Housing as a Human Right

This morning I attended a meeting with
Representative Keith Ellison to discuss homelessness and poverty in our
community. Homeless advocates, church workers, and clergy from all around the
North side, downtown, and the South side of Minneapolis discussed the issues at
hand, from the small picture to the big picture.

Keith Ellison understands the situation well. Here’s the deal, there are currently 46 million people living in poverty in the US according to another recent survey. If you
think about it, the actual number is probably much higher than that though. How
many people are homeless? Far too many. How many people are struggling? Quite a
few.

A recent study by Wilder on the number of homeless
adults with hidden disabilities tells us that: 59% of people experiencing
homeless have serious mental illness, 49% have chronic health conditions, 38%
have cognitive disabilities and 35% have traumatic brain injuries (there are
some overlaps in these stats of course). In Minnesota upwards of 49% of all
homeless people are children.

Now, the people attending this meeting understand
the reality of the Great Recession all too well. And they understand that
working together is far better than working alone. The best thing about
attending a meeting like this is networking. A number of relationships were
forged today and I’m sure some strong future partnerships will come out of
this. Collaboration is a key to having an impact in the community. It takes a
village!

We discussed innovative affordable housing
partnerships and supportive services along with ways of serving and ways of
advocating. On the positive side people are getting housed left and right
through the collaborative efforts of faith communities, businesses, government and
non-profits, however the needs keep on rising. A larger gathering will take place on these issues soon. We are indeed still in the midst of the Great Recession, therefore great efforts are needed today as well as tomorrow.

The trouble is that we (most of us) end up focusing
only on the situation at hand. We are short sighted. We tend to manage and
react to the immediate needs around us instead of planning ahead. We tend to
focus on symptoms rather than solutions. And why wouldn’t we? This is what we
can see and feel. The needs of peopel at our doors are urgent and important. However, we would do well to look at the big picture every
once in a while.

We would also do well to think more about prevention. One
of the best ways to end homelessness is to prevent it! But churches can’t
possibility pick up the total bill and neither can non-profits. Homelessness is
best prevented through a combination of government subsidies and innovative partnerships between government, business, faith communities, and non-profits.

The reality, as I see it, is that the issues of
homelessness and poverty are bigger than anything related to service. They are
issues of social change. Unless we as a society change, we will continue to
dwell in scarcity rather than abundance.

Question: What if we thought of housing as a human right? It would certainly be a game changer. Of course, this idea seems crazy to some. It often comes down to the
issue of the ‘deserving’ verses the ‘undeserving poor’. Dorothy Day said, “If
we all got what we deserved, God help us.”

In a nation of such vast wealth couldn’t we just
make a collective decision to help those most in need? To come to the long-term
aid of the most vulnerable?

What if religious people started advocating for a
better nation where we care deeply for the most vulnerable people in our
society? We need better education, more job training, job creation, and much, much
more. All of these things are related to poverty. But first and foremost we
need to make sure people have a decent place to live. Stability requires a
solid foundation.

Morally, isn’t caring for the most vulnerable people
in our community the right thing to do?

Economically, it’s certainly the right thing to do
as it is far cheaper to house someone long-term than to let them stay on the
streets putting a strain on services and resources.

The choice is ours. If homelessness is a result of the
public will. Do we have the will to end it?

Blessings,

Rolf

Happy Are Those Who…

The word blessed in the Bible can be translated as happy in Greek and in Hebrew. The Bible actually talks about happiness quite a bit.  Psalm 128 says, ‘Happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways.’ The Beatitudes say, ‘blessed are the meek, blessed are the poor in spirit,’ etc. Replace blessed with happy; ‘happy are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, happy are the merciful,’ etc.

Happiness in scripture has been interpreted differently by many people for many years. Does God want us to be happy? Are we supposed to suffer all the time? Is happiness a goal of life? The Declaration fo Independence says, ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…’ although pursuit of ‘property’ has been substituted for happiness many times, as if our posessions can make us truly happy.

If we have hope for the future, if our ultimate concerns are taken care of in Christ, are we not to be happy? If we truly believe what we say we believe are we then to live happily? Even in the face of danger and suffering and strife?

Human life depends on hope in one form or another. Does it not? If you have no hope for the future, how can you go on today? Hope is our life blood! And if we are hopeful let us be happy!

Scripture points us to plenty of ways to be happy. Psalm 32 states, ‘Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.’ Through Christ our sins are forgiven and we are covered, isn’t this great news?

Happiness during this great recession may seem out of grasp for many. But we are here to share the good news of abundance in Christ. Usually abundance is condusive to happiness and scarcity is condusive to misery. But part of our calling is to share the abundance! Together, with God leading us, we can help our whole community to live in abundance.

I am looking forward to Pastor’s Rick’s talks in the coming weeks, between services at Central Lutheran Church, on happiness. I think he is right on in saying don’t worry, be happy!

 

Speaking Truth to Power

I’m thinking about the folks who make up ‘Occupy Wall Street’ this morning. They are people who have had enough and are ready to do something about it. They come together in protest of some of the misguided powers that be while using their voices for change.

Someone said recently they were not patriots…on the
contrary; public, non-violent protest is a hallmark of patriotism.

Patriotism aside, as people of faith where do we stand in all of this?

Jim Wallis recently wrote:

“Here are a few things I do know about the Occupy Wall Street protesters: When they stand with the poor, they stand with Jesus. When they stand with the hungry,
they stand with Jesus. When they stand for those without
a job or a home, they stand with Jesus.

When they are peaceful, nonviolent, and love their neighbors (even the ones they don’t agree with and who don’t agree with them), they are walking as Jesus walked.

When they talk about holding banks and corporations accountable, they sound like Jesus and the biblical prophets before him, who all spoke about holding the wealthy and powerful accountable.

Pray for those out on the streets.

Think of ways that you or your church can be Jesus to them.

And do one of the things that church folks do best: Bring them a covered casserole!

Take your church potluck down to the occupations. Sit, eat, and talk with the protesters. Offer them the sacred gifts of hospitality, company, and friendship.

Or a hot cup of coffee. Or send them a pizza. (Think of it as a peace-za.)

The Occupiers’ desire for change and willingness to take action to do something about it should be an inspiration to us all.

It is for me that, even after 10 years of war, we can still act and pray for peace.

For as Isaiah 2:4 says:
“[God] will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many
peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they
train for war anymore.”

Tomorrow I’ll be in New York
City, where I will head to the financial district to visit with Occupy Wall
Street demonstrators, because they are carrying on the most interesting
conversation going on in that city — or any other — right now.

Besides, I love a good potluck or
pizza party where people imagine a better world.”

I have to say, what Jim Wallis wrote is pretty
compelling. A number of the Occupy Wall Street folks are living in poverty, or
at least many are currently unemployed. Some are well off for sure, but none
the less they are standing in solidarity with the poor.

There are numerous instances of people rising up in
the Bible. Think of the Exodus! Exodus was a social movement!

Regardless of what we think about the Occupy Wall
Street movement the fact is that people around the world are suffering. Now
some of them are saying something about it…they are using their voices to
articulate the challenges of living in the post-modern global economy.

I for one am proud to live in a place where this
allowed to happen. And as a person of faith I believe in standing with the poor
and marginalized in their struggle for a better life.

I believe a large part of our calling is to speak truth to power; to boldly promote justice in our society and to fight against injustice. The truth is, people are hurting, but the reality is, and we can collectively do something about it. I am not saying we have to support every protest. I am saying that we can and should stand in solidarity with people experiecing homelessness, poverty, unemployment, loss, grief, and deep struggle of any kind. Christ is with all of us in our suffering. And God wants us to come together in community. The old adage still holds true, ‘it takes a village.’ It takes a village with God at the center!

Missio Dei

What is our mission here at Central and how do we understand it? Ok, many of us know our mission statement, but we also know that mission means all kinds of things to all kinds of people. I would venture to say that a large part of our mission is happening in the community ministries program, and more specifically, at the Restoration Center. I would also say that it is not our mission, it is God’s mission through us.

This (below) was in the Spirit newsletter a few weeks ago, from the pages on core assumptions for the campus master plan for Central Lutheran.

“God has a mission in the world through Christ. As followers of Jesus, we seek to be faithful partners in God’s mission through Chrsit for the sake of the whole world. With that as a foundation and grounded in gratitude, we agree that: “Central Lutheran Church, in the heart of the city, welcomes all people to celebrate, discover, and share the love of Christ.”

I would like to attempt to make some sense of this with regard to our ministries serving people experiencing homelessness and poverty.

The way I read the Bible, what I understand from scripture is that God loves all people and wants the best for all people. God’s mission is as big as the world, and bigger, and as small as one person, you, or me. God’s mission through Christ is focused on the whole world, the big picture, and it is focused on what you are feeling today. God’s mission is one of justice and compassion, mercy and forgiveness, grace and hope. It is not about the deserving or undeserving…God help us if we all got what we deserved. It is about the grace and mercy that is for each and every one of us, no matter what we have done or have not done.

We are freed by the gospel to do things right here in our church and in our community and in our workplace, but also to go out into the world. This freedom we know is indeed grounded in gratitude! If we are thankful for all of this that we have received and if we know that all is from God, then we can truly welcome all people and share the love of Christ. One of the best ways to share the love of Christ is to simply be joyful with others. ‘With’ is the key word. To be with others means to walk with, to be with, to help out with, and share with. It can be difficult for people to come together, especially is they are from totally different backgrounds, but it is essential. It is what God wants for us and our communities! God brings us together and breaks down  the barriers dividing us and bridges the gaps. All we we need do at the beginning is to be open to it!

Missio Dei, God’s mission, is through Christ, and it is God working through us to create a healthier world. God sends Christ into our hearts and into our relationships, and into our communities. God sends the Spirit into our lives and moves our very foundations.

“We enivion becoming a thriving, vibrant model of urban Lutheran ministry for the 21st century. This lofty vision requires us to ask each day if our goals for worship, learning, and service are clearly reaching a diverse neighborhood and city in language and action that reflects the world.” This vision statement, Central’s vision statement, is big. It has immense meaning for us and for our neighbors.  Language and action that reflect the world echo our founders statement, ‘the faith of our ancestors in the language of our children (para-phrased).’

Missio Dei, God’s mission, is all about being thriving and vibrant. I believe we get that here, but we still have a long way to go. To clearly reach a diverse neighborhood and city we have to constantly re-assess what we are doing and how we are doing it. And most importantly we need to continue to put God first and at the center. To point to Christ!

The mission and vision statements are pretty radical. And so was Jesus. Christ was radical in hospitality, radical in service, radical in teaching, and radical in love. Christ shows us the way and gives us opportunity to follow. To remember the mission and vision of our church is important, but even more important is to remember that the mission is God’s.

 

 

 

A Fair Reflection: By Gayle Dustrud

Bus travel is fun for me – ordinarily. But after the grandstand show at the State Fair last Friday, my patience was running low as a horde of us squeezed into the bus that replaced the one that had broken down.

As the last of the standing passengers filled the aisle, a young mother with a sleeping child was asked to fold her stroller to make room for more people. Angrily, she refused to disturb her child, positioned the unfolded stroller in the aisle, and continued for several minutes to loudly complain about the bus driver who had asked her to do something so “stupid”.

With this passenger, was another young mother with three small children. This woman found the last remaining seat next to me and sat down with all three children on her lap. As the bus started moving, she began talking angrily on her cell phone to someone apparently making it difficult for her to secure a key to a place to stay that night. During the course of the conversation, her language became very x-rated and loud. We were all her audience, including the children.

My first reaction was one of indignation and anger. How could these women be so inconsiderate of others on that bus? How could they expose their own young children and all the other passengers to that rude language? All of us were tired and uncomfortable; why did they have to so loudly and inappropriately announce their displeasure? I could hardly wait for that ride to be over.

Later, after I had time to reflect, I began wondering what it was that had caused such extreme anger for these two young women. Were they just repeating the behavior that had been modeled for them in their families? Were there injustices in society that they had to bear on a regular basis? Were they feeling trapped in a system from which they found no way out? If the mood had been less tense and someone had taken the time to listen to them, what might we have discovered? How might that have changed my own reaction to their frustration?

I still don’t condone their behavior, but I wonder what my own actions might have been if I walked in their shoes. I can remember times when I was so frustrated that I said or did inappropriate things. I knew, though, that I wouldn’t have to put up with the negative situation for long, so it was easy to “get over it”. I also had people surrounding me who cared about my welfare, nonjudgmentally letting me know that I was loved, no matter what.

I came away from this incident with a couple realizations. I can be that caring person who makes a difference. I can ask God to instill me with compassion, so that I take the time to really listen to others. I can also use the knowledge I gain from listening in order to advocate for a more just society – a society that holds all as cherished children of God.

The Invisible Ones

We’ve all seen the man or woman with a sign on the corner,
and we’ve all seen the guy searching through the dumpster dressed in dirty old
clothes. When we think of homelessness, we probably picture them in our heads. But the reality is, these folks are only a small percentage of homeless people. They are the visible homeless.

Most homeless people are not so easy to spot though.

The hard truth is that about 45%-50% of homeless people in Minnesota are children
(and I believe that stat holds up nation wide, but I need to check it). Many
homeless families and individuals are couch hopping, doubled or tripled up in
cramped quarters, staying in broken down places, or even cars and vans.

Someone asked me the other day what I would say if they said,
‘homeless people are lazy, they should get a job.” My response was, “50% of
homeless people are children, are they lazy, should the eight year old at the
Drake Hotel go get a job?”

My response sounds a bit harsh to me now, but my conviction
stands. The stereotypes we have come from the tiny part of the picture we have
witnessed. Just like anything else we need to look deeper to truly understand what is going on.

A good number of homeless people and people living on the
edge of homelessness are working, but they are underemployed. Or they get paid
a low wage that cannot even be considered a living wage. There are also large numbers of people who have a place but are only one emergency away from homelessness.

The recession has been tough on a lot of people. Minnesota still has over 9.0%
unemployment as of September 2011. Many people hope to have a job but
cannot find one.

And there are plenty who may not even be able to work because
of a cognitive disability, such as those caused by a traumatic brain injury
(TBI). Mental illness and/or chronic physical health issues are major factors
as well. They depend on others, primarily on government.

So why do we spend so much time debating what to do about,
“the undeserving poor,” or the “lazy bums,” or the “welfare scammers.”

Finding out that such a high percentage of homeless people
are children was a game changer for me. I was in this work long before I heard this stat but it drove home the idea that most of what comes to mind when we think of homelessness are the stereotypes.

The roots of homelessness and poverty run deep in our nation. So deep in fact that real people, real kids, are negatively impacted in huge numbers.

The systemic causes are growing all the while the rich grasp
tightly to their wallets, inheritances are protected, tax breaks for the
wealthy go un-challenged, and corporate executive’s continue to make 300 times
(or however much it is) the average worker. Like so many things in life, it
seems the issues of homelessness and poverty come down to power and money.

The top one percent in our nation is getting vastly richer and the bottom
80% are getting poorer. This is the reality. 80% of the population shares about
9% of the net financial wealth…does this seem just a little crazy?

Now, I’m all for capitalism, perhaps I should have stated that
earlier, however the scales can tip so far that their comes a tipping
point. We may be closer to that point that we care to admit. Look at the London
riots; they came out of disenchanted, disenfranchised, unemployed youth who
lacked hope. Why let it get so bad? Don’t we have enough in this country to invest in our kids? I mean, can’t we put a little more investment into our nation’s children? Or how about the education system? Or healthcare for that matter? When healthcare or education is not good, it’s the poor who are affected first and worst.

The poor may always be with us in some way, this I don’t
doubt, but we need not guarantee a life of poverty for the homeless children of
our nation.

Let’s ask the tough questions, let’s see the real people
behind the stats, and change the ways we deal with homelessness and poverty in
our country. We can do better. We can all do a lot better both individually and
collectively.

As a person of faith I believe I have a responsibility, and
as a community of faith I believe we have a collective responsibility to help overcome
the injustices faced by our brothers and sisters living in poverty.

Lest we become overwhelmed though, let us not forget the power of prayer. Prayer is real, prayer is powerful.

And we need hope. We need a savior.

The truth is: we have one, in Christ. Let’s put our trust in him and give him all of this overwhelming stuff for we cannot make sense of this on our own.

Gracious God, show us the way, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Heading Home

At Central Lutheran Church we have an advocacy/social justice team called Heading Home Central. We got the name from the Hennepin County/City of Minneapolis plan to end homelessness in our community. We work closely with the Downtown Congregations to End Homelessness (DCEH).

I am sitting here reading the “Where we are now: Heading Home Hennepin 2011″ report. It is sparking so many thoughts that this post will not be to hold all of them, but I’ll try and get a few of them written down.

The HHH vision states: “By the year 2016, all people facing homelessness in Minneapolis and in Hennepin County will have access to safe, decent, and affordable housing and the resources and supports needed to sustain it.” What a vision! The mission is to end homeless in Mpls and Hennepin County by 2016. What a mission!

To me this plan encompasses what we as people of faith can be all about–working to drastically change things so that people in our community have a better life. This means a combination of social services and social change. It means a major paradigm shift for most of us.

As people of faith we have an opportunity to be bold in our work. And we have an opportunity to partner with other faith communities, government, and non-profits for the greater good. God works through us!

Now, justice is something we talk about quite a bit but we don’t often follow through on creating a more just society. Creating a more just society is a big job, no doubt about it, and it is long term work.

At Central we’ve always been great at direct services, at charity, but we have not always been a major voice for systemic change. There have certainly been folks working on this since the church was founded but now we are trying a more coordinated, organized, and sustained approach.

As a church, being a voice for systemic change involves getting a large number of people to use their individual voices, which is a massive job. It also invoves getting large groups of people to use their collective voices, which the DCEH does very well.

Becuase the scale of this work is so large, and the work is so long-term, we formed a team of dedicated and passionate people to take it on. Heading Home Central works on advocacy for affordable housing, supportive services, better medical care for the poorest Minnesotans (GAMC, MA), and much more.

Social change is only possible when a large number of people decide to use their voices. It is only possible when we ask the questions: why are 4000 people homeless on any given night in Hennepin County? Why do we need to have a free store/clothes closet and why do 100 people come on any given Monday? Why is there such an income in Minnesota? Why are there so many people without decent housing? Or healthcare? Or education? Do I have a responsibility in all of this?

Social change is only possible when we realize that we can do much better as a society. As people of faith we can work together for a healthier community with God at the center. And we won’t do it alone for our help comes from the Lord and our hope is in Christ!

“I lift up my eyes to the hills, where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth!”                                              –Psalm 121:1-2

Let me know if you would like to work on creating a healthier community, where the poorest and most vulnerable among us are supported and given access to things they need.

Peace!

 

 

The Power of Silence

Two weeks ago my father in law, myself, and another guy travelled to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Northern Minnesota. It was an incredible outdoor adventure into some of the most remote areas of the continental United States. Beautiful!

One of the things I realized out there in the wilderness (among many things) was just how silent it was. How peaceful it was. Each night I lay down in my hammock after a long day of paddling and portaging and I listened to the sounds of peace and quiet. A loon here and a frog there, and then…quiet.

The BWCA is a no fly zone, meaning there are no planes or helicopters in the sky. There are no cell phone towers so the phone and email machine in my pocket simply couldn’t work. This allowed me time to reflect and time to just remain quiet in the selince of the night.

In the city we don’t get much silence. There are always planes flying over head, cars driving by, phones ringing, T.V’s blaring, and so on and so forth.

As I enjoyed the silence of the BWCA I started thinking about people experiencing homelessness in Minneapolis. How much does the noise of urban areas contribute to the chaos someone feels in their life? There are people everywhere! I wonder if folks ever want to get away from it all.

The answer is: many do. People come into the church every day wanting to go in the sanctuary. Others come in and want a quiet place to rest their weary feet. Many want a sense of community, yes, but they also crave some time away from the madness.

I find that many other people don’t realize how chaotic the city really is because they haven’t been out of the city for so long…or ever.

How can the church offer silence to people who crave silence and community to those desire community, especially when we are in the heart of the city? This is an ongoing question. Sometimes I think we spend so much time building community (I am talking about myself here) that we forget the power of silence and solitude. I’m not talking about isolation, on the contrary, I am thinking about rich time alone with God in prayer and contemplation.

One potential answer: perhaps our sactuary should be open more during the week for these things. Maybe its a simple ask. Are you seeking time alone with God or time in fellowship with others? Some may not yet know what they are seeking but we may help a person to discern this.

The power of silence should not be overlooked, just as the power of community should not be overlooked. They are not mutually exclusive either…I’m thinking of Thomas Merton living in a silent community of monks at Gethsemane.

We all need other people, and we certainly need community. Life without others is lonely and empty. But we also need silent time for reflection. May we all take some time away from the madness today. And make room for the peace of God which passes all understanding.

Today at the Restoration Center

Tags

advocacy, charity, church, community ministry, justice, Lutheran, ministry, Restoration Center

Today is August 4th, 2011. Its a relatively cool day in downtown Minneapolis. The Restoration Center, our  outreach center serving people experiencing homelessness and poverty, opened at 7:30am and it has been rather busy ever since.

A young man came in around 9am with numerous troubles. He said felt empty inside, I was reminded of Dennis Hopper’s character in the movie Hoosiers. The young man said he felt empty, and he didn’t feel that anything could take away the emptiness.

As it turns out he was on his way to treatment. He could barely speak, he was having such a difficult time. He wanted me to call his contact at a treatment center in St. Paul and I agreed to help. The contact at the center informed me that he was working on trying to get the man into the program but his Rule 25 was caught up in some bureaucracy…the paperwork was never turned into the right people, etc.

So now the young man was waiting, in limbo, trying to take the first step towards a better life, but he was at the mercy of the system. The man at the treatment facilty told me that the young man seeking treatment was possibly suicidal and that he might need attention today from Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC).

During the time I was talking to the contact on the phone the young man wandered off and left the building. And I have not seen him since. We notified others as to the situation but were still not able to locate him. He disappeared as quietly as he had arrived.

As I thought about this situation I realized just how fragile all of this is. As I reflect now, I wonder what could have happened differently or if I took the right course of action.

Before the young man left we prayed for a while. He said he did not believe in Jesus, but he believed in a higher power. The great spirit was the way he described his belief. We prayed for a while, for all of his needs. And shortly after he left.

I ended up meeting with 17 people in need of assistance today, ranging from medical co-pays, to rental assistance, to overall housing assistance, to transportation, and more. I also met with the man who leads our AA meeting, our job coach, our security officer, and three of the volunteers in our free store. Sometimes it hard to keep up with everyone and to keep track of everyone.

But it is vibrant in the Restoration Center, God is at work here, restoring all of us to wholeness. The women’s group that is meeting as I write this is having a great time signing songs and laughing. People are coming together in community. Folks are using the computers, one guy is reading a Bible, others are usign the phones…

I ask myself, is this not a thriving, vibrant model of urban ministry? We have many direct services, worship, advocacy for systemic change, Bible Study, AA meetings, education on the issues of homelessness and poverty, and more. But still, when a man comes in on the edge, what can we do?

We can pray. We can be there with him, we can walk with him during the toughest of times. We can advocate for a better system that gets people into treatment right away. We can use our voices and encourage others to use their voices to create a healthlier community and a more just system that works with people.

Much more on this to come…

Welcome!

Tags

church, hospitality, Lutheran, Restoration Center

Welcome to The Word on the Street, part of the mininstry of the Restoration Center at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis. The purpose of this blog is to reflect on the issues of homelessness and poverty and to try and make some sense of the role of the church with regard to these issues. Pastor Kristen Jacobson and myself, Rolf Lowenberg-DeBoer, will be posting our thoughts and we will be asking many others to contribute as well. Our hope is to engage in thoughtful and faithful dialogue and along the way to build a healthier community with God at the center.