Pastor Disguised As Homeless Man Conducts Social Experiment Outside Church To See How Members React

Oct 24, 2018 by apost team

When you walk through the doors of a church and meet the people who are inside, you should feel welcomed.

You should feel like you're surrounded by the love that Jesus has for everyone no matter what kind of background you have.

A pastor at a church in Chicago decided to test how his congregation would treat someone who is different by dressing like a homeless man.

James is someone from the Bible who talked about loving other people without judgment. He wanted people to show the love that Jesus has for others in the way that they treat the people they talk to each day.

When someone places a higher value on a man who wears finer clothing compared to one who doesn't have nice clothes, then the people of the church are passing prejudice along and making a distinction that sets them apart.

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There are many Christians who are now treating others in this manner. It makes people avoid going to church because they feel like they will be treated like this no matter where they attend.

Dr. James MacDonald was concerned about how his congregation was treating outsiders as well as people who were already members of his church, so he performed an experiment. Since becoming a pastor in 1988, he has seen the ways that church members have reacted to certain situations.

There are hundreds of people who attend Harvest Bible Chapel every week, all of them wanting to hear the word of God so that they can be spiritually filled each week.

James wanted to take his sermons a step outside the pulpit by ensuring that his words weren't just sitting with his congregation for a few moments during the day.

He put on a tattered coat and a fake beard one Sunday morning. When he arrived at the church, he was pushing a shopping cart. He had a cardboard sign in his hand and an empty cup while he stood outside the church. Those who attended the church had to go past him in order to get inside the doors.

They had no idea that they were walking right by their pastor. The members didn't know that their reactions to the homeless man were being filmed to be viewed later.

The video shared by the pastor has been viewed at least one million times. Some of the church members simply walk right by the man in a tattered coat. There are some who purposely turn around and walk in another direction so that they don't face him. A few weeks later, James pushed the cart down the aisle of the church while wearing the tattered clothing once again.

Members soon discovered that the homeless man they had ignored was really their pastor. He talked about loving others just as Jesus does and that they don't get to choose who they love or who they want to allow inside the church.

What do you think about the Church goers reactions? How would you have reacted? Do you do anything to help the homeless? Let us know in the comments! 

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