May 17, 2010

At a Sacrifice

In the first centuries
of Christianity
the hungry were fed
at a personal sacrifice,
the naked were clothed
at a personal sacrifice,
the homeless were sheltered
at personal sacrifice.
And because the poor
were fed, clothed and sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
the pagans used to say
about the Christians
"See how they love each other."
In our own day
the poor are no longer
fed, clothed, sheltered
at a personal sacrifice,
but at the expense
of the taxpayers.
And because the poor
are no longer
fed, clothed and sheltered
the pagans say about the Christians
"See how they pass the buck."
-Peter Maurin

May 14, 2010

Only Here

This morning I was riding to work with Will. He was telling me this story of the day he met one of the homeless guys that come around the lounge here a lot. Will said he was behind the HUB cleaning a screen from his screen printing with the timothy initiative. He said 'The guy walked up and I would have sworn he was going to ask me for something but he just starting chit chatin' with me.' Will told me that he just kept waiting for it and then instead of asking for anything the guy turns slightly and starts pissing on the building! The dude is standing right next to will, looking back over his solder still talking to him. Classic. He asked me, 'seriously, what other church could I spend my time at were that could possibly happen.' Its true. I really love the absurd things that happen around us on a day to day basis. Some are humorous, some are extremely sad, but life is so eventful. Last week my friends saved a mans life by just being available to help drag his beaten body out of the woods and get him to a hospital (he had been beaten up and basically left to die and had laid there for two days before they found out and got him to the hospital for surgery). This week I sat with a friend over dinner at the good sam and he told me that he woke up the night before having nasty dreams about mrs. obama! He was cracking himself up with embarrassment as he confessed his dreams.
Only here.
This month we have had vomit on the sidewalk out front and poop in the alley out back.
I asked a mentally ill man about the hundred keys he weares around his neck. 'What can you get into with these?' I asked. 'I can get into your heart. I can also get into your head.' He replied as he smiled with delight.
A few weeks ago a neighbor broke into my car and stole some cds. One of my housemates caught him red handed so he said. 'I just want the cd's, can I still have them?'
There are a million stories like this that we never tell because it is the air we breathe. This is our daily life. Its our daily bread. I so love the life we live. It is a fun adventure.
Only here......