Underneath the oldest bridge in Portland every week, C. J. Speelman and about 15 men meet up to size up each other’s bikes. In the U.S. city with the highest share of cycling commuters, the sight isn’t surprising. What is notable is that most of the men are homeless, and their gathering looks something like real community.
As you watch the film about Speelman’s ministry, ask: How does the descriptor ‘friends who live outside’ change the way you think about homeless men and women? How has the phrase “homeless people” been used to dignify others—or to keep them at arms’ length? And how are Christians in your own city reaching across traditional barriers to form real community like the kind Speelman has?
