Dear Friends,
Before I began working in rescue mission ministry many years ago, to be honest, I judged people experiencing homelessness and many others too. I saw their behavior and I jumped to judgment.
One day, I sensed God reminding me that Jesus says in Matthew 7, “Judge not unless you want to be judged.” He also asks, “Why do you look at the speck in someone else’s eye and pay no attention to the log in your own eye?”
The truth is, every single human being is made in the image of God. Because of this we all have enormous value—those experiencing homelessness, those struggling with addiction, those with a criminal past, those who look different than ourselves—every single one of us.
Throughout these pages you will read the story of Larry who struggled in many ways, and for years. His story is not unlike the many we see come through our doors. And yet, there is a God who loves each person and has created them for a purpose. At the Mission, we work to love and help each person find that purpose and their next step out of homelessness.
When God was transforming my own perspective many years ago, He reminded me that He does not hate any one of us and He did not give His son for only some people. Rather, God LOVES all of us, the whole world. John 3:17 says that Jesus did not come to condemn the world but to save it. So if Jesus did not condemn people, why do we think we can?
I am still human and sometimes I still find myself falling into judgment. The difference is, now I ask God to help me act differently, to see as He sees. And that is the work of Denver Rescue Mission.
Grace and peace,
Dennis Van Kampen
President/CEO
This post is part of September’s Changing Lives Newsletter. This month, we’re sharing how are case managers are helping those experiencing homelessness find stable housing in: Welcome To Your Next Step.
