The Gutter

I’ve recently been reading a new book called “The Gutter,” by Craig Gross. Wow. This guy truly knows what it means to follow the Great Commission. He’s not afraid to get into the “gutter” where people are the furthest away from Christ. After all, that’s what Christ did, right? It’s a challenging read, but also an encouraging one. I hope I can be half as bold as this guy someday. A lot of this book makes me think of many of the responses I get from people (white south Africans) when they hear that I go into Soweto and that I’m [GASP] alone. If more people could get over their own fears of the gutter, maybe I wouldn’t have to go alone! Anyway, I could write a book on that, so I’m getting off my soapbox now… I’m not even half way through yet, but here are a few quotations from the book that struck me:

(On his venture into a homeless community to pass out food…) “Growing up, I was protected from this environment; I didn’t even know this other world existed. But now as a youth pastor, I not only wanted to experience it, but I also wanted others to see it too. I didn’t want the kids in my group to be as sheltered as I was. In my mind, I really thought I was making a difference, but the gutter was bigger than I expected. And more crowded.”

“When I accepted Christ as my saviour, I was lifted out of the gutter, but I was not made better than those who remained.”

“That’s the question we always get: ‘how do you do it?’ We’re able to go to our gutter because we aren’t scared of it. Too many Christians get scared of the world, but when you look at Jesus and the things He did, the way He brought light into darkness, you can plainly see that we have nothing to be scared of.”

“You know what I hear all the time when I go speak at churches or conferences? ‘I could never do what you’re doing.’ You know what I say? Usually something like, ‘well, I understand. This is what God has called me to do.’ You know what I want to say? ‘Why not? Stop being so weak. God did not create you to be a scared, irrelevant Christian. Why can’t you do this? What is holding you back if you know what God’s Word says and you know what He’s capable of doing? Whywhywhy?! Stop being afraid of the gutter and just go get in it.’ The world looks at the Church and sees a bunch of people too afraid to approach them.”

“Don’t blame the dark for being dark. Blame the light for not shining on the dark.”

“While the Church at large is great at telling people to avoid their gutters, I’ve found that this approach just doesn’t work anymore. … Things have changed, and people don’t do things just because they’re told to do them or because those things are expected of them. So we as a Church have to change our approach and get dirty. Modern Christians must take risks and get out of their comfortable pews and classrooms and do something for God. If we don’t, who will?”

“It’s a dirty place, the gutter. But it’s worth it.”

(Craig Gross started a website called xxxchurch.com to reach out to those in the pornography business as well as those caught up in a addiction to pornography. Interestingly enough, while many of those in the business are interested in his work, his major opposition comes from Christians… interesting…)