Pastor 'tests' parishioners by disguising himself as a homeless man — no one could've predicted their response
Although initially, people walked past him without paying him much heed, a while later, he witnessed an entirely different scenario.
Six years ago, Illinois pastor James MacDonald disguised himself as a homeless man and sat outside two Harvest Bible Chapel campuses before Sunday services to see how people would react. MacDonald, founder of the seven-campus church in the Chicago area and host of the Walk in the Word radio and TV programs, later posted the video on Facebook and YouTube. On Facebook, he wrote, "I dressed up as a homeless man and sat outside our church. What I witnessed blew me away." His aim was to see whether people in his own congregation would live out the command to not only love God but also "love your neighbor as yourself."
He wore multiple layers, a fake beard, and long gray hair while pushing a shopping cart toward the building. Outside, he set a cup and a small sign by his side as churchgoers arrived. Some walked past without much acknowledgment. At another campus, he stayed outside in the same disguise as more people went in. In the video, MacDonald said, "The closer a person is to us and the less common the struggle, the easier it is to love. God forbid I find out my wife has three months to live, I would quit my job and quit everything, right? What if it’s just an acquaintance of yours, and what if the problem is recurring? The more common and further from us… how common is homelessness? How frequently is the homeless person someone dear to us personally? Never."
He also noted that people often "love the people where there’s some benefit in it for us," comparing it to repairing family relationships that ultimately improve one’s own life. "Yes, do that, but not just that. Where it’s not your favorite, where there’s nothing in it for you, where it’s not an upgrade to your portfolio of awesomeness." Although initially, people walked past him without paying him much heed, a while later, he witnessed an entirely different scenario. Addressing his audience, he said, "So how did our church do in the video? Awesome."
He was constantly offered food and beverages. "I got some water for you and something more valuable — the Word of God," one said. Many prayed with him at length. One person brought him coffee and said, "Let’s just pray for you real quick here. Thank you, Lord, that you brought this man to your church on your day." Another said, "I just pray that you would meet him." Someone else told him, "You’re welcome to come inside, we’d love to have you." Another prayed, "Thank you, Father, for this morning, thank you for this beautiful day, and thank you for my friend here. Provide for him, God. You love us and care for us, and you love this man right here."
MacDonald admitted, "I was crying inside that beard," overwhelmed by how many people reached out. What he witnessed showed how the smallest acts of kindness can snowball into something big. A 2022 study titled "What is Unique About Kindness?" compared different positive behaviors and found that acts of kindness for others create stronger feelings of meaning, competence, and confidence. Participants in that study reported a deeper sense of purpose when they helped someone in need, even compared to simply being social.
Only after showing these moments did he take the cart inside the sanctuary, push it down the aisle, and walk up on stage. As the congregation watched, he peeled off the beard and layers to reveal his identity. He explained that he had camped outside "to see how we were doing when it is hardest to love," and reminded them, "Your Father in Heaven is giving the same graces to the person that is hardest for you to love. He doesn’t play favorites."
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