Now this was the contrast I mentioned, but by no means any less rewarding an experience. T.A.C stands for Toronto Alliance Church, a sister church of Summit in the downtown area of Toronto. Aptly named the upper room, T.A.C caters for the poorer and less fortunate people of the city, including the homeless and some immigrants, along with several others who just don’t have much or are hurting in some way. I say aptly named because of this and in terms of it’s upstairs location. I admit to feeling more than a little nervous as we (the team from Summit) drove into the downtown area as there is much more of a busy feel to it and I always get a bit anxious in that kind of unfamiliar situation. As we were unloading there was some commotion on the street and then a small spat broke out between two of the guests upstairs, which added to my anxiety. It soon faded though as we got set up and ready to serve the meal, which consisted of soup, sandwiches, fruit and some cookies etc. There’s also a male and female clothing room with clothes having been donated by churches, a food bank room, prayer room and basic healthcare room for the guests to use.
My first job was to welcome people at the street entrance, where I got to see more of how multicultural Toronto is with almost every race you could think of being represented on the street. Many of the folks just hanging around on the street obviously know what goes on upstairs and kindly help lug all the heavy boxes of food and clothes upstairs. I had a nice conversation with a man who just had his motorbike run into by a parking car. Well it was more a case of he ranted and I listened and nodded in agreement. Someone else had told him he didn’t need to get upset about it, but I would be mad too if it happened to me (and without an apology I may add, just a dirty look from the culprit), so I was happy to be his sounding board. My next job was to wait on one of the tables with another helper. They purposely table serve, to avoid a jostling queue, but more importantly to give something special to the guests as an act of service to them. For a good solid hour, we were just running back and forth, getting more sandwiches, soup and drinks, and then later the fruit and goodies too. It’s obviously instinctive for someone who may not know where their next meal is coming from to eat as much as they can and stock up their back for later too. I noticed the average would be three or four full sandwiches and two bowls of soup with a couple of sandwiches for the bag and the same with the fruit too. There’s no limit to what they can eat or take with them and the food just continues until it’s finished, no leftovers. Our table was like little Italy with 7 men and one woman mostly of Italian descent. We tried to learn their names and chat to them as we went along. It’s striking how there was no barrier or atmosphere, no patronisation on our part and no distrust and standoffishness from the guests, everything seemed natural and comfortable. I was joking with one man who wanted to know that England v USA score, to which I said I hoped USA would win as England’s media will be insufferable if they win. He knew where I was coming from as he was originally Irish.
After the meal, there is a light hearted time of worship with a band and fairly short, but interactive sermon too. Understandably, many are only there for the food and there are less people who stay, but still a good number. The praise was lively and engaging, as was the prayer and the sermon. It’s the first time I’ve heard the Christmas story preached in June. But where else would it be appropriate? In church we use it to celebrate the birth of Christ and reflect on both his first coming and the next. However, the context couldn’t be more appropriate for these people to hear of the circumstances of his birth. The stigma of a young teenage pregnancy out-with marriage, birth in a stable as good as outside in the open air in a stinking animal trough, the revelation to peasant shepherds the most unreliable of witnesses in the world of the time’s eyes, the threat of persecution from a rich and jealous king, and so on. The message also focussed a bit on the kind of people the adult Jesus associated with, namely those whom the world wanted to reject, and then the treatment and hatred he endured which no doubt related to feelings some of these guest had about their own experiences. The relaxed atmosphere allowed for people to ask questions and tell stories during the sermon, which really enriched it I think. Before closing, the preacher, who was also the leader of the evening shared his own testimony, assuring the guests that there was real sincerity and love behind the service provided there and that he was there because someone had invited him in off the street when he was homeless many years ago.
All that remained was some cleaning up and setup for the Sunday service before heading back north into the suburbs. I thoroughly enjoyed serving at T.A.C and am only sorry that we won’t be here long enough for me to go the next time Summit serves on a Saturday evening, although it is in the schedule for Matt and I to visit some of the other activities that T.A.C are involved in at some point. To sum up, such an experience leaves you with a strange sensation. I went there to serve and help others, but left feeling very strongly that they had blessed me in being able to share in their lives for a short time.
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