Notorious Others by Ryan
Bright and early the team from IBC headed to the downtown courthouse of Memphis in order to spend the morning ministering to the incoming defendants. It was a morning of challenge filled with prayer and exploration, and that same attitude was carried on throughout the afternoon of ministry.
For lunch the team was challenged to take some extra sack lunches with them as they take the time to sit down with a local homeless person, sharing a meal, stories, and listening to the experiences of others. It was an eye-opening experience.
Later in the evening the team served another meal to the homeless at the Memphis Union homeless shelter. This site has been a source of hope for the homeless men in the community since 1945 and it was a blessing to serve alongside them.
After that the first Stone Soup team prepared their homemade chili and the group shared in a wonderful meal filled with conversation about their experiences that day and how their own presumptions about the homeless and the notorious “other” can effect their work of reconciliation.