The Red dot is Waterloo, IA, where I spent a day earlier this week. I had lunch on Wednesday with Vineyard pastors George and Judy Marshall of the Harvest Vineyard Church.
Iowa is great state. Dotted with hundreds of farm communities and friendly people. Hard-working people. Good people.
And guess who George and Judy reach? The poor of Waterloo; the disenfranchised; the unemployed; addicts of every sort. What joy George and Judy have in their hearts. Oh my. What joy.
We had lunch at the YMCA with about 100 people with obvious needs. Several of them came up and hugged George and Judy. One guy, about 50, is one of the leaders in the Harvest Vineyard. He’s been in prison. He’s unemployed. He’s missing lots of teeth.
He said to me, "Let me tell you something. George and Judy are the nicest people in the entire world. You heard it from me, buddy. The nicest people in the world."
The poor are with us, right in the heartland of America. I am not surprised. Neither are you. They are the people with whom Vineyard pastors George and Judy Marshall have cast their lot. "We have no idea what we’re doing 90 percent of the time," Judy said. "We just love these people."
Love always covers a multitude of sins and hurts and confusion. And love is doing it’s working today in a little church that cares for the hurting right smack in the middle of the endless Iowa farms. Oh yes, friends, God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
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