Because
I lack the discipline to be a full-time writer/blogger, I found a
daytime gig at a local United Methodist Church last year. This job is
the perfect fit for me. It’s an open and affirming church with an
extremely generous congregation who are passionate about social justice.
I’m one of those lucky people who loves her job, despite how I act when
we face a printer jam.
Having
a low stress job helps stabilize my mood, but more than that this job
keeps me engaged with my community. The church is in the heart of
downtown Lawrence, Kan. Lawrence is a college town and progressive haven
for us liberals who live in one of the reddest of states. In many ways
Lawrence feels like a little slice of heaven in the middle of corn
fields and Koch brother politics.
But
in reality Lawrence has the same issues that all communities face-
poverty, addiction, cycles of oppression. It’s easy to look past the
homeless man standing at a corner downtown when you walk back from
lunch. (A little too easy as I seem to do it most days.)
But
when the faces of poverty come stand at your desk and tell you their
story, you can’t really turn away. Well, maybe you could, but if you’ve
ever read Matthew 25:40 you will probably feel like a real asshole when
you do.
(And
the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one
of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’
Matthew 25:40..
In
Kansas utility companies cannot disconnect your service during the
winter months because of something called the “cold weather rule.” When
this disconnection ban lifts at the beginning of April it sets off a
domino effect. People who have neglected their utility bills in order to
pay other expenses are forced to fork up the funds or have their
service shut off. During the spring and early summer social workers
scramble to find money to help people pay their past due utility bills.
In
my short time at the church, I’ve discovered that if you use the
pastor’s discretionary funds to help out even one person outside of your
congregation social workers take note and send EVERYONE your way.
People
in need end up being shuffled from one social service agency or church
to another. Often times they never find the help they need.
And
that appeared to be the case today when an exceptionally young couple
came into our office. (Seriously, kids are looking younger than they
used too. Is 20 the new 12?)
I
was the only one in the office when the couple arrived. They walked in
holding hands, wearing old, torn cloths. Both of their eyes were sunken
in and they looked like they could use a long bath and a good night’s
sleep. They needed about $700 worth of help in utility assistance, a
number far beyond what we could give them.
As
the young man stood there telling me his story- he had been injured on
the job and on workers compensation- I couldn’t help but wonder what his
story really was. How did he and his girlfriend get to this place where
they were forced become vulnerable to a complete stranger in order to
get help with their bills? What was his childhood like? Did he ever have
the educational opportunities to get a job that wasn’t so demanding on
his body? Did he grow up in a home where they lived paycheck to
paycheck? Had he seen what it was like to have the stability afforded to
so many of us?
I
could go on and on about with questions I had about this couple. Those
questions will never be answered. What I do know is that they needed
financial help that I wasn’t able to give them. All could really do was
shuffle them to the agency. In this case it was the Salvation Army.
And
the other thing I could do was look the man in the eye, shake his hand
and wish him luck as he continued on his journey. It’s not much, but
hope it gave him some dignity. I really hope so, because when I looked
in his eyes, I swear I saw the face of Jesus.
