Tonight I was taken through the streets of inner Toronto and taught about streetlife. We were lead by an expert in the ministry; Pastor Joe. He has been working in city missions for 25 years.
I saw many things, heard many things and felt many things.
We set out at 7 around Regent park. It was a nice warm evening.
Regent Park consists mostly of Muslims. Along the streets I could see rows of Taxi's lined up; not for customers but because we were close to a mosque. It was prayer time. There are 4 elementary schools in the area but no highschool.
Why? Prejudices.
It was believed that the immigrants weren't that smart and would not make it that far at the time the community was built. You must be senstive to culture and religion when caring for these people.
We prayed
Passed through alleyways down dark streets and old abandoned houses.
We arrived on George street near the Seaton house. The Seaton house is the last resort for men on the steets. They come when they have been kicked out of everyother hostel and shelter in the city. The Seaton house has the most intensive programs. Filled with alchoholics, people just out from prison........you name it.
I've been here before, during the day but at night it was totally different. As we started walking, everyone moved to the opposite of the street away from the Seaton house. However, my curiousity got the best of me so I decided to walk right in front of the hostel. Passed by many crack addicts twitching from withdrawl, mentally unstable people talking and yelling random things and others just smoking pot and cigarettes outside. I was scared, there were a lot of people.
A little big past the hostel were groups of gangs hanging out in old houses.
"Whats up Chink?" yelled out one of them.
The air was heavy. This was one of the places where I could feel the brokenness and spiritual darkness physically and emotionally.
At the other end of George was a Strip joint. Outside I saw a few prostitutes smoking
Joe told us that when they were jonesing many of them were willing to do things for just a cigarette.
He asked "Whats your breaking point?"
Its easy to judge and we say we would never do stuff like that, but really if your desperate and theres no other way.............
If your parents abused you at home before you were on the streets........
Maybe you would think its ok.
We prayed
We walked for half a kilometer. It surprised me how everything changed so fast. Suddenly we were out of the slums and next to new condos selling for $600 000. The Hilton was right around the next block. People were dressed nicer and eating in high class restuarants.
I heard someone say later on: "Even though theres a huge difference in wealth, spiritually speaking they're on the same level"
Its so true both these classes of people needed to know God. They were trapped but by different things.
As we continued walking down the street, I noticed something different. Most of the population was dominantly men. Men dressed in flashy clothing. All the restaurants we passed were filled with men eating dinner in pairs, holding hands etc.
I felt a strong longing for love with a lack of it in the air.
Around the corner was Aid's Memorial Park. There was a semi-circle of plaques engraved with names of homosexuals who had lost their life to AIDS.
As we looked through the long list of names I almost tripped over a mattress laying in between two of the plaques. I hear a moan from a woman underneath a man and turn away quickly.
I walk to the other side andcontinue to look at the endless list of names...
2009
"J. Jarvis aka Mr.Slut2u"
Suddenly I understood: The names of the people on the plaque's were not the only victims, they all were.
Victims longing for love. Victim's trapped in a lie.
We Prayed
On the way back we saw a group of apartments near Jamestown. Were told 2 or 3 familes would share the same room.
How do we love?
I was told and learned a lot more but I guess somethings are hard to explain unless you see and experience it for yourself.
If anything the one thought that kept going on through my head was:
"I really don't know that much"
Maybe thats the attitude we should have in everything we do.
