Jim Somerville is pastor of the First Baptist Church in Washington, D. C. Once one of the most prominent churches in our nation's capital, it is still housed in a wonderful, ornate facility. However, there are few people who come to worship there anymore.

Washington has one of the highest populations of homeless people in America, if not the highest. They're everywhere, and sometimes they take refuge near churches. Jim couldn't help but notice that a group of homeless people were spending their nights on the church's property. In an effort to be hospitable, and to put a human face on homelessness, he and another young fellow from his church took their sleeping bags and spent a night with these people who had no roof over their heads.

They had to endu…