wfn.org | Lutherans Embrace 'Homeless' Man Who Embodied Christ's Love

[<NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

Title: Lutherans Embrace 'Homeless' Man Who Embodied Christ's Love
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>March 4, 2009  

Lutherans Embrace 'Homeless' Man Who Embodied Christ's Love
09-056-SH

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- John Breaux raced to open doors for
strangers. He left flowers on the doorsteps of people in need
of cheer. He shoveled snow for others, carried grocery bags
for shoppers and brought food to people in need.

>Not for pay, but out of kindness.

Children called him "Jesus" because of his good deeds and
happy-go-lucky manner. Breaux pedaled his bike dozens of miles
daily, picking up litter along roadsides in a one-man effort
to keep Colorado beautiful.

"He'd appear out of nowhere and pull the weeds from my
yard," said Helen MacDonald, 71, a member of Christ the Servant
Lutheran Church, Louisville, Colo. "He just loved to help
people."

People new to Louisville and nearby Lafayette, the suburban
Boulder communities Breaux roamed, mistakenly pegged him as
homeless. He sported a bushy beard and tattered clothes. His
wide smile revealed missing teeth. He talked fast and slurred
his words. Because he picked up trash, he sometimes smelled
of trash.

But he won over the leery with acts of kindness fueled by
a desire to be like Jesus. Bags of trash routinely dangled from
the handlebars of Breaux's bike, which wobbled erratically
along the roadways because he liked to wave to everyone.

Many people feared a vehicle might hit him one day. They
equipped him with a helmet and reflective gear. Others bought
him new clothes to wear, but he almost always gave them to
someone he thought needed them more. Locals share endless
stories of Breaux's selfless acts, such as the time a church
member handed him $50. Instead of keeping it, Breaux tossed
the money into the offering plate.

"He just didn't seem to have the kind of ego that the
rest of us have," said Gay Lynn Olsen, a member of Christ
the Servant Lutheran who lived across the street from Breaux.
"He didn't need anything from the rest of us. He just
joyfully went around doing his service. He happily enjoyed
the present moment, riding his bike with a big grin on his
face."

Doctors diagnosed Breaux with paranoid schizophrenia in
his 20s, according to the Boulder Daily Camera. After his
parents died in 2000, he moved to Colorado to live with a
brother, who told the newspaper that Breaux stopped taking
the drugs and "blossomed."

Breaux loved Jesus, bowling, biking and the Beatles, the
paper said. When he found illustrations of Jesus in the trash,
he'd clean them up and give them to children. He also loved
to visit area churches.

"He disarmed people because he just wanted to make them
happy," said Keith Seifert, also of Christ the Servant. "John
was the person who walked the countryside. He was very much
like Jesus. He lived the Golden Rule. He was a 'Good
Samaritan.'"

The suburban communities honored Breaux many times for
his generosity. But now townspeople are in mourning.

Breaux died Jan. 30 after a being struck by a vehicle
that veered off the highway.  He had gotten off of his bicycle
to pick up cans and pull weeds along the roadside. Police
arrested the driver, a 62-year-old woman taking prescription
drugs for dementia.

News of Breaux's death spread quickly. Hundreds flocked to
the site to leave balloons, flowers and other memorials. Dozens
turned out for an impromptu memorial bike ride.

Thousands of dollars in donations are now pouring in across
the city to erect a permanent memorial. The Elks are hosting a
benefit breakfast in March. Others are joining together to pick
up trash along the roadsides.

"Everybody in town knew and loved John Breaux," said the
Rev. Joel K. Brandt, a pastor of Christ the Servant. The
congregation hosted Breaux's visitation service though he wasn't
a member.

"He was an unlikely role model who demonstrated how people
can make a big difference in the world by living out their
faith," Brandt said.

Nearly 2,000 people attended Breaux's funeral service at
a nearby church.  Some rode bikes to the service, then to the
cemetery. The burial service ended with everyone waving goodbye
to the man who loved to wave hello.

Valorie Sundby, a 48-year-old Lutheran, donated to the
Breaux memorial fund. He greeted her many days at a local coffee
shop, where he loved to serve as a doorman.

"We're going to miss him so much," she said. "He taught all
of us to always be mindful that we are examples of God's love."

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog