Last night I was teaching a class on Methodist Heritage at Good Samaritan UMC when a man walked into our church. He had a scruffy overgrown reddish-brown beard that hung down 5 inches from his chin. He wore his tattered clothes in layers -- I could tell because the tatters were just that severe.
I excused myself from the class and asked that they discuss the Wesley Quadrilateral while I was out taking care of something. As usual for our bible studies, Vicki and I had brought a raw veggie tray, small pastries, and nuts to eat, and various beverages to drink. I offered the man food to eat and something to drink. He graciously accepted a coke but didn't want anything to eat just yet. He said he had been walking all day and was dehydrated.
I introduced myself and learned his name was Pete. He said he wanted a place to sleep. He wanted a motel room and said he was willing to work for it. I told him that there were no hotels in Lake Wylie and Clover. The nearest hotels were in Gastonia and Charlotte. He said he didn't care to go back that way since he was headed south. He wasn't interested in backtracking.
I asked him to make himself comfortable in the upholstered chairs in the lobby (narthex) of the church building while I made some phone calls to see how I could help. Danny, Gail and I looked through the phone book, unsure of exactly what we were looking for. I called Rev. Gaither and he suggested I call God's Kitchen in Clover.
Danny found the number for God's Kitchen and I called. The church that sponsor's God's Kitchen also sponsor Lighthouse Ministries in Clover, SC. The pastor there told me they had a shelter, but they normally don't do short term one-night stands, but he said he'd make an exception.
Pete said he wasn't interested in a shelter because he didn't want to be around people. He also didn't care for rules, and had no interest in taking a shower and putting on pajamas. He said he was fed up with the rules.
I told him I didn't know a lot about this ministry, but that I didn't they were a traditional shelter. I asked him to give it a try. He agreed. Danny and Monica gave him a few bucks and sent him across the street to Burger King for dinner while I finished the Bible Study up.
After the study, I asked Danny if he would accompany me for safety's sake. He agreed and we drove across to the Burger King to pick Pete up. I told him the details of the shelter I had arranged and he bristled a little bit. He reiterated that he didn't want to follow any shelter rules. I told him to give it a try. He got in the car.
On the ride over, I learned he was born in Virginia, but he had been on the road since 1997. He was headed for Colorado. He wanted to keep going south until he found a route that would take him west to Colorado.
We got to the Lighthouse ministries and spoke to the lady in charge. Pete started backpedaling almost immediately. She sensed that Pete, a white man, may have had misgivings because she and several of the people walking around were black. She told Pete that she had several white men who were also staying there. He said he wanted a room -- a motel room. She said that all their rooms were private and he'd have a nice double bed of his own.
Pete then said that he didn't want to do that, he'd rather sleep on the streets. He walked away.
Danny and I thanked the lady for her kind offer of assistance. I really didn't know what to say. You really want to help people, but you cannot force someone to accept your assistance.
Danny and I caught up with Pete and gave him some money for breakfast. We also kindly pointed out that he was walking north, which was where he said he didn't want to go. He's headed south ... and I mean that geographically and metaphorically.