Week 23: A Place Called Home

Scripture: Luke 10:25-37

Just then a lawyer stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he said, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? What do you read there?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan while traveling came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said, ‘Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.’ Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

A Place Called Home

In this country we call our home, we categorize people based upon things like sex, race, creed, profession, socio-economic status and sexual orientation. The truth of the matter is that no matter where you stand in this any of these categories, you can at one-point experience homelessness. We are all just few decisions away from homelessness, which is why we need combat it before it reaches our steps. Homeless people are not only the image we see on the street, but rather there are some who have (had) professions just like you and me. For example: There are veterans, who have devoted their lives to fight for this country we call home; that are homeless. There are nurses, who help to save and maintain well-being in the lives of many; that are homeless. There are teachers, who teach the children to Dream like Martin, Fight like Malcolm, and Lead people to freedom like Harriet; that are homeless. You have rubbed shoulders with some people, whether in a doctor’s office, at church, at the supermarket, and in an elevator who are homeless that you don’t know about. Homelessness is like a hidden disease that plagues our city which we don’t see, can’t, won’t and often are unwilling to see. It gives us a selective blindness due to the fact that this injustice has not crossed our own door steps

            We live in a country, whose government will provide 3 hots and a cot to any person who commits a crime in our city’s street but finds difficulty in providing shelter to those need it? Must the homeless commit crimes in order to find a place to sleep at night? Is our system that skewed? Did you know that it cost the state of Pennsylvania an annual average of $42,339 to fund a prison stay of one inmate? On the other hand, it costs the Pennsylvania Office of Homeless Services an annual average of $38,325 dollars to fund a three-member family staying in shelter for a year. I find there to be an issue with the way that our tax dollars are being spent. In this city, the city of Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly affection, there are 885 families that are homeless on any given night. There are about 100 families that do not receive shelter on a night. There are shelters that are prioritized by different demographics. Most shelters don’t take families with teenage boys because they are seen to be too messy. Some shelters will not take in single men.

There are shelters that won’t take in the “Working Poor”, those who have jobs but don’t make enough to survive off of their paychecks. Also taking into consideration that some shelters have not been renovated due a stagnation in the housing trust budget over the course of the past three years. You may be wondering, how this could have been sitting under our noses for so long without being noticed. To be honest, up until October of 2016 I had never noticed it either. In October, I began working as office assistant at the Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality network (PIHN); which specializes in Homelessness and Homelessness Prevention Services. Working there has allowed me a first-hand experience of the ways that our city has treated and walked by our fellow citizens. Although my awareness was based upon experience, let’s turn to the text to experience it together in a new manner.

In this parable, Jesus lifts up a scenario that challenges the morality of others. He placed a scene of a man lying on the street in an unfit living condition; similar to the condition of some people we see on the streets every-day. Jesus showed us how the people who were called and elected to show compassion and be a voice for this man walked passed and acted as if they had not seen this man at all. Though the text said the Priest and the Levite; and in my imagination these roles today are summed up in the elected officials and their staff persons. The Priest and Levite were the people who could’ve help this man in the story. The Elected Officials are the people who could be helping them today. The truth of the matter is that they didn’t want to see him, or acknowledge him. Just like us, who roll up our windows and keep our eyes straight when we a homeless person walk up to our windows at a stop light. The people who claim to care the most, are often those who care the least. The Elected Officials or as I call Them, Our Public Voices, have yet again become silent. They have walked passed this issue, and these people without a simple acknowledgement. They have rehearsed their disregard so much that the people who they lead have taken on the same mentality.

But finally there is a person (better yet a people) who will speak out for those who are left aside. A people who will nurse their wounds and care for them. A people who will stoop down to someone in an effort to bring them back up again. A people who want to help and not hurt. A people who help the lives of other better and not bitter. A people who will stand on the side of the underserved and will cry out alongside them. Those people are the Good Samaritans lifted in this story. Those few who will fight against the injustices that faced by whether they have or haven’t experienced any injustices themselves. These people are the true representation of our risen savior, who fought spoke truth to power and called out and exposed injustice. Our city, State, Country is doing a great disservice to our fellow citizens; and we must see that it ends. This parable holds the truth of the character of the people who would receive its words. The blessing is that Jesus allowed the people to realize what was right in their own eyes. He didn’t want to impose his sense of thinking on them. Operating off of Jesus’s model, I have a question for you. Which person are you in the story? Are you the one who will continue to walk passed your people in a condition of life that is subpar or dare I say half dead. Lying in the limbo of life; by nearly freezing to death, or dying from hunger? Are you the one who follows your leader, without question and doesn’t acknowledge them? Or maybe you’re the Samaritan, who will help serve and advocate for those who need their support?

Maybe you’re familiar with the saying “Home is Where the Heart Is”. This saying rests on the idea that the home is where we relax from the burdens and pains of life. This seems normal as this is the case for many people. But this saying, leaves me with a question. Where is the heart of the homeless? Is it found in the pockets of greedy politicians who promise up change but instead only desire to push their own agendas? Maybe it is found in budget of the Councilmen and Councilwomen who forget to fight for those who have nowhere to go? Where is the heart of the homeless? Is it found in the cardboard boxes and dilapidated shelters in which they sleep. Or is it found in the street on a rainy day, where the homeless have no dry place to stay? Where is the heart of the homeless? It is not found in their pain, sorrow or distress. Instead it is found in the Good Samaritan who will feed them, talk to them, and treat them with respect. It is found in the Good Samaritan who will advocate for those who can’t advocate for themselves. These Samaritans will not stop fighting until they see results. Until they fix what is broken. Until they find A Place Called Home!

My hope is that one day, with enough advocates for homeless services, we will find a balance of being able to find shelter for all in need. But until that day, we need to speak to our elected officials and raise our concerns about providing shelter for all. Because I know a place, where there is room for all people who are willing to come. A place where no one is homeless and without shelter. A place surrounded by pearly gate, and has streets of Gold. A place where the foreigners of this land roam freely. A place we all can call our home. Jesus described this place by saying there are many mansions there and if it wasn’t so I wouldn’t have told you. This place is called heaven! But before we get to heaven, we need to invoke a bit of heaven on earth. And raise the awareness of others of the goal of adequate shelter, and giving an opportunity to find a place called home! Amen!