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Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America
Mike Yankoski did more than just wonder. By his own choice, Mike's life went from upper-middle class plush to scum-of-the-earth repulsive overnight. With only a backpack, a sleeping bag and a guitar, Mike and his traveling companion, Sam, set out to experience life on the streets in six different cities—from Washington D.C. to San Diego— and they put themselves to the test.
For more than five months the pair experienced firsthand the extreme pains of hunger, the constant uncertainty and danger of living on the streets, exhaustion, depression, and social rejection—and all of this by their own choice. They wanted to find out if their faith was real, if they could actually be the Christians they said they were apart from the comforts they’d always known…to discover first hand what it means to be homeless in America.
Mike and Sam's story is gritty, challenging, and utterly captivating. What you encounter in these pages will radically alter how you see your world—and may even change your life.
256 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2005
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October 11, 2011
I would probably never have read this book had not some very sweet and well-intentioned people given it to me. Reading it was an unpleasant experience. "Under the Overpass" somehow manages to be condescending, arrogant, misinformed, and hypocritical all at the same time. Here are just a few of the many problems I had with this book:
1. On page 114 he mentions walking past a church on a Friday evening. The church is closed, locked, chained, and padlocked. The two took offense to this and then went on to compare it to a convenience store which is open and selling cigarettes, beer, and porn. The unspoken conclusion is that the worldly convenience is more welcoming than the spiritual church. Apparently they did not consider that:
a. If a church is going to open its doors, someone needs to be there to help protect it from those who would do it harm?
b. That in order to have someone in the church, someone needs to volunteer or be paid?
c. The convenience store probably had a security system including cameras and an alarm, both of which would deter theft and vandalism. These systems cost money; money that not every church can afford.
I want to know if the churches they attend now leave their doors open 24/7 and allow any and all to come and do what they want, when they want?
2. On page 148 he mentions a church service he attended during which the pastor delivered a sermon on how women will be saved through childbearing. He then remarks on how it was Berkeley and 2003. What do the two have to do with each other? Is not all Scripture God-breathed and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and for training in righteousness? Why then should a pastor in Berkeley in 2003, let alone 2010, not teach on that passage?
3. In the "Cowbell Door Chime" section beginning on page 76, he tells the story of walking into a sandwich shop and beginning a friendly game of one-upping each other on how bad they smell. Five other people come in, notice them, and then sit far away. It turns out that they are Christians. It is obvious that they can smell the two as much as they smell each other and they wind up avoiding them. There is an implied criticism of them for doing so. Is this fair? I may see two ratty-looking, smelly young men with guitars in a sandwich shop, but my first thought is not necessarily going to be that they are homeless and in need of help.
4. On page 141, they are engaged in a conversation with George, the Christian-pizza-guy. During that conversation he states " But you know what? I've never once come down here and preached. At least not in the typical fashion - you know; with yelling and Bible thumping." I have been going to church since I was born, attending services in Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican/Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, Nazarene, and even Roman Catholic services, depending on the circumstances in which I found myself. In over 40 years and dozens of churches I have, apparently, never seen one of George's "typical" sermons with "yelling and Bible thumping". Is his critique valid? If not, why does Mr. Yankoski give it his tacit support?
From the beginning there was something that bothered me about the entire project. Theirs was an intentional and almost belligerent homeless. They flaunt their willing homelessness in the face of the Church, asking the Christians they met for a handout, with no intention of giving up their homeless lifestyle, and then criticize them when they choose not to help them live the life they chose. They put them to the test, daring them to fail, castigating them for failing, but the test itself is unfair as the preconditions are disingenuous. Does a Christian have an obligation to aid and abet someone in their self-destruction? He, himself, gives the answer to that question in the book, and the answer is an unqualified no.
I say this having worked with the homeless through a good portion of my college career. I learned that there were different types of homeless people. Nearly all were on the streets due to a series of crushing circumstances that destroyed their livelihoods. Some were mentally ill and caught between a cycle of living on meds, losing their ability to buy medication, thus losing touch with reality, and then losing their homes, only to regain them once they could obtain medication again. Some hated life on the streets and were working hard to get back into a productive life. Others were caught in the grip of terrible addictions and could not yet find the will to leave the streets. As another reviewer points out, Yankoski barely touches on these distinctions, preferring to gripe about how much he stank, or how uncomfortable he was.
All in all, "Under the Overpass" is a self-indulgent voyage of spiritual self-discovery. I gained almost nothing from it, and would not encourage anyone to read it. Your time would be much better spent reading Mother Teresa's "A Simple Path". She not only lived with the homeless, she spent her life caring for them, easing their pain, comforting them in the time of their death. That is a story worth reading.
1. On page 114 he mentions walking past a church on a Friday evening. The church is closed, locked, chained, and padlocked. The two took offense to this and then went on to compare it to a convenience store which is open and selling cigarettes, beer, and porn. The unspoken conclusion is that the worldly convenience is more welcoming than the spiritual church. Apparently they did not consider that:
a. If a church is going to open its doors, someone needs to be there to help protect it from those who would do it harm?
b. That in order to have someone in the church, someone needs to volunteer or be paid?
c. The convenience store probably had a security system including cameras and an alarm, both of which would deter theft and vandalism. These systems cost money; money that not every church can afford.
I want to know if the churches they attend now leave their doors open 24/7 and allow any and all to come and do what they want, when they want?
2. On page 148 he mentions a church service he attended during which the pastor delivered a sermon on how women will be saved through childbearing. He then remarks on how it was Berkeley and 2003. What do the two have to do with each other? Is not all Scripture God-breathed and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and for training in righteousness? Why then should a pastor in Berkeley in 2003, let alone 2010, not teach on that passage?
3. In the "Cowbell Door Chime" section beginning on page 76, he tells the story of walking into a sandwich shop and beginning a friendly game of one-upping each other on how bad they smell. Five other people come in, notice them, and then sit far away. It turns out that they are Christians. It is obvious that they can smell the two as much as they smell each other and they wind up avoiding them. There is an implied criticism of them for doing so. Is this fair? I may see two ratty-looking, smelly young men with guitars in a sandwich shop, but my first thought is not necessarily going to be that they are homeless and in need of help.
4. On page 141, they are engaged in a conversation with George, the Christian-pizza-guy. During that conversation he states " But you know what? I've never once come down here and preached. At least not in the typical fashion - you know; with yelling and Bible thumping." I have been going to church since I was born, attending services in Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican/Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, Nazarene, and even Roman Catholic services, depending on the circumstances in which I found myself. In over 40 years and dozens of churches I have, apparently, never seen one of George's "typical" sermons with "yelling and Bible thumping". Is his critique valid? If not, why does Mr. Yankoski give it his tacit support?
From the beginning there was something that bothered me about the entire project. Theirs was an intentional and almost belligerent homeless. They flaunt their willing homelessness in the face of the Church, asking the Christians they met for a handout, with no intention of giving up their homeless lifestyle, and then criticize them when they choose not to help them live the life they chose. They put them to the test, daring them to fail, castigating them for failing, but the test itself is unfair as the preconditions are disingenuous. Does a Christian have an obligation to aid and abet someone in their self-destruction? He, himself, gives the answer to that question in the book, and the answer is an unqualified no.
I say this having worked with the homeless through a good portion of my college career. I learned that there were different types of homeless people. Nearly all were on the streets due to a series of crushing circumstances that destroyed their livelihoods. Some were mentally ill and caught between a cycle of living on meds, losing their ability to buy medication, thus losing touch with reality, and then losing their homes, only to regain them once they could obtain medication again. Some hated life on the streets and were working hard to get back into a productive life. Others were caught in the grip of terrible addictions and could not yet find the will to leave the streets. As another reviewer points out, Yankoski barely touches on these distinctions, preferring to gripe about how much he stank, or how uncomfortable he was.
All in all, "Under the Overpass" is a self-indulgent voyage of spiritual self-discovery. I gained almost nothing from it, and would not encourage anyone to read it. Your time would be much better spent reading Mother Teresa's "A Simple Path". She not only lived with the homeless, she spent her life caring for them, easing their pain, comforting them in the time of their death. That is a story worth reading.
August 25, 2013
I read this book because I work at a rescue mission and it was recommended to me by one of my volunteers. I had quite a struggle with it. First, I have a problem with people who are willfully "homeless", but who, at any time, could go back to the safety and security of their real lives. This author spent much of the book being shocked by the fact that Christians weren't willing to give him more handouts. He had such a sense of entitlement. Some of the experiences he held up as examples of "good Christians" were downright dangerous for the people helping him. The worst example was Russ in San Francisco who allowed them to spend the night in his home. This is never a good idea. Do not do that. We have a specific policy for our volunteers that they are not allowed to give money, rides, or anything else to our shelter guests. This is for the volunteer's protection and I don't think it makes us insensitive to the plight of our clients. Mike states himself on page 203 that "Most homeless people we knew blew their checks on booze and drugs within a couple days." That's the majority of what he experienced and yet he was clearly offended when people assumed he was the same. He even had the audacity to be offended when a person he met in a church didn't "take the hint" that he needed new shoes. Were they in a store where those shoes could be purchased immediately? No. Apparently if this person was a "good Christian" he would have put them in his car and driven them somewhere to buy a pair of shoes, or handed over some money so they could get shoes on their own. I carry virtually no cash. So my lack of cash on hand would make me a bad Christian by this definition (my church doesn't have an ATM...maybe his does). There are very few cities that do not have clothing closets available. In my town of about 175,000 we have more than one that is free and open to the public. I noticed they did not attempt to utilize most of the services that undoubtedly exist in the large cities they visited and that attempt to make being homeless "easier" (clothing closets, food banks, day shelters etc). And yet he complained...
People become homeless for a variety of reasons, with inability to find a job being the top (based on the latest point-in-time study I read, released Jan. 2013). That being said, drug/alcohol abuse and mental illness is rampant in this population and many of the homeless people I work with do not desire to change their circumstances. Mike did give some great suggestions about how to best help this population at the end of the book and for that I am grateful. By all means, buy them a meal if you can. I love the idea of carrying gift cards for restaurants or grocery stores that you can hand out to people who are panhandling. Talk to them, hear their stories, make them feel human, donate shoes and clothing, but realize that you will find virtually no Mikes or Sams out there. That doesn't mean there's no hope or that we should turn our backs on the poor and needy, it just means that you need to know what to expect and be smart about how you give and serve.
The only reason I gave this book 2 stars instead of 1 is that it did give me some things to think about in my own treatment of the folks I get to work with each day. It's easy to become jaded and I don't want to do that. But I honestly wouldn't recommend this book. It's mostly just a guy complaining and passing judgement.
People become homeless for a variety of reasons, with inability to find a job being the top (based on the latest point-in-time study I read, released Jan. 2013). That being said, drug/alcohol abuse and mental illness is rampant in this population and many of the homeless people I work with do not desire to change their circumstances. Mike did give some great suggestions about how to best help this population at the end of the book and for that I am grateful. By all means, buy them a meal if you can. I love the idea of carrying gift cards for restaurants or grocery stores that you can hand out to people who are panhandling. Talk to them, hear their stories, make them feel human, donate shoes and clothing, but realize that you will find virtually no Mikes or Sams out there. That doesn't mean there's no hope or that we should turn our backs on the poor and needy, it just means that you need to know what to expect and be smart about how you give and serve.
The only reason I gave this book 2 stars instead of 1 is that it did give me some things to think about in my own treatment of the folks I get to work with each day. It's easy to become jaded and I don't want to do that. But I honestly wouldn't recommend this book. It's mostly just a guy complaining and passing judgement.
April 27, 2014
This was a quick, interesting read, but far more interesting to me are the reviewers that took such offense at Yankoski's experience. What is there to be so offended by? Mike Yankoski felt that he needed a radical experience to help him come to terms with the disparity between Sunday morning and daily life, and it worked for him. Mike's goals were: to understand life of the homeless in America; to encourage others to do what God asks of them; and to learn to depend on Christ for his daily needs. He was often disappointed in the church, but not unduly.
Mike grew tremendously through the months he spent on the streets. He seems a fairly idealistic person and began his journey somewhat disillusioned with the church. The realizations he comes to are - in some ways - rather basic, but some people never get even that far, sadly enough. I wish that he had shared more about how other people on the streets sank into homelessness (especially those that weren't obviously mentally ill or addicted) but I liked that he suggested helping in practical ways (food etc.) rather than just handing out money. I would never do what he did, nor did I agree with everything in the book, but seeing people grow, mature, and become more compassionate is a wonderful thing. Recommended. (3.5 stars)
Mike grew tremendously through the months he spent on the streets. He seems a fairly idealistic person and began his journey somewhat disillusioned with the church. The realizations he comes to are - in some ways - rather basic, but some people never get even that far, sadly enough. I wish that he had shared more about how other people on the streets sank into homelessness (especially those that weren't obviously mentally ill or addicted) but I liked that he suggested helping in practical ways (food etc.) rather than just handing out money. I would never do what he did, nor did I agree with everything in the book, but seeing people grow, mature, and become more compassionate is a wonderful thing. Recommended. (3.5 stars)
March 17, 2013
Before “homelessness” was recognizable as an issue, Jack London and George Orwell experimented with poverty in their classic books “People of the Abyss” and “Down and Out in Paris and London.” What makes this immersion book unique is that the experimenter, Yankoski, is an apolitical middle class evangelical. This tall, white teetotaler is shocked to find that drug users also call themselves Christian and that mega-churches are wary-to-indifferent of the homeless. He avoids any analysis of the plight of the poor, their situation merely the occasion for acts of Christian charity. He also avoids race, never mentioning the lack of social safety nets or lack of public resources for addicts and the mentally ill. Yankoski is now an important figure in the white evangelical world, an expert on ‘social justice’, but this text, while it may sensitize its comfortable Christian readers to some aspects of poverty, fails to provide the policy prescriptions and advocacy needs of America’s destitute.
January 15, 2018
As a Christian, I seek to stay rooted in God's Word. Consequently, I tend to have my guard up when it comes to much of "Christian" literature. Honestly, I didn't expect to like this book, at least not as well as I did. Mike and Sam's experiences on the streets were honestly portrayed. For the most part, their purposes, thoughts, and actions were Scripturally supported. There is much here that compels honest self-reflection and evaluation.
October 17, 2012
Another life-altering book. The homeless are no longer just one-dimensional beings; and it was eye-opening for me to realize that that was how I viewed them. Some are homeless by choice, some by necessity, some because of poor choices and some due to circumstances totally out of their control, but all need to be acknowledged as fellow human beings. The day after I finished this book I pulled into a McDonald's parking lot to answer my cell phone and came face to face with a homeless woman holding a sign announcing her hunger. I could not just drive away. I asked her if she would share a meal with me and we talked as she ate. I heard her story and was struck with how hopeless some people's situations are and how awesomely blessed I am. In the past I would have left feeling good about 'doing a good deed,' but all I could think of as we parted was how I should have done more...for her and for all the thousands more like her. This book is one more step towards my desire to live as Jesus would live. I hope others are as moved as I by reading this book.
September 10, 2009
THIS BOOK WAS AWFUL.
Aside from being full of unverified (read; made up, fake, lies, ect) "facts" (if you go below south Mission, the latinos will kill you for being white. If you go any further below the soup kitchen on market, the blacks will kill you for being white. but don't worry-- if you hang out in the bloody TENDERLOIN all the time, you'll be just fine), this book is the most hypocritical peice of crap.
EXAMPLE: lots of time is spent in this book complaining that people ignore them because they're dirty, unwashed, smelly, homeless, ect. The next paragraph will go on to complain about how homeless people are dirty, unwashed, bad people, homeless, ect.
Basically, Jesus should love people who believe in Jesus, regardless of their state in life. But anyone who is in the same situation, but doesn't believe in Jesus is entirely to blam for their own problems, and should be left to get themselves out of these self created problems.
Stupid. I read most of this book in a car trip, and finished it just because i hate not finishing a book. if i could give it less than one star, i would.
Aside from being full of unverified (read; made up, fake, lies, ect) "facts" (if you go below south Mission, the latinos will kill you for being white. If you go any further below the soup kitchen on market, the blacks will kill you for being white. but don't worry-- if you hang out in the bloody TENDERLOIN all the time, you'll be just fine), this book is the most hypocritical peice of crap.
EXAMPLE: lots of time is spent in this book complaining that people ignore them because they're dirty, unwashed, smelly, homeless, ect. The next paragraph will go on to complain about how homeless people are dirty, unwashed, bad people, homeless, ect.
Basically, Jesus should love people who believe in Jesus, regardless of their state in life. But anyone who is in the same situation, but doesn't believe in Jesus is entirely to blam for their own problems, and should be left to get themselves out of these self created problems.
Stupid. I read most of this book in a car trip, and finished it just because i hate not finishing a book. if i could give it less than one star, i would.
July 8, 2023
Ok, I am thoroughly convicted. I most definitely have become a natural at ignoring the dozens of homeless folks I encounter in day-to-day life. Yankoski ruffled my comfortable, safe thinking.
December 19, 2010
Mixed feelings - the story itself was quite engaging and well-told. The author is honest about the drawbacks and unrealities of his experience. Finding out that the experiment is still shaping and affecting him five years later is important - five months of voluntary homelessness gave the author a deep, true and lasting picture of homelessness in America. Not a complete picture, and not an overabundance of wisdom in dealing with bigger issues surrounding homelessness, but at least an understanding, a concern, and a passion. This was no journalistic experiment, even if has moments where it can appear like that. Yankoski's journey was motivated by a Christ-honoring compassion, and it is resulting in good fruit. This book raises some great questions about short term missions, homelessness, Christian mercy and wisdom, and however different approaches may view Yankoski's journey, the discussion is a valuable one to have.
September 25, 2012
Reading,"Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America", is one of those books that will haunt me in a good way.
The lyrics to "Give Me the Eyes to See" by Brandon Jacobs, played in the back of my mind as I read the experiences of Mike Yankoski and his friend and companion on his journey, Sam, through the streets of Denver, Washington, D.C., Portland, San Franciso, Phoenix and San Diego and wept at the triumphs, the heartaches and the gritty and captivating reality that they experienced on the streets and with the everyday people they met, both the homeless and those with homes.
This book will change your heart.
This book will change what you think you know of the homeless.
This book will challenge and will change what you think being a Christian means.
I couldn't read,"Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America", with skepticism but instead, with the thought, "What do I do"? as I walked or drive by the people we try to pretend isn't there but God sees over our averted eyes.
What, "Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America", does is challenges the reader to re-look at His world and ask ourselves, do we play it safe as Christians or are we truly there when our brothers and sisters need us the most.
Offering a downloadable discussion guide and an action plan of what we can do for our brothers and sisters who are without a home, "Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America", isn't for making us feel guilty and to act to help us feel better, but just to gently, with its realistic looks of what we tend to be very insulated from, what those who are on the streets live each day, beneath our office and home windows, but we, in our hurry with our busy lives, don't take the time to see.
This book reminded me so much of the story of the Good Samaritan and more than anything it is asking all of us a real hard question that we at some point of our lives must have asked ourselves, but put in the back of our minds when our cellphone rings or we hurry off to Facebook to post a status or engage in the latest argument online over trivial matters, "What would I do during my day or in my life for God if I wasn't concerned with what I wear, what I eat, where I sleep, what I own, what people think of me, or what discomforts I face?" and asks us to think that hard question.
Would we?
Just even reading the response that the author and his traveling companion received from other Christians who didn't know what they were doing or why they were on the streets, had me hanging my head down and wondering, "How does my walk reflect to others and what type of Christian am I".
This is a humbling book.
It makes no pretenses of being anything other and there is a wonderful foreword by Francis Chan in the beginning that has in it a warning to the reader, "`Don't read Mike's book if you're not willing to change your attitude and actions toward the homeless."
Francis Chan is right and I say the same to you. "Don't read this book if you're not willing or ready to have a open and teachable heart to read and be changed in our thoughts and heart and actions about what we thought we knew about the homeless".
You can't read this book and put it down after wards and think out of sight, out of mind. This stays with you in your heart, in your mind and in your prayers and having one dare to pray, "Lord humble me and change my heart and remove what veils there are before my eyes".
As 1 John 3:16-18 NKJV goes, "6 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."
"Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America" is a powerful book. As A.W. Tozer shared in "Of God and Men" and re-shared in, "Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America","We hear a Christan assure someone that he will "pray over" his problem, knowing full well that he intends to use prayer as a substitute for service. It is much easier to pray that a poor friend's needs maybe supplied than to supply them".
The lyrics to "Give Me the Eyes to See" by Brandon Jacobs, played in the back of my mind as I read the experiences of Mike Yankoski and his friend and companion on his journey, Sam, through the streets of Denver, Washington, D.C., Portland, San Franciso, Phoenix and San Diego and wept at the triumphs, the heartaches and the gritty and captivating reality that they experienced on the streets and with the everyday people they met, both the homeless and those with homes.
This book will change your heart.
This book will change what you think you know of the homeless.
This book will challenge and will change what you think being a Christian means.
I couldn't read,"Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America", with skepticism but instead, with the thought, "What do I do"? as I walked or drive by the people we try to pretend isn't there but God sees over our averted eyes.
What, "Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America", does is challenges the reader to re-look at His world and ask ourselves, do we play it safe as Christians or are we truly there when our brothers and sisters need us the most.
Offering a downloadable discussion guide and an action plan of what we can do for our brothers and sisters who are without a home, "Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America", isn't for making us feel guilty and to act to help us feel better, but just to gently, with its realistic looks of what we tend to be very insulated from, what those who are on the streets live each day, beneath our office and home windows, but we, in our hurry with our busy lives, don't take the time to see.
This book reminded me so much of the story of the Good Samaritan and more than anything it is asking all of us a real hard question that we at some point of our lives must have asked ourselves, but put in the back of our minds when our cellphone rings or we hurry off to Facebook to post a status or engage in the latest argument online over trivial matters, "What would I do during my day or in my life for God if I wasn't concerned with what I wear, what I eat, where I sleep, what I own, what people think of me, or what discomforts I face?" and asks us to think that hard question.
Would we?
Just even reading the response that the author and his traveling companion received from other Christians who didn't know what they were doing or why they were on the streets, had me hanging my head down and wondering, "How does my walk reflect to others and what type of Christian am I".
This is a humbling book.
It makes no pretenses of being anything other and there is a wonderful foreword by Francis Chan in the beginning that has in it a warning to the reader, "`Don't read Mike's book if you're not willing to change your attitude and actions toward the homeless."
Francis Chan is right and I say the same to you. "Don't read this book if you're not willing or ready to have a open and teachable heart to read and be changed in our thoughts and heart and actions about what we thought we knew about the homeless".
You can't read this book and put it down after wards and think out of sight, out of mind. This stays with you in your heart, in your mind and in your prayers and having one dare to pray, "Lord humble me and change my heart and remove what veils there are before my eyes".
As 1 John 3:16-18 NKJV goes, "6 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."
"Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America" is a powerful book. As A.W. Tozer shared in "Of God and Men" and re-shared in, "Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America","We hear a Christan assure someone that he will "pray over" his problem, knowing full well that he intends to use prayer as a substitute for service. It is much easier to pray that a poor friend's needs maybe supplied than to supply them".
May 17, 2011
God has been dropping several resources in my path dealing with the issue of homelessness lately. I'm trying to be open to what God wants to teach me through it all, and quite frankly, it's exciting. Homelessness is an issue that, try as I might, I simply cannot be neutral on. Living near a big city like Baltimore, Orlando, or even Tokyo, I've found that I either need to ignore the homeless, or address them in some way. For me, my journey of addressing the issue of homelessness starts with getting educated.
Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski opened my eyes to several key issues. Written by a man who felt called to live a homeless lifestyle by choice for 5 months, the book is a memoir of his experience. Here are several things I took away from Under the Overpass:
* Substance/alcohol abuse are huge among the homeless. Although Yankoski was unable to quote statistics, I came away with the impression that a large number (majority???) of homeless struggle with this.
* Helping a homeless person is often a split second opportunity that we can take advantage of or totally miss. Contact with a homeless person can catch us off guard, and how we respond in that moment may make a deep impact (positive or negative). Planning ahead takes a lot of the anxiety out of responding to an unexpected opportunity.
* Small gestures are totally okay. Sometimes the concept of helping a homeless person can seem overwhelming because 1.) We can't help everyone and 2.) We can't fully "fix" even one person. But something seemingly small like buying someone dinner or stopping to talk is actually significant in the big picture.
* Author Yankoski sacrificed 5-months of his life specifically because he wanted to grow in his relationship with God. When was the last time that I planned a lifestyle change with the intent purpose of investing in my relationship with God?
* And lastly, trite but good -- I came away with a renewed conviction to not waste food. Some people live on so little -- I don't want to take for granted what I have.
I want to close by addressing a question that haunted me throughout the first half of the book. Was Yankoski right in choosing the method he did to grow closer to God and increase awareness of homelessness? Early on, I found myself critical of someone who would "pretend" to be homeless and in a sense, mooch off of the unknowing kindness of people who thought he was legitimately homeless.
However, I've come to appreciate the validity of Yankoski's method. The thing that has cinched it for me is comparing his journey to the incarnational presence of Jesus Christ on earth for 33 years. Here was a deity who didn't want for anything, living as a human -- accepting gestures of kindness from his followers, when really, he could have "snapped his fingers" and provided all he lacked at any moment. He could have conjured up 5 loaves, 2 fish, an expensive bottle of nard, and any number of meals that Mary & Martha went to great lengths to prepare for him. Was Jesus merely "taking advantage" of the kindness of his followers?
I believe that God coming to earth in a human body impacted those around him in a way that a deity who never lacked for anything could not have done. And in the case of Yankoski, his ability to touch the homeless around him, the personal growth that he gained, and the impact that he has had through sharing about his experience with a broader audience make me think that the expense was a valid one.
--Jen
Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski opened my eyes to several key issues. Written by a man who felt called to live a homeless lifestyle by choice for 5 months, the book is a memoir of his experience. Here are several things I took away from Under the Overpass:
* Substance/alcohol abuse are huge among the homeless. Although Yankoski was unable to quote statistics, I came away with the impression that a large number (majority???) of homeless struggle with this.
* Helping a homeless person is often a split second opportunity that we can take advantage of or totally miss. Contact with a homeless person can catch us off guard, and how we respond in that moment may make a deep impact (positive or negative). Planning ahead takes a lot of the anxiety out of responding to an unexpected opportunity.
* Small gestures are totally okay. Sometimes the concept of helping a homeless person can seem overwhelming because 1.) We can't help everyone and 2.) We can't fully "fix" even one person. But something seemingly small like buying someone dinner or stopping to talk is actually significant in the big picture.
* Author Yankoski sacrificed 5-months of his life specifically because he wanted to grow in his relationship with God. When was the last time that I planned a lifestyle change with the intent purpose of investing in my relationship with God?
* And lastly, trite but good -- I came away with a renewed conviction to not waste food. Some people live on so little -- I don't want to take for granted what I have.
I want to close by addressing a question that haunted me throughout the first half of the book. Was Yankoski right in choosing the method he did to grow closer to God and increase awareness of homelessness? Early on, I found myself critical of someone who would "pretend" to be homeless and in a sense, mooch off of the unknowing kindness of people who thought he was legitimately homeless.
However, I've come to appreciate the validity of Yankoski's method. The thing that has cinched it for me is comparing his journey to the incarnational presence of Jesus Christ on earth for 33 years. Here was a deity who didn't want for anything, living as a human -- accepting gestures of kindness from his followers, when really, he could have "snapped his fingers" and provided all he lacked at any moment. He could have conjured up 5 loaves, 2 fish, an expensive bottle of nard, and any number of meals that Mary & Martha went to great lengths to prepare for him. Was Jesus merely "taking advantage" of the kindness of his followers?
I believe that God coming to earth in a human body impacted those around him in a way that a deity who never lacked for anything could not have done. And in the case of Yankoski, his ability to touch the homeless around him, the personal growth that he gained, and the impact that he has had through sharing about his experience with a broader audience make me think that the expense was a valid one.
--Jen
December 23, 2010
Read Under the Overpass and you will look differently at the homeless problem in America and your heart and soul will forever be changed.
Mike Yankoski did more than just wonder. By his own choice, Mike’s life went from upper-middle class plush to scum-of-the-earth repulsive overnight. With only a backpack, a sleeping bag and a guitar, Mike and his traveling companion, Sam, set out to experience life on the streets in six different cities—from Washington D.C. to San Diego— and they put themselves to the test.
Mike and Sam’s story is gritty, challenging, and utterly captivating. What you encounter in these pages will radically alter how you see your world—and may even change your life.
Find out more about Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski and download a sample chapter of the 5th Anniversary Edition at WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing.
Join Mike, Sam and I in an Over the Underpass Christmas action plan.
I was lucky enough to review a copy of this book and jumped at the chance. I have always had interest in the homeless. I have many questions that just hang over my head that I wanted answers too. How do people become homeless? Why and how could they live on the street year after year? Why does the church that teaches up to be good Christians and treat others with only love and compassion not help these people? Reading this book has filled this need plus so much more and it has truly been a life changing book for me. After reading Under the Overpass I have now learned what the homeless really needs most and it is not food and shelter. Read the book and find out.
Mike gave up everything he had going at the moment in his life when God called him. Even though his family did not approve he knew this was his calling and something he needed to do. Mike gave up every comfort he knew and found Sam who did the same and they placed themselves in danger and never knew when their next meal would be. They lived among those who walk our streets every day for six months. How many of us would do this? Would you give up your comfortable lifestyle to do this? You might say well I have worked for what I have. Homeless people don't work or care to work. There are so many excuses you could use to not help those who need it most. One of the poorest excuses is I pray for the homeless or I will pray for them. Be still and listen is God calling you to do something for the homeless.
I found Over the Underpass to be moving, informative and an eye opening experience and a book for the young and old alike. Since reading Over the Underpass I have chosen to give my time and myself to make a homeless persons life a little brighter. I have joined Mike and Sam in the Under the Overpass Christmas Action Plan. I will be posting a link here as soon as I get it my plan up and I hope other can join me.
I have been provided the book Over the Underpass for this review and have not been compensated in any other way. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.
July 29, 2018
If you read just one book besides scriptures this year, let this be the one. This book was recommended to me by someone I highly trust. Even then, I was skeptical. I was ready for a book that wanted me to run out and care for the homeless in a way that I'm not comfortable with. Not at all. I appreciated Mike's experiences he learned on the streets and his wise wisdom in how to go about helping. He doesn't condone enabling at all. His biggest reminder to me is that the homeless, although they may not look, smell, act, etc. are human beings. They are sons and daughters of God just like me. He doesn't love them less or me more. The homeless have had every dignity taken from them (yes, most by choices they've made) but they are still human and we need to see them as such and treat them as such. Most have not "chosen" to live on the streets. There are a few but, most of the homeless are there because of not great choices they've made that have led them to the streets.
If you truly want to help the homeless, Mike gives some suggestions and resources in this book that I completely applaud and agree with.
There was one thing in the book that I didn't agree with which is sad but needs to be taken in account is Mike's frustrations with 'the church' buildings and them being 'closed' to the homeless. Church buildings are sacred. When the doors are open, they should be open to the public and all invited into their sanctuaries but too many church buildings are vandalized and abused by those who don't care. They need to be protected. Not because the homeless aren't invited into them but because of what those who do not have respect for them do to them.
Another take away from this book is the serious contemplation and look at myself as a Christian. I was appalled at the "Christians" who carried around their Bibles and 'passed on the other side of the street' (to take from a parable of the Good Samaritan). I hurt for Mike but then I thought, how many times do I 'carry around my Bible' figuratively speaking and pass by on the other side of the street. And how often do we not act and do for others as we glibly say we'll pray for them and then go on our way.......
We can do better. We can all do better. I can do better. I like books like this that show me ways I can improve on being a better person.
If you truly want to help the homeless, Mike gives some suggestions and resources in this book that I completely applaud and agree with.
There was one thing in the book that I didn't agree with which is sad but needs to be taken in account is Mike's frustrations with 'the church' buildings and them being 'closed' to the homeless. Church buildings are sacred. When the doors are open, they should be open to the public and all invited into their sanctuaries but too many church buildings are vandalized and abused by those who don't care. They need to be protected. Not because the homeless aren't invited into them but because of what those who do not have respect for them do to them.
Another take away from this book is the serious contemplation and look at myself as a Christian. I was appalled at the "Christians" who carried around their Bibles and 'passed on the other side of the street' (to take from a parable of the Good Samaritan). I hurt for Mike but then I thought, how many times do I 'carry around my Bible' figuratively speaking and pass by on the other side of the street. And how often do we not act and do for others as we glibly say we'll pray for them and then go on our way.......
We can do better. We can all do better. I can do better. I like books like this that show me ways I can improve on being a better person.
July 2, 2017
These two young men did something courageous and wrote a book about their experiences that really touched my heart. I feel like their book could even inspire real change in the direction of a persons life. There are many quotes I could have chosen as my favorite from this book but I chose one toward the end when the pair first come home from living on the streets in several large cities for several months without any money, transport, medicines or anything of this world whatsoever.
"Suddenly the terrible dangers of lacking nothing came clear to us. Having everything just because you can is a trap. It numbs and blinds the human spirit. It can separate us from our calling and our privileges as Christians in this needy world. In the weeks after we returned Sam and I talked often about that. Again and again it seemed that the culture we had returned to knew how to enjoy Gods' material blessings but had forgotten or didn't care to know how to use those blessings to help others in Jesus name. We didn't want that to happen to us, ever."
I just had to take a little more from the ending of this inspiring book: "In a very real sense the problem of homelessness is overwhelming. Jesus put it all in context when he said 'the poor you will always have with you.' You just can't meet every need you see or spend time with every homeless person you meet. So where do we start? Jesus summarized right living in two powerful statements 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.' As over-spiritualized as it might sound I really do think that caring for the needy begins with loving God more completely. It's in knowing and responding to His amazing love for us that we begin to set our priorities straight. Reflecting back on our trip Sam put it this way: Only in knowing God will we see people as they are, live as we were meant to live and love as we were meant to love. Our relationship to Him didn't separate Mike and me from the needy and oppressed but rather it pushed us closer to them. I think loving God is supposed to push all of us to be immersed in our world.'
"Suddenly the terrible dangers of lacking nothing came clear to us. Having everything just because you can is a trap. It numbs and blinds the human spirit. It can separate us from our calling and our privileges as Christians in this needy world. In the weeks after we returned Sam and I talked often about that. Again and again it seemed that the culture we had returned to knew how to enjoy Gods' material blessings but had forgotten or didn't care to know how to use those blessings to help others in Jesus name. We didn't want that to happen to us, ever."
I just had to take a little more from the ending of this inspiring book: "In a very real sense the problem of homelessness is overwhelming. Jesus put it all in context when he said 'the poor you will always have with you.' You just can't meet every need you see or spend time with every homeless person you meet. So where do we start? Jesus summarized right living in two powerful statements 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.' As over-spiritualized as it might sound I really do think that caring for the needy begins with loving God more completely. It's in knowing and responding to His amazing love for us that we begin to set our priorities straight. Reflecting back on our trip Sam put it this way: Only in knowing God will we see people as they are, live as we were meant to live and love as we were meant to love. Our relationship to Him didn't separate Mike and me from the needy and oppressed but rather it pushed us closer to them. I think loving God is supposed to push all of us to be immersed in our world.'
December 9, 2011
I think the most interesting parts of the book were when Mike would write about the experiences they had with Christians- especially when they would show up for a church service on Sunday mornings. Sometimes it was encouraging, but more often than not, the reactions of 'Christians' they encountered left me with a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat.
Under the Overpass has led me to start asking myself some tough questions. How do I *honestly* react when I see those in need around me? How quick am I to dismiss those needs? Do I ignore the *obvious* need, and provide a band-aid fix in order to make MYSELF feel better, instead of showing the love of Christ?
There were a few times that I found myself unsure how I felt about the book/experiment, but all of that aside, I absolutely cannot deny the genuine conviction the book brings. And not a damning conviction- but more a feeling of "we can do SO much better than this! We can be so much more effective!". Ironically, Under The Overpass brought me hope, through showing me some of my own short-comings.
THAT is something a good book should do!
Under the Overpass has led me to start asking myself some tough questions. How do I *honestly* react when I see those in need around me? How quick am I to dismiss those needs? Do I ignore the *obvious* need, and provide a band-aid fix in order to make MYSELF feel better, instead of showing the love of Christ?
There were a few times that I found myself unsure how I felt about the book/experiment, but all of that aside, I absolutely cannot deny the genuine conviction the book brings. And not a damning conviction- but more a feeling of "we can do SO much better than this! We can be so much more effective!". Ironically, Under The Overpass brought me hope, through showing me some of my own short-comings.
THAT is something a good book should do!
December 23, 2007
Ok so here it is, broadcasted in black and white: would you give up everything you owned because you thought you heard God telling you to do so? Crazy right? Wrong. This book as amazing! A true story about a college student and his friend who heard God calling him to learn something that you can only learn once you sacrifice all. Don't let this amazing book slip through your fingers!
December 22, 2022
This book has greatly challenged my love for the people Jesus loves. Jesus’ love is radical and knows no prejudice, race, or social status. As his living testimony, am I following in His footsteps or do I snub my nose. Jesus’ love sits. And gives. I am humbled.
Read
December 21, 2022I went to Missions Fest in what would have probably been 2008, and it’s Sunday school equivalent happened to have the author of this book, Mike Yankoski, as a guest speaker (for 11 year olds, lol). My dad bought me this book and I even met the guy and added him on Facebook (LOL). I liked it as an 11 year old evangelical kid, but looking back, this has got to be the strangest most privileged story of a dude becoming fucking homeless for fun and then judging Christian’s for not helping him based on his dirty and smelly appearance. Self-flagellation at its utmost. Go and actually help people instead of pretending to be homeless to prove you can be a Christian without upper-class creature comforts. Totally classic 2000s evangelicalism.
February 10, 2025
This is a must read for all people, especially Christians. Has totally changed the way I see the homeless population and is so convicting in a gracious, practical way
September 15, 2021
I can't imagine doing this. I was deeply saddened (and convicted) at how few people even noticed them, even at churches.
Read
September 11, 2017 Under the Overpass, a chronicle of Mike Yankoski’s journey across the U.S. as a vagabond, is the way social justice should be done. Mike’s journey across U.S. helps illustrate the problems of our society in a way that's provocative and powerful without simply blaming the first thing in sight. The book documents a great experience with a great message all while talking sense and reason through personal experience.
For Yankoski’s first venture into the realm of writing he puts forth a pretty good effort with great detail and lots to get hook on. His journey, one of which I have weirdly always wanted to do, is about his travels from 6 different cities over 5 months at the bottom of the fiscal food chain in 2005. His adventure takes him through Denver, Washington D.C., portland, San Francisco, Phoenix, and San diego. Over that he does not try to inject his views but rather state his findings. While I would say it is a social justice book, I would also call it a documentary of what he experience and what he did. It also has elements of faith as he is a christian, however this is more of an element of the book as a lot of the lower class are religious. Considering the above this could be classified as a Memoir.
The characters are the meat of the story and since there are many I will only use the first few in order to avoid ruining the best part of the book for readers. Before I go on it is also worth mentioning Sam who is a friend of mike and accompanies him throughout the book except this chapter. The first place Mike goes to is Denver where he spends 31 days at a D.R.M facility (Denver Rehab/Rescue Mission). The people he meets there are ex-convicts, drug addicts, and vagrants like himself just looking for a place to stay. I found it very hard to relate to the people's circumstances, however Mike also talks about their humanity too, what they struggle with and so on, that I could relate to. Their struggles while much more severe were relatable. Addiction, anger, and sorrow set the mood which was a powerful, but understandable message. Peter a member of the mission showed a lot of humanity. A former clown who became a drug addict, he had trouble with detox and it's painful affects which. It is quickly learned that while he may seem like a man that can change that quickly fades as he talks about his long story of drug abuse. The characters he meets in the book are your average joe if he was a slightly disgruntled drug addict or a homeless vagrant. They can be related to in that they struggle with similar things as me, but their struggles are far greater.
This is the only book Yankoski has ever written and I am not well versed in similar authors but a comparison of similar ideas would be that of the social justice communities. I am not talking about fanatical feminists or insane complete left wing liberals. I am talking about rational people who believe that something should be done about homelessness. While I would say Mike would gladly and in fact encourages that, he has also seen what it's like to live that lifestyle and he understands that some people just can not change or will not change in order to benefit society while that's not everyone it is a lot of people and groups who push welfare and a more socialistic society do not use this kind of approach instead going for a more data focused approach to trying to solve this problem.
This book's purpose is to experience the lowest of the low society though a first hand perspective. It talks about the controversial topic of what to do with the least of these and what is to be accomplished should they be helped. It talks about the human like things we all face and relates the bottom of society to the top with similar struggles.
This book is great for college students and those who want a moral challenge. I would say 19-21 years is where is book would be best and for those who really like to think and truly want to understand society. This book is fantastic and is in my opinion the best way to approach social topic’s. It is a must read for those who want to study social studies.
For Yankoski’s first venture into the realm of writing he puts forth a pretty good effort with great detail and lots to get hook on. His journey, one of which I have weirdly always wanted to do, is about his travels from 6 different cities over 5 months at the bottom of the fiscal food chain in 2005. His adventure takes him through Denver, Washington D.C., portland, San Francisco, Phoenix, and San diego. Over that he does not try to inject his views but rather state his findings. While I would say it is a social justice book, I would also call it a documentary of what he experience and what he did. It also has elements of faith as he is a christian, however this is more of an element of the book as a lot of the lower class are religious. Considering the above this could be classified as a Memoir.
The characters are the meat of the story and since there are many I will only use the first few in order to avoid ruining the best part of the book for readers. Before I go on it is also worth mentioning Sam who is a friend of mike and accompanies him throughout the book except this chapter. The first place Mike goes to is Denver where he spends 31 days at a D.R.M facility (Denver Rehab/Rescue Mission). The people he meets there are ex-convicts, drug addicts, and vagrants like himself just looking for a place to stay. I found it very hard to relate to the people's circumstances, however Mike also talks about their humanity too, what they struggle with and so on, that I could relate to. Their struggles while much more severe were relatable. Addiction, anger, and sorrow set the mood which was a powerful, but understandable message. Peter a member of the mission showed a lot of humanity. A former clown who became a drug addict, he had trouble with detox and it's painful affects which. It is quickly learned that while he may seem like a man that can change that quickly fades as he talks about his long story of drug abuse. The characters he meets in the book are your average joe if he was a slightly disgruntled drug addict or a homeless vagrant. They can be related to in that they struggle with similar things as me, but their struggles are far greater.
This is the only book Yankoski has ever written and I am not well versed in similar authors but a comparison of similar ideas would be that of the social justice communities. I am not talking about fanatical feminists or insane complete left wing liberals. I am talking about rational people who believe that something should be done about homelessness. While I would say Mike would gladly and in fact encourages that, he has also seen what it's like to live that lifestyle and he understands that some people just can not change or will not change in order to benefit society while that's not everyone it is a lot of people and groups who push welfare and a more socialistic society do not use this kind of approach instead going for a more data focused approach to trying to solve this problem.
This book's purpose is to experience the lowest of the low society though a first hand perspective. It talks about the controversial topic of what to do with the least of these and what is to be accomplished should they be helped. It talks about the human like things we all face and relates the bottom of society to the top with similar struggles.
This book is great for college students and those who want a moral challenge. I would say 19-21 years is where is book would be best and for those who really like to think and truly want to understand society. This book is fantastic and is in my opinion the best way to approach social topic’s. It is a must read for those who want to study social studies.
February 8, 2024
This isn’t a fun book to read, but a book everyone should read to understand the homeless a little better.
In life, just be kind to everyone💕
In life, just be kind to everyone💕
November 9, 2014
I read books from all perspectives and beliefs, but this authors Christian perspective is not one I would read again. A Christian man feels he is "called" to become homeless for five months.
He is clueless about substance abuse disorders, apparently believing prayer can solve complicated medical problems. Faced with describing how women on the street have it "harder than men" he talks about a girl that he hints may be engaging in commercial sex work but so uncomfortable with the subject matter he cannot use the word prostitute and summarizes his opinion of her experience in one or two sentences. He has no insight in to mental illness, throwing out words/diagnosis like bipolar and schizophrenic without revealing he if he has any credentials or knowledge of either illness. He is so judgmental about the language he hears on the street he can't bear to use it. He fails to take advantage of the resources for the disadvantaged that are found in most urban cities. His story does not read as authentic as would be expected.
During the five months he finds fault with the Christian churches and the people in them. He feels they judge him for his hygiene, sleeping on the street, panhandling, urinating outside and a host of other things that people who have nothing, do to survive. He then turns around and makes the same judgements about the homeless people he meets. He is a hypocrite with a cause and it is self serving. Knowing the 5 star reviews come from the targeted Christian audience, I am quite comfortable in my ability to be objective giving this book one star.
He is clueless about substance abuse disorders, apparently believing prayer can solve complicated medical problems. Faced with describing how women on the street have it "harder than men" he talks about a girl that he hints may be engaging in commercial sex work but so uncomfortable with the subject matter he cannot use the word prostitute and summarizes his opinion of her experience in one or two sentences. He has no insight in to mental illness, throwing out words/diagnosis like bipolar and schizophrenic without revealing he if he has any credentials or knowledge of either illness. He is so judgmental about the language he hears on the street he can't bear to use it. He fails to take advantage of the resources for the disadvantaged that are found in most urban cities. His story does not read as authentic as would be expected.
During the five months he finds fault with the Christian churches and the people in them. He feels they judge him for his hygiene, sleeping on the street, panhandling, urinating outside and a host of other things that people who have nothing, do to survive. He then turns around and makes the same judgements about the homeless people he meets. He is a hypocrite with a cause and it is self serving. Knowing the 5 star reviews come from the targeted Christian audience, I am quite comfortable in my ability to be objective giving this book one star.
November 6, 2011
This book is astonishing.
Yankoski professes a need to place his life in the hands of his savior, and believes in the strength provided by Him as having redemptive powers. But he also addressed a universal need, an essential component of being human that is transcendent of religious faith: the need to love one another, and to help those in need.
Bravo also for raising the issues that many do not- specifically the hypocrisy, greed and selfishness evident in many who consider themselves religious, and the use of prayer as a way to avoid hands-on assistance and help.
I only wish it were longer, and that it went into more detail about the lives of those who find themselves on the outskirts of so-called civilized society. How did they get to where they are? What happened to them, and to himself, after the Yankoski wrote this book? Did he continue to volunteer at the shelter? Did he donate a portion of the profits to those he spent so long writing about?
Questions aside, this book and Yankoski's journey is a remarkable achievement.
Thanks for this book Mike, and for providing a copy to the Rivendell Retreat center in British Columbia. I don't think of myself as belonging to any specific religion, but this book spoke volumes to me in terms of the global need of love, dependence, acceptance, and helping others. I'm relieved, and inspired, to read about someone living according to these principals.
Yankoski professes a need to place his life in the hands of his savior, and believes in the strength provided by Him as having redemptive powers. But he also addressed a universal need, an essential component of being human that is transcendent of religious faith: the need to love one another, and to help those in need.
Bravo also for raising the issues that many do not- specifically the hypocrisy, greed and selfishness evident in many who consider themselves religious, and the use of prayer as a way to avoid hands-on assistance and help.
I only wish it were longer, and that it went into more detail about the lives of those who find themselves on the outskirts of so-called civilized society. How did they get to where they are? What happened to them, and to himself, after the Yankoski wrote this book? Did he continue to volunteer at the shelter? Did he donate a portion of the profits to those he spent so long writing about?
Questions aside, this book and Yankoski's journey is a remarkable achievement.
Thanks for this book Mike, and for providing a copy to the Rivendell Retreat center in British Columbia. I don't think of myself as belonging to any specific religion, but this book spoke volumes to me in terms of the global need of love, dependence, acceptance, and helping others. I'm relieved, and inspired, to read about someone living according to these principals.
May 25, 2010
I have to admit that I was afraid to start this book. I knew that it would pull me out of my comfort zone and challenge me in ways that I wasn't sure I was ready for.
It did not disappoint.
Through Mike and Sam's journey I was allowed into a world in which I do not live, and yet I walk by on the streets on a fairly regular basis. Growing up in a small town where homelessness was not a visible part of our community, this book has shaken me deep in my soul.
In my new community, homelessness slaps you across the face and wakes you up to a reality that there is a whole other world in which most of us will never have to experience.
Even if you are not a believer or a person of faith, this book will challenge you to take a hard look at your life. It's overall question is: Are you willing to step outside of yourself and extend a hand to the broken?
It did not disappoint.
Through Mike and Sam's journey I was allowed into a world in which I do not live, and yet I walk by on the streets on a fairly regular basis. Growing up in a small town where homelessness was not a visible part of our community, this book has shaken me deep in my soul.
In my new community, homelessness slaps you across the face and wakes you up to a reality that there is a whole other world in which most of us will never have to experience.
Even if you are not a believer or a person of faith, this book will challenge you to take a hard look at your life. It's overall question is: Are you willing to step outside of yourself and extend a hand to the broken?
Read
August 9, 2023Under the Overpass is the real experiences of two college-age guys, Mike and Sam, who give up 5 months of their highly blessed lives to live on the streets. Through their experiences they grew closer to God, earned sympathy for other people, and had their lives radically shaken.
Characters: Obviously, these men are real people, but they were both very delightful to read about. Very honest and open.
Story: The story was 100% perspective changing. It makes you step back and see the terrible truths that us "Good Christians" avoid.
I was highly upset to read reviews of other people who criticized these men for what they did. I could never sit behind a nice computer in a nice house and criticize men who gave all of those luxuries up to do what they felt God calling them to do. How many of us are willing to do that? I think what they did was excellent.
Characters: Obviously, these men are real people, but they were both very delightful to read about. Very honest and open.
Story: The story was 100% perspective changing. It makes you step back and see the terrible truths that us "Good Christians" avoid.
I was highly upset to read reviews of other people who criticized these men for what they did. I could never sit behind a nice computer in a nice house and criticize men who gave all of those luxuries up to do what they felt God calling them to do. How many of us are willing to do that? I think what they did was excellent.
May 21, 2013
I loved this book! Really.
Such a deep reminder to me of how people were intended to be treated, and how to break apart the preconceptions that are often brought to homelessness. It's easy to rationalize, justify, and come up with new solutions to the problem of avoiding others, but the significance of our lives is the proximity that we live to one another - not learning to empathize with those above us, but reaching to those below us, not from a position of strength to weakness, but real caring to look them in the eye - people.
Such a testament of God's love and care and filled with so many reminders that make His truth applicable to almost every situation. It's easy to read, quick to digest, and left me feeling very vulnerable, but also healed at the same time.
Such a deep reminder to me of how people were intended to be treated, and how to break apart the preconceptions that are often brought to homelessness. It's easy to rationalize, justify, and come up with new solutions to the problem of avoiding others, but the significance of our lives is the proximity that we live to one another - not learning to empathize with those above us, but reaching to those below us, not from a position of strength to weakness, but real caring to look them in the eye - people.
Such a testament of God's love and care and filled with so many reminders that make His truth applicable to almost every situation. It's easy to read, quick to digest, and left me feeling very vulnerable, but also healed at the same time.
January 15, 2013
Very interesting account of a college student who lived as a homeless person in six American cities for five months. This books is a quick read that doesn't come off as a guilt trip or lecture but more of a cultural immersion experience. Through Yankoski's eyes, we learn about the homeless "culture," as well see the church in action (or, more often, in avoidance). I think anyone concerned about how to help the homeless in American (without enabling addiction) will have their eyes opened by this book. Yet, Yankoski doesn't come across as preachy or pushing a specific agenda, allowing the reader to form her own (now better informed) conclusions on how to help.
January 28, 2013
The author and another middle-class college guy give up their comfortable lives for half a year to live homeless in a handful of metropolitan areas of the US. He wrote on homelessness and how many Christians and churches ignored/turned their back on them... but how even some other homeless guys showed them true Christian love. He challenges you to live out your faith in tangible ways. He gives you ideas at the end of the book in what you can do to show love to the homeless community, and to love your neighbor as yourself.
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August 2, 2011awesome book....I read it in 5 sittings...Mike made a good choice...to not chronicle everything but to tell short stories that make a point. It is great theology without the theology :)
And in the end one of the final points is spot on! "Caring for the needy starts with loving God more completely" sooo right...but we never hear that.
And in the end one of the final points is spot on! "Caring for the needy starts with loving God more completely" sooo right...but we never hear that.
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