“Nobody cared. I was tossed out like a piece of paper,” said Perry, a homeless man in Manhattan, Kansas.
Perry’s story is just one of many told by Humans of Surrender (HOS). An initiative of Brett Awbrey and Adam Herbert, both members of Westview Community Church in Manhattan, Kansas, HOS shares stories of the brokenness of people who then find hope and redemption through Jesus Christ. The stories cover the spectrum of humanity, from homeless people to company CEOs.
The idea for Humans of Surrender was born in 2014 as Brett contemplated what it means to truly surrender one’s will to God. HOS is modeled after Humans of New York, a photoblog consisting of stories that display humanity in a pure form. There is one major difference, however. Stories with Humans of Surrender depict the hope found in Jesus.
Humans of Surrender
Learn More“There is not a human being on the face of the earth who doesn’t have a story to tell or isn’t broken,” said Awbrey. “Common ground for all of us involves sin, brokenness and pain.”
Each story features examples of the human condition: pride, fear, ego, doubt, lust, betrayal, anxiety, bitterness and anger, followed by how the story subject found hope in Christ.
While the stories found at HOS illustrate redemption, Awbrey, an entrepreneur, and Herbert, Westview youth director, stress that those featured aren’t perfect people.
“We don’t want to give the illusion that through Jesus we’re perfect,” said Herbert. “Surrender is something I do hundreds of times a day. When we submit ourselves to his grace, we are healed – true spiritual transformation takes place.”
Everyone has a story and God can use each one to make his name known.
The goal of Humans of Surrender is to produce 6,000 stories by 2019.
Awbrey and Herbert want to empower others to tell their stories.
“People are reserved in being transparent and sharing their stories,” said Herbert. “It’s okay to be broken.”