It started with an idea and turned into a major adventure. Mike and Sam planned to spend a month living on the streets of five American cities: Denver; Washington, D.C.; Portland; San Francisco; Phoenix; and San Diego. The reason? To find out what it would be like to be homeless in America, to encourage others to live boldly for Christ, and to personally discover true dependence on God (pg. 9). Mike chronicles their journey in Under the Overpass. Every spiritual high, emotional low, and undeniable fear is captured, weaving a flowing story like no other.
I was skeptical of this book at first. I can remember hearing about it when Mike wrote the first edition of Under the Overpass in 2005. It sounded interesting, but I wondered if it was more of a publicity stunt than anything else. After reading this updated and expanded edition, I don't believe Mike or Sam spent five months on the streets to gain attention. In those five months, they learned about loving the unlovable, clothing the naked, and feeding the hungry.
You can't read this book without opening your eyes to the hurting in your own community. You can't turn the pages without feeling a tug at your heart, that looking into someone's eyes or saying "hello" can really make a difference in someone's life. If anything, this book will inspire you to live boldly for Christ and to put others, even a grungy homeless man, above yourself.
Grace and peace to you as you seek to consider others more significant than yourself. May you do so, not out of guilt, but rather because Christ did the same for you some two thousand years ago on top of a hill called Calvary. (224)
