“There is something very wrong with a system that makes it easier to arrest a homeless person than to get him the treatment he needs.”
Marjorie L. Baldwin, PhD
Homeless, Mentally Ill and Neglected
Estimates are that 20-30% of homeless people suffer from severe mental illness. That’s not just a social problem. It’s a spiritual problem. Even if we could get them all under a safe roof today, most would still be dwelling in an unsafe space spiritually.
I don’t have a quick-fix answer, but I know that Jesus loves them. We may not know how to help, and they may refuse our help. But we should never drive or walk past without offering up a prayer for their well-being.
Lord, these are your children. Watch over them, wrap them in your love, silence the voices in their heads, heal the hurt in their hearts. Restore their souls.
What would you have me to do?
