Homeless at Harvard

"My desire was to live on the streets this summer and ultimately write about the experience. I wanted to experience first-hand, and share from an insider's perspective, what the homeless life is like. By sharing with others a glimpse into a homeless community, I believe that people can gain a better understanding of the realities of those who are often invisible or looked down upon -- and value their humanity, as well."

"I see homelessness as one local example of impoverishment. (No, not all homeless people are impoverished -- at least financially! When I think about terms like "poor" or "impoverishment" I also think about social capital.) I believe it is important for those in the mainstream to seek relationships with those who are clearly outside of the mainstream (although many of the homeless in Harvard Square could be easily mistaken for "regular" people in the mainstream; very few of them would likely be identified as homeless). My concern about relationships with the poor extends beyond issues of American homelessness. As one author who has influenced me said, "It's not that we don't care about the poor, it's that we don't know them."

"I have come to accept people more than want to change people. I think Jesus did both, though. However, one thing remains consistent: I still believe it is important to interact with others, sharing meals and time with them. I have often thought of Jesus' teaching and how it should lead us in our actions: "When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind" (Luke 14:12-13). I still have a long way to go."

"With that said, I think there are many other ways that the homeless could be served in more fruitful ways. Maintaining more of a presence in the mainstream while helping the homeless through nonprofit work, for example, would be a fantastic way for the homeless to be more tangibly served. I do this to some (minor) degree as a volunteer with the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter."

"I can therefore share the importance of building relationships, using Jesus as a model of one who did this, and be even more effective than prefacing my argument with Jesus' actions as a model for all people. Yes, I wish to encourage Christians to be Christ to the outcast. But I also wish for anyone to build relationship with the outcast; perhaps then, even those who do not identify as Christians will share Christ, through human love, without even knowing it."

Harvard Square is at the center of Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is the business district around Harvard University. It's a place of history, culture, and some of the most momentous events of the nation. But it's also a gathering place for some of the city's homeless. What is life like for the homeless in Harvard Square? Do they have anything to tell people about life? And God?

That's what Harvard student John Frame discovered and shares in Homeless at Harvard. While taking his final course at Harvard, John Frame stepped outside the walls of academia and onto the streets, pursuing a different kind of education with his homeless friends. What he found, in the way of community and how people understand themselves, may surprise you.

In this unique book, each of these urban pioneers shares his own story, providing an insider perspectives on life as homeless people see it. This heartwarming page-turner shows how John learned with, from, and about his homeless friends who together tell an unforgettable story.

This book will help you better understand problems outside yourself, and show you and that you're more similar to those on the streets than you might have believed.