Relentlessly Reaching

There they were, “Under the Tree,” gathered on a vacant lot in one of the more disadvantaged neighborhoods in St. Louis. A group of men around my age simply sitting together and passing the time.

It was the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. Lockdown orders had just begun, and our team was delivering groceries to families connected to the local school we partnered with. Many had been furloughed, and others were struggling with hunger after the school closed its doors.

The first week, the men watched us from a distance.

The second week, one of them waved.

By the third week, they all waved, so I stopped.

We talked. I handed out masks. They were warm, welcoming, and eager to share their stories. In return, I shared mine. What began as a quick conversation slowly became friendship.

At first, they warned me not to stop on certain corners nearby. Later, they admitted they worried something bad might happen to me.

But nothing bad ever did.

Instead, it became a joy to know them and to spend time in this neighborhood.

Before long, they figured out I was a Christian. Eventually, they also accepted that I was not John Lennon reincarnated.

More importantly, I realized they genuinely enjoyed my company just as much as I enjoyed theirs. They simply wanted friendship.

When we step into another person’s world, we often discover unexpected beauty.

Under the Tree we laughed together, cried together, and once got chased by a pack of dogs.

We often jumped at the sound of nearby gunshots, yet despite the assumptions many might make about places like this, I never witnessed racism or entitlement.

What I did encounter, at times, was deep hopelessness.

But slowly, the Good News began to find its way into conversations and relationships. Hope arrived quietly, bringing healing and new life with it.

Charley asked to be baptized, and I wept when it happened. Tragically, his grandson was killed the very next day.

Larry came to faith as well, and now he regularly feeds the poor and hungry on the corner outside his house.

Today, most of us still gather weekly "Under the Tree" to share a meal and talk about life, faith, and everyone who walks or drives by.

My only regular prayer is that the pack of dogs does not come charging out from behind the old house again.

Please pray for us.