There is a little town on the south side of Chicago called Ford Heights. It is an extremely depressed community - very few people have jobs. There is a lot of crime and gang activity. our friends moved their a year and a half ago because it has some of the worst statistics of any single neighborhood in Chicagoland.
Our friends are doing work like that we imagine ourselves doing in a few years. It's not unlike Word Made Flesh's model. Live among folks who are in a bad situation. Share in their troubles. Believe that the Merciful and Loving God is present, and seek to be a visible reminder of God's Presence.
They are not giving away things - money, food, clothes, medical care, or even social services like counseling or job training or tutoring. Nope. They are being present without a tidy "service" or title.
Our family visit was really great. Restful and enjoyable. We ate fresh out of their garden - growing strong in an abandoned lot next door. (Incidentally, this is one of those impoverished communities you may have heard about that is miles away from any kind of grocery store. People in Ford Heights would have to travel by car, or more likely bus, to buy a piece of fruit or milk.)
This little visit was a reminder that we have a trajectory. We want to live among the poor - not to save them, but to know and honor them. To learn from them and be called friends.
May you all find an example here and there of the type of life you are aiming for. May you revisit those plans often enough to keep the inner flame aglow.
2 comments:
this is good...i miss you all
lovely. thanks. good stuff. this is what we want our lives to look like, too. thanks for painting such a good picture of it.
Post a Comment