Street Pastors - Belfast

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men..... 

But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. 

1 Corinthians 1.25,27 

It must be pushing 1 o'clock in the morning. I'm feeling very abominable snowmanish for all the layers I'm wearing. Trying to stay engaged in conversation while keeping an eye peeled for empty glass bottles. My contacts are starting to try out and all I can think about is a warm bed or a hot cup of coffee. 

We walk past a rather popular night club buzzing with people just out to have a little fun tonight. There's a girl engaged in an animated conversation with a fellow. She's taken her shoes off and is just wearing socks. I walk over and try to politely interrupt their conversation so's I can ask if she wants a pair of flip-flops. She says no. My desire to just walk away is overpowering as I ask her again if she's sure, I don't want her stepping on glass... either because she wanted me to leave or because she genuinely changed her mind, she took a pair of flip-flops. "Save 'em for later" I said as I handed them to her, and tried to make myself scarce. 

As we moved on from the club to a quieter part, I found myself breathing again. 'This is what the night scenes is Jes, what are you doing here?' I ask myself as I pray for God to use me, and keep me open minded. 

Just then an intoxicated, young, married man out on the town with his wife, comes up to our group. He puts his arm around me and asks me something but between his accent and slurring, and being just slightly distracted with a drunken man that close to me I can't understand what he's said. Another of the girls on the team with me translated by answering his question saying, "there's a good pub just up there". Why did I have to have a moment of paralyzing fear that kept me from engaging with this man further by just asking him to repeat the question? Even with his arm around me, he was harmless. 'God, seriously, what am I doing out here?" 

A little while later we pass another couple walking away from a bar. She was barefoot. One of the guys in my group asked her if she wanted a pair of flip-flops. She asked if we were serious? Yes! Please! She didn't want to wear heels, but her boy friend had insisted, saying "she looked sexier in heels, than boots". But now her feet were killing her. As I helped her get the flip-flops on; she told us how much she "seriously loved us!" Who knew that a pair of cheap flip-flops could make someone's night. 

Later we came across a group of kids, that looked to be somewhere between 16 and *18 years old, just out to have a good time. And from the looks of it, they were have a good time. Just a group of happy drunks. But the girls in the group were all barefoot. I obviously can't do anything about telling these kids to go home, but I can help these girls protect their feet. As I'm asking the first girl if she wants a pair of flip-flops, she asks if I'm serious and then tells me how much she loves me. Another girl wants to pay for her pair, "no love, they're free". Yet another girl asks if she can give me a hug, followed by her asking for a second hug. Hugs are one thing I can do! In my mind though 'love, just get home safe!'. After being told in five consecutive rows how much they seriously love us, they went on their way and we ours. 

Now it must be pushing 3 in the morning and my feet and hips are hurting from all the walking and standing. I'm struggling to keep my wits about me and pay attention to what's going on around me. As far as the bottle count is going we're up to 30 glass bottles collected and binned. It's been a quiet night, just by that count alone. The leader of the team is about to go ahead and call it a night. I'm trying to not get too excited when she says "we'll just do one more round."

On this last round we come across a homeless man. One of the guys stops to engage him in conversation. The man asks for a cup of coffee. I'm given a tenner and told to grab two of the guys from the team and go to McDonald's. After retuning to this homeless man, I give him his cup of coffee. I'm surprised by how young he is and wonder why he's out on the street. Thankfully one of the guys on my team ask the man that very question. Turns out he is Lithuanian, a fisherman by trade. He came over on a boat, fishing. But when the season was over, so was he. 

After this, we head back to the base, where we have a little debrief about the evening and find out how the other teams got on. 

As I colaspe in bed, I'm struck yet again by the goodness of God. He certainly doesn't need me to take care of His people out in the streets. But He invited me along, showing me how He is glorified by my weakness. 

Street Pastor's - the church out on the streets 

*Please note that the legal drinking age in Ireland is 18