When 'we' become 'them' -a review of Under the Overpass

I rated this book a five, because that’s the highest rating allowed by the system.

I first read Mike Yankowski’s Under the Overpass several years ago. I lent it to a friend who passed it on to a friend who lent it to someone else, and finally I got the book back six months later. Since then I’ve bought several copies to lend or give.

Two very brave, very foolish or very committed and convicted, (take your pick) young men spend a year living Under the Overpass. They choose to live as homeless people for a year, to experience what an unfortunately large percentage of our society lives on a regular basis. Their experiences living on the street brought me to tears. It wasn’t only the conditions in which they lived, but the reactions of people who should have known better.

This book forced me to look at myself and how I perceive others, and the reflection in the mirror wasn’t as pretty as I would have liked.

If you’re ready to be challenged and convicted, this is the book to read. And don’t be surprised if this “journey of faith on the streets of America” causes you to re-evaluate your own faith walk.