I love a challenge, but this experience became so much more than that for me.
Once I learned that many people experiencing homelessness stay awake at night and sleep during the day for safety reasons, I understood the meaning of this overnight walk on a much deeper level.
As we walked through the late-night chaos of King Street and crossed the train tracks near Spruill Avenue, it struck me how difficult it is to comprehend homelessness from the outside. I can never fully grasp the toll homelessness takes on a person’s soul. The gradual loss of confidence, dignity, and the belief that you still belong in society or have something meaningful to contribute feels almost too devastating to imagine as reality.
If I had to describe the night in one word, it would be compassion.
Oddly enough, one of the things that affected me most was not being able to clean my hands when I wanted to. I was surprised by how much that bothered me. Something so small and routine suddenly felt significant. It made me think about how quickly a person can be impacted when even the simplest needs become difficult to meet.
The night challenged me emotionally in ways I did not expect. It reminded me how easy it is to observe homelessness from a distance without fully considering the mental, emotional, and physical weight a person without a home carries every single day.
This experience deepened my compassion, challenged my assumptions, and reminded me that every person has a story. Every person deserves safety, dignity, and the opportunity to not just belong, but to feel genuinely loved and valued.
I walked away realizing that even if I won’t ever reach full understanding, making the effort to understand matters. I also walked away hopeful. Hopeful that compassion still exists, that understanding can grow, and that God calls us to love people not from a distance, but up close, with open eyes, open hearts, and a willingness to truly see one another.
