Tonight, I stopped the side of the road to talk to a man who was homeless. I listened to him talk for over two hours about his story. 80% of it sounded fake, the other 20% didn’t make sense. Part of his story is that he was the man who shot John F. Kennedy. I asked him how old he was. “58”. So then I asked how he pulled the trigger as a 1-year-old. He went on.
He repeated most of what he said 3 to 5 times. Over the course of the two hours, I heard everything he said, in a slightly different format, probably 5 times. He was bitter at the government, The Kennedy’s, Jackie Kenney Onassis (his biological mother), and hundreds of people out to kill him. He said the government talks to him in his head and communicates via Bluetooth and Googleearth.com.
He’s been shot over 50 times. He’s died three times. He’s an ordained minister, he’s a stonemason, he was married to Amber Lancaster who tried to kill him and whose whole family is still trying to kill him.
All I could think of as he was talking and I was trying to listen was “Jesus loves Walt.” God created Walt. Walt is fearfully and wonderfully made. God has a plan for Walt.
Walt was sitting on the side of a moderately trafficked road, under a street light with his shirt off and a shopping cart close at hand.
After listening for two hours. Occasionally trying to ask a question or tell my own story, I knew Walt wouldn’t listen. I hurt. I know Jesus loved this man, yet it seemed he didn’t have the brain capacity at the state he was in to understand anything.
I had to interrupt Walt as he was talking, put my hand on his back, look him square in the eyes, and tell him “Jesus loves you, Walt.” The only time that he was quiet for more than 4 seconds. For a moment, his eyes looked as if they had never heard the words before. He shook himself out of it and went into another rant. I stopped him and said again “Jesus loves you, Walt.” He stopped for a moment. I told him, “no matter who tries to hurt you and no matter how far you run, Jesus loves you, and he will always be there for you.”
It hurt. It was as if I was telling a 1-year-old. Who may pay attention because they can tell you’re saying words, but they don’t fully comprehend what you’re saying. I knew I couldn’t do anything else for Walt in this moment. It wouldn’t matter how long I listened to him.
I asked Walt if I could pray for him. I prayed and told him I cared about him, and that he is fearfully and wonderfully made, and Jesus loves him. He thanked me and I left.
There is a lot of sin in this world. There is a lot of brokenness and people doing things that grieve God. There’s no doubt about it that it’s an evil world full of evil people…
But who do you need to tell today that Jesus loves them? I may never know what happens to Walt, but as I finished my drive home, I cried out to God that he would save Walt. Knowing that he loves Walt just as much as he loves me. He can do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think. Who can you tell this week that Jesus loves them? Who can you pray for that Jesus would save them?
If you can’t think of anyone, pray for Walt. Walt needs Jesus, and he is oh so loved by Him, even if no one else on earth knows who Walt is.