Under the Overpass by Mike Yankoski

Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America by Mike Yankoski

Alexis and I recently participated in the 30-hour famine. During a youth conference for the 30-hour famine, there was a guest speaker by the name of Mike Yankoski. Mike spoke about an activity he threw himself into which he and a friend dropped themselves off in 6 major cities in the U.S. and lived the life of homeless people using only their guitars as a means to peddle for money. I was moved by Mike's speech and later learned through a friend that Mike wrote a book detailing their adventures in homelessness. I purchased the book and read it during a flight I took to Florida.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book and Mike Yankoski's experiment in this particular area of social discovery. It's intriguing to think, "What would it be like for someone like me to shed all comforts of a blessed life and to learn what it's like to be homeless and live on the streets?" This is precisely what Mike did and he details it in his book, Under the Overpass with a humble writing style which never becomes preachy. I was anxious to read the book and found myself flipping the pages and reading it to the end in one sitting. I was fascinated by the stories he told and appreciated the progressive storyline which concluded with a summary of vital take aways from his adventure.

One of the things I appreciated about Mike's process was that he did not make the dubious assumption or conclusion that he would truly understand what it's like to be homeless. In the back of his mind he understood that at the end of this adventure he would go back to being a college student with a loving family of support and living the blessed life. He also understood that at a moments noticed if something went wrong and his life was in danger, he could call one of numerous sources to help him out and escape his situation. He humbly understood that he was just a visitor and an observer of a life style which couldn't be adequately explained through text book studies. I believe it was this humble observed approach which kept me flipping pages and appreciative of what I was reading.

The stories were fascinating but I think what made this book so powerful was it's ability to challenge the reader and to get reader to think, "what would I have done in this situation?" Some of Mike's experiences with various Christian churches and how they responded to Mike's homeless condition, although appalling, was not a shock. I've been guilty of crossing the street to avoid the homeless and I've fumbled with my radio at plenty of traffic lights to avoid my eyes getting locked onto a cardboard sign asking for help for a veteran. It's situations like these that Mike found himself in and it was interesting to see how various people responded and it was equally as intriguing to think of how I would have responded in these certain situations.

At the end of the book, I found myself with a better understanding of the difficult plight of the homeless in America. I came away with a sense of action in my heart while at the same time recognizing that there are no simple answers to this enormous problem. I was thankful for Mike's personal testimony at the 30-hour famine conference and I was equally thankful for Mike journaling the details of his American adventure in this book and giving me a glimpse at a life I would have not otherwise known from the comfort of my home.

Please take a moment to read this book, I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I have.

"'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'" ( Matthew 25:40 )