Men of Righteousness

"Men are God's method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men. What the church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men who the Holy Spirit can use - men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Spirit does not come on machinery but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men - men of prayer."

--Edward McKendree (E. M.) Bounds

It's true. God is looking for better men. This week will mark month seven for me. Seven months living in the fair city of Chicago. About a month ago I met a man by the name of Colin. This guy reminds me a lot of a couple friends back home. Four friends to be specific. He encompasses a bit of each of their qualities.

He has a heart for people, a passion to see God's work done, an ability to see a need and take actions to getting it done, and a desire to see lives changes if even for a moment.

I invited him over to the house for breakfast this morning, and I made omelets and biscuits. Here is a brief description of Colin: he's a bit taller than I am, but who isn't? (5'8ish) He has short brown hair, he sometimes where's glasses, and always has his backpack with him. He's a shorter version of one of my best friends Zach Kissinger kinda.

We chatted in the kitchen as I prepared breakfast, talking about ministry and the revelation he had had a couple nights before. We soon sat down with Bryan and Amy and enjoyed our respective omelets and biscuits. Afterward, Colin wanted to go to a coffee shop to talk and have hot chocolate. I was more than happy to oblige.

We soon left and went in search of a coffee shop suggested by Bryan and Amy. When we found it we parked. He parked closer to our destination and I, on the other hand, had to park farther down due to the number of people out downtown. As I got out of my car, I looked down where Colin had originally parked and noticed him talking to a man.

The man was in his mid to late 50's, of African American decent, about 220-240 pounds not fat but rather burly man, with ragged clothes, and seemingly not well kept. As I approach them I got a closer look at the gentlemen, I noticed that most of his teeth were missing or disastrously on their way. I look at his tattered clothes, his homely appearance and immediately felt the need to recoil.

Colin notices me coming and he has a smile on his face and introduces me to the man and tells me that he's going to buy him a meal. Here I am in my extremely nice $100 wool coat and leather gloves, my car I was so blessed to receive, and the nice house I'm so lucky to live in; here I am thinking less of a man because of his initial appearance.

I felt ashamed.

As we three walked the streets to the deli, Colin and the older man continued a conversation which they had begun before I got to them. They were talking about churches in the area and the like. He asked where we went to church, we told him. When we arrived at the deli he ordered his sandwich, looked at us with a smile and said something along the lines of, "Thank you. It's good to have met some good Christian guys like you. I really do appreciate this."

He turned out to be a very nice man, whom obviously had fallen on some very tough times. Colin paid for his meal and we left the man awaiting his lunch. He smiled, waved and said "thank you" again. As we began walking to our destination Colin, very humbly, began praying for him.

During this moment I saw a true man of righteousness right before my eyes. How many of us can honestly say that we would have done that? Would I? I would like to think that I would but my first reaction proved otherwise.

As we were in the coffee shop having our hot chocolate and hot tea, I looked out the window and notice the man walking down the strip. Eating his sandwich, looking a bit better, feeling a bit blessed.