“Undercover Bag Lady” Takes On Christian Attitudes Toward the Homeless Community

By Katie Cline

Undercover Bag Lady

After leading a small nondenominational church and helping to serve the homeless community for 30 years, former pastor Kimberly Bowman set out on a social experiment that was decades in the making. A lifelong curiosity in human interaction and a passion to enact social change distilled themselves in the Undercover Bag Lady project.

Carefully disguised in tattered layers of dirty rags, Kimberly Bowman assumed the life of Jean, the homeless bag lady, and approached 10 different churches from the heart of the Bible Belt. Over the course of eight weeks, Jean attended Sunday morning services and took note of the reception her indigent character received.

From outright hostility to overwhelming generosity, the undercover bag lady encountered the full spectrum of humanity’s potential for acceptance. “Undercover Bag Lady: An Exposé of Christian Attitudes Toward the Homeless” examines the silent hypocrisy and the humbling benevolence that exist beyond the closed doors of the Christian church. In beautifully poignant prose, this unyielding exposé of a silent, fringe community’s experiences turns the mirror on the Christian Church and compels it to examine if it is truly following Christ’s message of unconditional love.

“Undercover Bag Lady: An Exposé of Christian Attitudes Toward the Homeless” is available on Amazon Kindle for a limited time for only 99 cents! The paperback will go on sale on June 14. Pre-order your copy now!

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