A nice blog on a church just beginning to be involved in ministry to the homeless in their parking lot.
http://depauperum.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Monday, April 6, 2009
The Bible's Answer to the Recession
This is by Chad Taylor. It was sent to me by Mark Woodson, who was the head of the Sonnyside Coffee House for many years, feeding the homeless.
As the machinery of conference and meetings marches on the growing dilemma in our cities and streets grows. When I arrived in Sacramento, CA. on Friday March 20th the headlines in the city newspaper's front page read, "Tent City to be Moved..." I read further of the stunning and heartbreaking story of literally thousands of homeless men, women and children that ironically enough were camped next to the American River with the skyline of Sacramento in the distance. Nearly 2000 lived outside of the state Capitol in what is now being dubbed, "Tent City".
As we found the entrance to this sprawling landscape of tents as far as the eye could see we were dumbstruck. What was billed as a "prophetic conference" turned into a major outreach into a quickly growing tragedy on the backdrop of the American experience. As I travelled to our conference in Fresno, CA. after our week in Stockton the headlines on the front page of the New York Times blazed the news of Fresno and its homeless shanty towns and what some are calling, "Hoovervilles" reminiscent of the 30's and 40's during the Great Depression. What we saw in Fresno was shocking. Literally, tents filled the downtown streets and homeless of all ages, color and gender wandered the streets like a war zone.
THE NEW FACE OF THE HOMELESS
Oprah Winfrey in her extensive expose on the homeless boom in America and especially the "Tent City" in Sacramento, CA. has called it, "The new faces of the Homeless" and the increasing number of families and working class people that have been laid off of work, lost their homes to foreclosure and have no other alternative but the streets. As we walked through the endless tents and saw the daunted tear stained faces our hearts were broken. Saturday night at our conference in Fresno, CA. 5 homeless people from Tent City joined us in worship as the alters filled with our cries for the streets of America. 4 more came the next day for Sunday morning and Sunday night. We grabbed the torch from Heaven for the harvest and lifted up our voices for the streets of America - and we went...
"He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock." Ps. 107:40
GOD'S BAILOUT PLAN IS SIMPLE
My message to California was simple, God does have a "Bail out plan" and it's the poor and homeless that litter our sidewalks. God has a bail out plan for every city, church and family in America if we will give heed to it. It's not just "evangelism, charity, or empathy" it truly is the only guarantee out of what statistics clearly point to as a economic crisis that could reach historic proportions. Read carefully the promises below and ask God to make them a reality in your life:
He that has pity on the poor lends to the Lord and that which he has given He will repay." Prov. 19:17
Blessed is he that considers the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth." Ps 42:1-3
He that gives to the poor shall not lack, but he that hides his eyes shall have many curses..." Prov. 28:27
But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed..."Luke 14:13-14
If we respond correctly no recession or depression can touch us. God promises us that as we relieve the needs of the poor "He will repay" and "deliver us in trouble". It can be concluded that much of what we are facing now is because we DID NOT meet the needs of our poor and brought the curses mentioned in Prov. 28:27 to our cities and nation. Below you will find more of God's heart on this growing tragedy in America -
He that oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he that gives to the rich, shall surely come to want. Prov. 22:16
The Rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty. Prob. 10:15
He that oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
Prov. 14:31
THE KEY TO REVIVAL IS SIMPLE
Revival and the new buzz word, "glory" is not complex or some road lined with gold. Revival is a result of the cries of the poor coupled with the cries of the church that is not so self-absorbent and self-exalted that they cannot see their great need of God's grace and power. God makes if very clear in the Bible that the key to open the floodgates of His power and glory is the poor and the needy not the rich and content -
"When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water." Isa 41:17-18
WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP?
The road to glory is not lined with excessiveness and Christian extremes but rather the poor in spirit and the poor in body. The "glory" often seen and experienced today is not a divine glory but rather a self induced one underwritten by self proclaimed prophets that have no power to make a lasting impact on the cities they parade their goods in. The poor get poorer and the hungrier get hungrier. The time is coming when there will be no excuses left for why we never reached out to them in our convocations of excess and the preaching of a experiential gospel rather than the message of the Cross of Jesus Christ. The greatest call from God today is leaders and ministers that will make up a hedge and lead the people from the prayer lines to the front lines.
"The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God." Ezek 22:29-31
A CLARION CALL TO EVERY CHURCH AND MINISTRY IN AMERICA
Our only recourse now is to exit the prayer lines and start a bread line. To hand out water, feed the poor and minister to the growing population of homeless humanity the awesome power of Jesus Christ. We are a nation hanging in the balances and God's word is clear how we can swing the pendulum from disaster to blessing -
"And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." Isa 58:10-12
Find your "Tent City" and take time out in every conference in America to send out teams and find the increasing number of poor and disenfranchised in your streets. Transform your meetings into major outlets of revival and blessing and turn back the curses that are already reeking havoc in the epi-centers of this nation. No one is exempt; it is a clarion call to every church, ministry and alleged revival meeting in America.
"Whoso stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself but shall not be heard..." Prov. 21:13
** Visit our NEW YouTube sight for Chad Taylor and Consuming Fire and see the LIVE VIDEOS FROM TENT CITY in Fresno and Sacramento. It will break your heart and propel you to action- LINK: http://www.youtube.com/user/consumingfiremin
As the machinery of conference and meetings marches on the growing dilemma in our cities and streets grows. When I arrived in Sacramento, CA. on Friday March 20th the headlines in the city newspaper's front page read, "Tent City to be Moved..." I read further of the stunning and heartbreaking story of literally thousands of homeless men, women and children that ironically enough were camped next to the American River with the skyline of Sacramento in the distance. Nearly 2000 lived outside of the state Capitol in what is now being dubbed, "Tent City".
As we found the entrance to this sprawling landscape of tents as far as the eye could see we were dumbstruck. What was billed as a "prophetic conference" turned into a major outreach into a quickly growing tragedy on the backdrop of the American experience. As I travelled to our conference in Fresno, CA. after our week in Stockton the headlines on the front page of the New York Times blazed the news of Fresno and its homeless shanty towns and what some are calling, "Hoovervilles" reminiscent of the 30's and 40's during the Great Depression. What we saw in Fresno was shocking. Literally, tents filled the downtown streets and homeless of all ages, color and gender wandered the streets like a war zone.
THE NEW FACE OF THE HOMELESS
Oprah Winfrey in her extensive expose on the homeless boom in America and especially the "Tent City" in Sacramento, CA. has called it, "The new faces of the Homeless" and the increasing number of families and working class people that have been laid off of work, lost their homes to foreclosure and have no other alternative but the streets. As we walked through the endless tents and saw the daunted tear stained faces our hearts were broken. Saturday night at our conference in Fresno, CA. 5 homeless people from Tent City joined us in worship as the alters filled with our cries for the streets of America. 4 more came the next day for Sunday morning and Sunday night. We grabbed the torch from Heaven for the harvest and lifted up our voices for the streets of America - and we went...
"He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness, where there is no way. Yet setteth he the poor on high from affliction, and maketh him families like a flock." Ps. 107:40
GOD'S BAILOUT PLAN IS SIMPLE
My message to California was simple, God does have a "Bail out plan" and it's the poor and homeless that litter our sidewalks. God has a bail out plan for every city, church and family in America if we will give heed to it. It's not just "evangelism, charity, or empathy" it truly is the only guarantee out of what statistics clearly point to as a economic crisis that could reach historic proportions. Read carefully the promises below and ask God to make them a reality in your life:
He that has pity on the poor lends to the Lord and that which he has given He will repay." Prov. 19:17
Blessed is he that considers the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth." Ps 42:1-3
He that gives to the poor shall not lack, but he that hides his eyes shall have many curses..." Prov. 28:27
But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed..."Luke 14:13-14
If we respond correctly no recession or depression can touch us. God promises us that as we relieve the needs of the poor "He will repay" and "deliver us in trouble". It can be concluded that much of what we are facing now is because we DID NOT meet the needs of our poor and brought the curses mentioned in Prov. 28:27 to our cities and nation. Below you will find more of God's heart on this growing tragedy in America -
He that oppresses the poor to increase his riches, and he that gives to the rich, shall surely come to want. Prov. 22:16
The Rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty. Prob. 10:15
He that oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker: but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor.
Prov. 14:31
THE KEY TO REVIVAL IS SIMPLE
Revival and the new buzz word, "glory" is not complex or some road lined with gold. Revival is a result of the cries of the poor coupled with the cries of the church that is not so self-absorbent and self-exalted that they cannot see their great need of God's grace and power. God makes if very clear in the Bible that the key to open the floodgates of His power and glory is the poor and the needy not the rich and content -
"When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water." Isa 41:17-18
WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP?
The road to glory is not lined with excessiveness and Christian extremes but rather the poor in spirit and the poor in body. The "glory" often seen and experienced today is not a divine glory but rather a self induced one underwritten by self proclaimed prophets that have no power to make a lasting impact on the cities they parade their goods in. The poor get poorer and the hungrier get hungrier. The time is coming when there will be no excuses left for why we never reached out to them in our convocations of excess and the preaching of a experiential gospel rather than the message of the Cross of Jesus Christ. The greatest call from God today is leaders and ministers that will make up a hedge and lead the people from the prayer lines to the front lines.
"The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God." Ezek 22:29-31
A CLARION CALL TO EVERY CHURCH AND MINISTRY IN AMERICA
Our only recourse now is to exit the prayer lines and start a bread line. To hand out water, feed the poor and minister to the growing population of homeless humanity the awesome power of Jesus Christ. We are a nation hanging in the balances and God's word is clear how we can swing the pendulum from disaster to blessing -
"And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in." Isa 58:10-12
Find your "Tent City" and take time out in every conference in America to send out teams and find the increasing number of poor and disenfranchised in your streets. Transform your meetings into major outlets of revival and blessing and turn back the curses that are already reeking havoc in the epi-centers of this nation. No one is exempt; it is a clarion call to every church, ministry and alleged revival meeting in America.
"Whoso stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself but shall not be heard..." Prov. 21:13
** Visit our NEW YouTube sight for Chad Taylor and Consuming Fire and see the LIVE VIDEOS FROM TENT CITY in Fresno and Sacramento. It will break your heart and propel you to action- LINK: http://www.youtube.com/user/consumingfiremin
Saturday, April 4, 2009
"Get A Job"
Many people think that the homeless should just "get a job". The homeless, especially in holding signs looking for money or work will be told this. However, it is very difficult for the homeless to get a job. I had been planning on writing an essay on this, but Steven Samra has done it for me! Check this out:
http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/dont_be_homeless_get_a_job
http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/dont_be_homeless_get_a_job
Bible Basics on Social Justice
For those who are interested in developing a biblical theology of the poor, here's a good place to start: Look up all these passages!
Basic justice:
Exodus 23:2-3
Leviticus 14:21
Leviticus 19:15
Leviticus 25
Deuteronomy 24:14-15
II Samuel 12:1-6
Psalm 72:12-14
Isaiah 11:1-8
God’s provision to the poor:
Exodus 15:23-16:36
Psalm 145:15-16
Psalm 146
Matthew 6:25-34
Luke 18:2-8
The Plight of the Needy
Proverbs 13:23
Proverbs 14:20
Proverbs 18:23
Proverbs 19:4, 7
Proverbs 22:7
Proverbs 28:15
Proverbs 30:7-9
Ecclesiastes 5:8
Ecclesiastes 9:15-16
Acting with Generosity to the poor:
Genesis 18
Deuteronomy 15
Psalm 41:1-3
Proverbs 14:21, 31
Proverbs 19:17
Proverbs 22:9
Proverbs 28:27
Proverbs 29:7
Daniel 4:27
Isaiah 58:1-12
Matthew 6:19-34
Matthew 25:31-46
Mark 14:3-9
Luke 12:33-34
Luke 14:12-14
Luke 16:1-13
Luke 19:8-9
Acts 2:43-45
Acts 4:32-37
I Corinthians 13:3
II Corinthians 8:1-9:15
Galatians 2:10
I Timothy 6:17-19
Hebrews 13:1-3
James 1:27-2:13
Respect to the poor
Genesis 18:1-
Proverbs 17:5
James 2:1-12
God’s deliverance of the oppressed:
Genesis 19 and Ezekiel 16:49
Exodus 2:23-25
Exodus 5-15
Exodus 22:21-27
Psalm 22
Psalm 34:6
Psalm 37
Psalm 73
Psalm 82
Psalm 107
Psalm 146
Proverbs 21:13
Proverbs 22:16, 22-23
Isaiah 10:1-4
Isaiah 40
Isaiah 52-53
Jeremiah 5:26-29
Ezekiel 22:29-31
Amos 5:11-12
Zechariah 7:9-14
Matthew 6:2-4
Matthew 11:1-5
Mark 3:1ff
Mark 10:46-52
Luke 4:18-21
Luke 6:24-26
Luke 16
Luke 18:2-8
Romans 12:14-21
James 1:9-11
James 5:1-5
Revelation 6:9-11
Revelation 18:1-24
Warning against stinginess/greed:
Deuteronomy 15
Deuteronomy 24:14-15
Matthew 25:41-46
Mark 10:17-30
Luke 12:15-21
Luke 16:19-31
Acts 5:1-11
I Timothy 6:9-11
Revelation 3:14-22
God’s call to the outcast and lowly:
Genesis 50:15-21
Proverbs 19:1
Proverbs 19:22
Proverbs 20:13
Proverbs 21:17
Proverbs 28:3
Proverbs 28:6
Ecclesiastes 4:13
Isaiah 40
Matthew 5:3-12
Matthew 10:7-8
Matthew 21:28-32
Mark 2:13-17
Mark 4:17
Mark 12:42-44
Luke 4: 18-19 (Isaiah 61:1-4)
Luke 14:16-24
Luke 15:1-7
Luke 18:9-14
Luke 19:1-10
Calling to be poor:
Genesis 12:1-9
Genesis 22
Judges 7
Matt 6:19-34/Luke 12:22-34
Matthew 10:5-42/Luke 9
Luke 6:20-24
Luke 14:26-33
The Exaltation of the Outcast/needy:
I Samuel 2:6-8
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 113:5-8
Luke 1:46-55
Luke 14:8-11
Philippians 2:1-11
James 1:9-11
Basic justice:
Exodus 23:2-3
Leviticus 14:21
Leviticus 19:15
Leviticus 25
Deuteronomy 24:14-15
II Samuel 12:1-6
Psalm 72:12-14
Isaiah 11:1-8
God’s provision to the poor:
Exodus 15:23-16:36
Psalm 145:15-16
Psalm 146
Matthew 6:25-34
Luke 18:2-8
The Plight of the Needy
Proverbs 13:23
Proverbs 14:20
Proverbs 18:23
Proverbs 19:4, 7
Proverbs 22:7
Proverbs 28:15
Proverbs 30:7-9
Ecclesiastes 5:8
Ecclesiastes 9:15-16
Acting with Generosity to the poor:
Genesis 18
Deuteronomy 15
Psalm 41:1-3
Proverbs 14:21, 31
Proverbs 19:17
Proverbs 22:9
Proverbs 28:27
Proverbs 29:7
Daniel 4:27
Isaiah 58:1-12
Matthew 6:19-34
Matthew 25:31-46
Mark 14:3-9
Luke 12:33-34
Luke 14:12-14
Luke 16:1-13
Luke 19:8-9
Acts 2:43-45
Acts 4:32-37
I Corinthians 13:3
II Corinthians 8:1-9:15
Galatians 2:10
I Timothy 6:17-19
Hebrews 13:1-3
James 1:27-2:13
Respect to the poor
Genesis 18:1-
Proverbs 17:5
James 2:1-12
God’s deliverance of the oppressed:
Genesis 19 and Ezekiel 16:49
Exodus 2:23-25
Exodus 5-15
Exodus 22:21-27
Psalm 22
Psalm 34:6
Psalm 37
Psalm 73
Psalm 82
Psalm 107
Psalm 146
Proverbs 21:13
Proverbs 22:16, 22-23
Isaiah 10:1-4
Isaiah 40
Isaiah 52-53
Jeremiah 5:26-29
Ezekiel 22:29-31
Amos 5:11-12
Zechariah 7:9-14
Matthew 6:2-4
Matthew 11:1-5
Mark 3:1ff
Mark 10:46-52
Luke 4:18-21
Luke 6:24-26
Luke 16
Luke 18:2-8
Romans 12:14-21
James 1:9-11
James 5:1-5
Revelation 6:9-11
Revelation 18:1-24
Warning against stinginess/greed:
Deuteronomy 15
Deuteronomy 24:14-15
Matthew 25:41-46
Mark 10:17-30
Luke 12:15-21
Luke 16:19-31
Acts 5:1-11
I Timothy 6:9-11
Revelation 3:14-22
God’s call to the outcast and lowly:
Genesis 50:15-21
Proverbs 19:1
Proverbs 19:22
Proverbs 20:13
Proverbs 21:17
Proverbs 28:3
Proverbs 28:6
Ecclesiastes 4:13
Isaiah 40
Matthew 5:3-12
Matthew 10:7-8
Matthew 21:28-32
Mark 2:13-17
Mark 4:17
Mark 12:42-44
Luke 4: 18-19 (Isaiah 61:1-4)
Luke 14:16-24
Luke 15:1-7
Luke 18:9-14
Luke 19:1-10
Calling to be poor:
Genesis 12:1-9
Genesis 22
Judges 7
Matt 6:19-34/Luke 12:22-34
Matthew 10:5-42/Luke 9
Luke 6:20-24
Luke 14:26-33
The Exaltation of the Outcast/needy:
I Samuel 2:6-8
Isaiah 52:13-53:12
Psalm 113:5-8
Luke 1:46-55
Luke 14:8-11
Philippians 2:1-11
James 1:9-11
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Meditations on Righteous Indegnation
When working with the homeless it is easy to be angry. It is easy to look at those who have and say, "Why are you so selfish!" It is easy to look at the poor who take advantage of each other and to yell at them for the fact that they are dragging their own brother down. It is easy to be angry at oneself for not doing enough. There is so much stress and sorrow all around, it is easy to despair, to give up, to give in to the cultural pressures of greed and an easy life.
This is why I found this meditation by Richard Dahlstrom so helpful:
http://burnsidewriterscollective.blogspot.com/2009/03/meditation-fyodor-speaks.html
He reflects on one of my favorite books, The Brother's Karamozov, and my very favorite character, Father Z. But he pulls something out of the book I had never considered myself.
Also, in this theme, we should always remember Psalm 73. See my commentary on this here:
http://livingpsalms.blogspot.com/2008/03/anatomy-of-doubt-psalm-73.html
Meditation: Fyodor speaks...
Watch a little 60 minutes, or read a little news these days and there's a good chance you'll become angry at someone, or some political party, or some bank CEO, or maybe someone named Bernie. The anger and fear that are coursing through our culture right now are dangerous at many levels. Give in to these fleeting emotions (and it is remarkably easy to do so these days), and they become the soil for bitterness, greed, and isolation. These emotions, and the actions that stem from them, end up spilling into the world with the result that we become part of the problem rather than part of the solution, losing our saltiness; hiding our lights.
That's why the words of Father Zossima from The Brothers Karamazov, are so timely. I offer them, italicized, with my own prayers after each word.
If the evil doings of men move you to indignation and overwhelming disrress, even to a desire for vengeance on the evildoers, shun above all things that feeling.
Grant, O Lord, that I might see with Your eyes when my heart is moving toward the dark spaces of bitterness, anger, and judgment. And seeing these things that are destructive, bring conviction, that I might be quick to turn away.
Fear not the great nor the mighty, but be wise and serene.
It's easy, O Lord, to feel as if we're victims, tossed about by the whims of those in power. Thank you for the truth that we are, in spite of the stormy seas and whims of men, safest when we are in your arms. May we learn to dwell there with ever increasing steadfastness, and in so dwelling, know your peace and rest.
Love all men. Love everything. Water the earth with the tears of your joy and love those tears.
Yes Lord. Zossima was right. Open my eyes to see your glory, resplendent as always, even in these trying times. The new blossoms arise from the earth, testimony of your sustenance and hints of greater beauty yet to come. The cat is at rest, oblivious to the strivings of humanity. The days grow longer. The sunlight and shadows on the firs testify that you continue to uphold the earth, that beauty still exists, that provision still comes from you, that all shall be well. Give me eyes to see what is so easily seen when I but look - the beauty of the earth. Thank you for tears of joy that come when your beauty, seen in your creation, pierces my heart. Amen
It's all a matter, it seems, of where we choose to fix our gaze. Ah yes, it's wise to read the news, prudent to take action. But we would do well to see the light and shadows, the cat, the blossom, the hints of life bursting forth, for these are the shoutings of our good God intended to bless and fortify our souls.
This is why I found this meditation by Richard Dahlstrom so helpful:
http://burnsidewriterscollective.blogspot.com/2009/03/meditation-fyodor-speaks.html
He reflects on one of my favorite books, The Brother's Karamozov, and my very favorite character, Father Z. But he pulls something out of the book I had never considered myself.
Also, in this theme, we should always remember Psalm 73. See my commentary on this here:
http://livingpsalms.blogspot.com/2008/03/anatomy-of-doubt-psalm-73.html
Meditation: Fyodor speaks...
Watch a little 60 minutes, or read a little news these days and there's a good chance you'll become angry at someone, or some political party, or some bank CEO, or maybe someone named Bernie. The anger and fear that are coursing through our culture right now are dangerous at many levels. Give in to these fleeting emotions (and it is remarkably easy to do so these days), and they become the soil for bitterness, greed, and isolation. These emotions, and the actions that stem from them, end up spilling into the world with the result that we become part of the problem rather than part of the solution, losing our saltiness; hiding our lights.
That's why the words of Father Zossima from The Brothers Karamazov, are so timely. I offer them, italicized, with my own prayers after each word.
If the evil doings of men move you to indignation and overwhelming disrress, even to a desire for vengeance on the evildoers, shun above all things that feeling.
Grant, O Lord, that I might see with Your eyes when my heart is moving toward the dark spaces of bitterness, anger, and judgment. And seeing these things that are destructive, bring conviction, that I might be quick to turn away.
Fear not the great nor the mighty, but be wise and serene.
It's easy, O Lord, to feel as if we're victims, tossed about by the whims of those in power. Thank you for the truth that we are, in spite of the stormy seas and whims of men, safest when we are in your arms. May we learn to dwell there with ever increasing steadfastness, and in so dwelling, know your peace and rest.
Love all men. Love everything. Water the earth with the tears of your joy and love those tears.
Yes Lord. Zossima was right. Open my eyes to see your glory, resplendent as always, even in these trying times. The new blossoms arise from the earth, testimony of your sustenance and hints of greater beauty yet to come. The cat is at rest, oblivious to the strivings of humanity. The days grow longer. The sunlight and shadows on the firs testify that you continue to uphold the earth, that beauty still exists, that provision still comes from you, that all shall be well. Give me eyes to see what is so easily seen when I but look - the beauty of the earth. Thank you for tears of joy that come when your beauty, seen in your creation, pierces my heart. Amen
It's all a matter, it seems, of where we choose to fix our gaze. Ah yes, it's wise to read the news, prudent to take action. But we would do well to see the light and shadows, the cat, the blossom, the hints of life bursting forth, for these are the shoutings of our good God intended to bless and fortify our souls.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Tagging the Homeless
On The End Homelessness Blog:
http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/tag_youre_homeless
Earlier this week, dozens of police and code enforcement officers descended upon a California tent city, separating those who could stay from those to be evicted with colored wristbands.
Since when is living in a tent city considered a privilege? What's more, why must a city resort to tagging its homeless as though they are cattle?
If only this was an April Fool's joke. But sadly, truth is stranger than fiction in Ontario, California.
A blue wristband means you can stay. Orange means you have to provide paperwork proving you lived in Ontario before becoming homeless. White means you have a week to leave the encampment.
This "tagging" of homeless people in the Ontario homeless encampment is meant keep out-of-town homeless from benefiting from the fine amenities at the tent city, according to the LA Times:
Ontario officials, citing health and safety issues, say it is necessary to thin out Tent City. The move to dramatically reduce the population curtails an experiment begun last year to provide a city-approved camp where homeless people would not be harassed.
Land that includes tents, toilets and water had been set aside near Ontario International Airport for the homeless. Officials intended to limit the camp and its amenities to local homeless people, but did little to enforce that as the site rapidly expanded, attracting people from as far away as Florida.
"We have to be sensitive, and we will give people time to locate documents," said Brent Schultz, the city's housing and neighborhood revitalization director. "But we have always said this was for Ontario's homeless and not the region's homeless. We can't take care of the whole area."
Officials believe the local homeless number about 140, less than half of those currently in residence. Schultz wants to reduce Tent City to 170 people in a regulated, fenced-off area rather than the sprawling open-air campsite it has become.
No other city has offered to take in any of the homeless who Ontario officials say must leave.
This is a outrageous example of city government putting their image before basic human needs. These tent city residents moved into this encampment for one reason: because they have nowhere else to live. Shrinking the number of people in tent city, branding them and forcing them to produce documentation in order to stay, does little more than shuffle around California's most vulnerable citizens and shake up the routine and familiarity so crucial to surviving on the streets.
"Code enforcement" in tent cities certainly has its place in maintaining sanitation and order. But in practice, it can also be unnecessarily cruel. It means pets are banned, so the dozens of homeless families and individuals with four-legged companions will have to choose between their companion or their community (most will choose their pet). It means people who have been living in cars and on the streets for years, carrying all of their personal belongings, will have to furnish a document proving they lived in the city before becoming homeless.
These may not seem like big issues when you're sitting safe-and-sound in house or office with a bed to return to each night. But when your home is the streets, and your pet is your life, and your tent city community is your only means of security, the thought of being uprooted again is downright devastating.
I read this story and got so angry I felt sick to my stomach. But like you, I'm just an outsider. Imagine how powerless these tent city residents feel after having "code enforcement" officers storm into their home, tag them like animals, and tell them to produce paperwork or get out.
I think this sums it up best:
Pattie Barnes, 47, shook with anger. "They are tagging us because we are homeless," she said, staring at her orange wristband. "It feels like a concentration camp."
http://homelessness.change.org/blog/view/tag_youre_homeless
Earlier this week, dozens of police and code enforcement officers descended upon a California tent city, separating those who could stay from those to be evicted with colored wristbands.
Since when is living in a tent city considered a privilege? What's more, why must a city resort to tagging its homeless as though they are cattle?
If only this was an April Fool's joke. But sadly, truth is stranger than fiction in Ontario, California.
A blue wristband means you can stay. Orange means you have to provide paperwork proving you lived in Ontario before becoming homeless. White means you have a week to leave the encampment.
This "tagging" of homeless people in the Ontario homeless encampment is meant keep out-of-town homeless from benefiting from the fine amenities at the tent city, according to the LA Times:
Ontario officials, citing health and safety issues, say it is necessary to thin out Tent City. The move to dramatically reduce the population curtails an experiment begun last year to provide a city-approved camp where homeless people would not be harassed.
Land that includes tents, toilets and water had been set aside near Ontario International Airport for the homeless. Officials intended to limit the camp and its amenities to local homeless people, but did little to enforce that as the site rapidly expanded, attracting people from as far away as Florida.
"We have to be sensitive, and we will give people time to locate documents," said Brent Schultz, the city's housing and neighborhood revitalization director. "But we have always said this was for Ontario's homeless and not the region's homeless. We can't take care of the whole area."
Officials believe the local homeless number about 140, less than half of those currently in residence. Schultz wants to reduce Tent City to 170 people in a regulated, fenced-off area rather than the sprawling open-air campsite it has become.
No other city has offered to take in any of the homeless who Ontario officials say must leave.
This is a outrageous example of city government putting their image before basic human needs. These tent city residents moved into this encampment for one reason: because they have nowhere else to live. Shrinking the number of people in tent city, branding them and forcing them to produce documentation in order to stay, does little more than shuffle around California's most vulnerable citizens and shake up the routine and familiarity so crucial to surviving on the streets.
"Code enforcement" in tent cities certainly has its place in maintaining sanitation and order. But in practice, it can also be unnecessarily cruel. It means pets are banned, so the dozens of homeless families and individuals with four-legged companions will have to choose between their companion or their community (most will choose their pet). It means people who have been living in cars and on the streets for years, carrying all of their personal belongings, will have to furnish a document proving they lived in the city before becoming homeless.
These may not seem like big issues when you're sitting safe-and-sound in house or office with a bed to return to each night. But when your home is the streets, and your pet is your life, and your tent city community is your only means of security, the thought of being uprooted again is downright devastating.
I read this story and got so angry I felt sick to my stomach. But like you, I'm just an outsider. Imagine how powerless these tent city residents feel after having "code enforcement" officers storm into their home, tag them like animals, and tell them to produce paperwork or get out.
I think this sums it up best:
Pattie Barnes, 47, shook with anger. "They are tagging us because we are homeless," she said, staring at her orange wristband. "It feels like a concentration camp."
Servant-Friendship
Sent to me by Dale Reece:
We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. —1 Thessalonians 2:7
Don Tack wanted to know what life was like for homeless people. So he concealed his identity and went to live on the streets of his city. He found out that food and shelter were offered by many organizations. At one shelter he could spend the night if he listened to a sermon beforehand. He appreciated the guest speaker’s message and wanted to talk with him afterward. But as Don reached out to shake the man’s hand and asked if he could talk with him, the speaker walked right past him as if he didn’t exist.
Don learned that what was missing most in ministry to the homeless in his area were people who were willing to build relationships. So he began an organization called Servants Center to offer help through friendship.
What Don encountered at the shelter was the opposite of what the people who heard the apostle Paul experienced. When he shared the gospel, he gave himself too. He testified in his letter to the Thessalonians, “We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us” (1 Thess. 2:8). He said, “We were gentle among you,” like a mother (v.7).
In our service for the Lord, do we share not just our words or money but our time and friendship? —Anne Cetas
I want to do service for Christ while I live,
And comfort and cheer to poor lonely hearts give;
For this is the program approved by the Word,
To visit the needy and speak of the Lord. —Bosch
One measure of our likeness to Christ is our sensitivity to the suffering of others.
We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. —1 Thessalonians 2:7
Don Tack wanted to know what life was like for homeless people. So he concealed his identity and went to live on the streets of his city. He found out that food and shelter were offered by many organizations. At one shelter he could spend the night if he listened to a sermon beforehand. He appreciated the guest speaker’s message and wanted to talk with him afterward. But as Don reached out to shake the man’s hand and asked if he could talk with him, the speaker walked right past him as if he didn’t exist.
Don learned that what was missing most in ministry to the homeless in his area were people who were willing to build relationships. So he began an organization called Servants Center to offer help through friendship.
What Don encountered at the shelter was the opposite of what the people who heard the apostle Paul experienced. When he shared the gospel, he gave himself too. He testified in his letter to the Thessalonians, “We were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us” (1 Thess. 2:8). He said, “We were gentle among you,” like a mother (v.7).
In our service for the Lord, do we share not just our words or money but our time and friendship? —Anne Cetas
I want to do service for Christ while I live,
And comfort and cheer to poor lonely hearts give;
For this is the program approved by the Word,
To visit the needy and speak of the Lord. —Bosch
One measure of our likeness to Christ is our sensitivity to the suffering of others.
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