Grace can lead us home A Christian call to end homelessness

Kevin Nye

Book - 2022

"On any given night, more than half a million Americans and Canadians will find themselves sleeping on the streets, in shelters, cars, and other places not meant for human habitation. Housing insecurity is one of our nation's foremost humanitarian crises, and yet it also is one of the least talked about, especially in churches. Even where compassion and empathy exist, the complexities around homelessness cause us to feel stuck, overwhelmed, or numb to the existence of unhoused people in our cities and neighborhoods. In this thorough and intimate book, minister and homeless services advocate Kevin Nye demystifies homelessness, unflinchingly exploring the difficult topics that surround it, and imbuing them all with theological and b...iblical reflection and significance. Journeying into complex issues like affordable housing, mental illness, addiction, and more, Nye gives us space to reimagine our theological approach to these matters and educates us on how they intersect with homelessness. The book also offers theological wisdom gained from successes and failures in getting people off the streets; as well as lessons learned about the nature of isolation, the role of trauma, and what it means to celebrate God's abundance in the midst of despair. Through years' worth of stories and education from the streets, Nye calls us as Christians to hear and reflect on a message of grace that beckons and empowers all of us to end homelessness. If grace means that God gives us all good things regardless of whether we deserve them, then grace beckons us to meet people experiencing housing insecurity with compassion and humility. Even more, it calls into question the beliefs that undergird our society and ultimately cause and perpetuate homelessness. In this way, Grace Can Lead Us Home"-- more