HOMELESSNESS

Homelessness: Seeing People Through the Eyes of Jesus

What if we've been asking the wrong question?

When we see someone living on the street, we often ask, "Why is that person homeless?" But behind every person is a story-often one marked by broken relationships, trauma, addiction, mental illness, poverty, family loss, or circumstances most of us have never experienced.

In Homelessness: Seeing People Through the Eyes of Jesus, Dr. Rich Johnson invites readers to move beyond stereotypes and political arguments to discover a deeply biblical response rooted in the compassion of Christ.

Blending Scripture, personal stories, historical insight, current research, practical ministry experience, and moments of gentle humor, this book explores what homelessness really is-and what the Church can do about it. Rather than offering simplistic answers, it points readers toward a Christ-centered approach that values both truth and grace, responsibility and mercy.

Inside you'll discover:

• Why homelessness is rarely caused by one single issue.
• The roles of trauma, family breakdown, addiction, mental illness, and poverty.
• What happened when America's mental hospitals closed-and why it still matters today.
• Why the Good Samaritan remains Jesus' model for compassion.
• How churches can move beyond temporary relief toward lasting restoration.
• Practical ways every believer can become part of God's answer.

More than a book about homelessness, this is a call to rediscover the heart of Jesus.

If Christ could see beyond labels to the person standing before Him, perhaps He is inviting us to do the same.

Whether you serve in ministry, volunteer in your community, lead a church, or simply want to love your neighbor more faithfully, Homelessness: Seeing People Through the Eyes of Jesus will challenge your assumptions, deepen your compassion, and inspire you to become part of God's work of restoring lives.

Because people are never problems to be solved.

They are image-bearers to be loved.