Under The Overpass by Mike Yankoski

"What's worse? To do dope or to not love your brother? Why do we kick drug users out of the church while quietly overlooking those who are ignoring their own different but equally destructive sins? Why do we reject the loving, self-sacrificing, giving, encouraging, Jesus-pursuing drug addict but recruit the clean, self-interested, gossiping, loveless churchgoer?  Which one do you suppose Jesus would rather share a burrito with under a bridge?" (pp. 96-97, "Under The Overpass", Waterbrook Multnomah, 2010)  Gets under your skin, doesn't it?  Such is the nature of the story shared by Mike Yankoski, a self-proclaimed "upper middle-class Christian college student" who, with a friend, felt God's call to leave what they felt was safe and journey into the unknown world of the homeless.  With only one set of clothes, a couple of cheap thrift store backpacks and sleeping bags, and an old guitar, they set out to become "homeless" in six different cities.  You'll smell their filthy clothes, sense the rats and the roaches, and shiver when it starts to rain. You'll cringe when the Christians pass them by, and you'll find yourself asking "was that me? Was I one of the ones who walked on by?".  By the time you're finished reading, you won't be able to look at anyone you'd considered "untouchable" the same again, and maybe, just maybe, you'll go over and shake their hand.

Multnomah Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. Check out the first chapter at http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/2010/09/14/sneak-peek-under-the-overpass-5th-anniversary-edition/ or read the Under The Overpass Action Plan at http://multnomahemails.com/wbmlt/pdf/ChristmasUnderTheOverpass_ActionPlan.pdf