It was late in the evening and I had just finished withdrawing $40 from the ATM at Walgreens at the corner of North Avenue and Wells. It’s a bustling street corner surrounded by a McDonalds, a Starbucks, and the Second City Theatre. Weeks before I had challenged myself by deciding, whenever someone asks me for money on the street I’m going to give them all of the money I’ve got in my wallet - - just to see if I can do it - - to see if I can live radically as a Christian. So as I exit through the revolving doors to the street corner, a man in a wheel chair meets me as I attempt to cross Wells Street and make my way home on the El. He asks me, “Can you help me out. I need some money for a place to sleep.” I respond by saying, “Sure.” He says, “I need $80 for a room up the street. I wanna get me a shower and a change of clothes.” I take a deep breath and proceed to give him the $40 I just got from the ATM. I can’t believe I’m doing this. He takes the money and says, “Is that all you got, I need $80 for the room?” I smile and tell him, “Sorry, that’s all I’ve got.”
When I decided to try and radically put my faith into action I had no idea what was going to happen. I figured I would give an occasional buck or two to the homeless as I went about my way each day, but I never figured I’d be asked to give one guy $40 and then have him still be unsatisfied that it wasn’t enough. There was obviously something bigger going on here than I realized. I wasn’t being called to fix this man’s situation of poverty; I was just being called to try. I was being called to be a disciple.
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