesus and is racked with guilt about his addiction. This morning, he was struggling with, “the shakes” that come with alcohol withdrawal. King prayed and asked God for a beer to help with his tremors. After his prayer time he noticed a woman in a wheelchair that needed help crossing the street. When he was done helping, he noticed a beer by the garbage can. Theophany! “Manifestation of deity in sensible form.” God appears to humans in ways we need him to.

King is gathered with a few other homeless folks. We are chatting about the goodness of God and the power of prayer. King has his shirt off, displaying sharpie marker artwork on his chest that looks like it was created by one of his “friends” while he was passed out. Another homeless man approaches and warns the group that they shouldn’t talk with us. He then tells us that we should not wear clerical collars if were not authorized. We explain that we are ordained but he is not having it and leaves. King becomes irritated and we diffuse the situation, talking about paranoia and trauma surrounding the church and its leaders. King invites us all to pray. We hold hands and he starts us off. Everyone prays and it’s very moving. One woman speaks in tongues and declares that she can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit. We say our goodbyes and linger in the afterglow of God’s sweet Spirit.

We walk through the park and meet a woman at the bus stop. I have met her before and can’t remember her name. We tell her that we are from Operation Nightwatch and tears well up in her eyes. “I love that place. Every time I go there, I cry. The presence of God is always there.”

We meet a man sitting on the sidewalk listening to talk radio and drinking a Steel Reserve beer. He tells me that he has faith in Christ, that “faith is near impossible to explain to someone who doesn’t have it.” He then tells me that he is on the wait list for housing and how God changed his life. Fifteen years ago, he had a dream. In the dream, God showed him a giant black hole and told him that this was where his life was headed. He woke up and has always tried to live in a way that honors God. “I try not to do what I know I shouldn’t be doing.”

“Where can I go to escape from your spirit or from your sight? If I were to climb up to the highest heavens, you would be there. If I were to dig down to the world of the dead you would also be there (Psalm 139:7-8 CEV).”

Michael Cox