Ugliness comes in many forms. And probably the worst form of ugliness is the kind you cannot physically see. Invisible ugliness. It's nasty. It can be all around you. It can permeate your speech, actions, expressions, relations, and basically your very being. But you can't actually "see" it.
Many christ followers, even (if not especially) those who work in some sort of social-service apparatus, have a clear distinction between themselves (the ministers) and the recipients of services (the ministerees). It's US VERSUS THEM.
Us, the christians versus them, the non christians.
Us, the middle class. Them, the poor.
Us, the responsible ones. Them, the irresponsible ones.
Us, the ones with our crap all together. Them, with their lives a mess.
Us, the volunteer do-gooders. Them, the lazy recipients.
No matter how you view it, there's always someone sitting behind a counter and someone standing in line at the counter.
Even when we try desperately to eliminate this invisible boundary between ourselves and the poor, its still there, one way or another. For example, the ways we talk about the poor with our inclusive/exclusive language (like the first sentence in this paragraph). Or the ways we don't include the poor in our personal lives.
I believe the best remedy for "us vs. them" is in Jesus' words from John 15 in The Book: "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my father I have made known to you".
"Us vs. Them" employs hierarchal boundaries of master/servant, daddy/son, king/subject, etc. These are all necessary relationships in one aspect of society or another. But being friends eliminates hierarchies. If two people are truly friends, than one is not higher than the other. Each knows of the crap that the other holds and each can speak into the other's life.
I have found that friendship (ie: relational model) with the poor is the best means of ministry. It not only brings a greater trust between us and them, but those expected to "minister" can also be "ministered to". We're all sinners and ain't none of us got it all figured out in life.
I have learned far more lessons from my "poor" friends and have received from them far more than anything I have given them.
7 comments:
I have done this myself. In the years I went to the Sally Ann soup kitchen Friday nights, I definitely did this. I always went with a "me being helpful" attitude--some days my attitude was worse...when I didn't even feel like going. I know that this was wrong. Every time I left I knew I had been blessed by those I sat with, the kids who hugged me and coloured on pages with me. My problem was I didn't eat there with them. I hadn't come for food and therefore didn't allow myself to me nourished fully by frienship. Thanks for telling it like it is.
Uncle on the island sees a lot of what you speak of--he calls it "counter-power": the one with all the power is behind the counter and will use it against you.
lil' sis
Somehow the misconception that the "richer" are more "righteous" has also infiltrated the ranks. But I am always awed and challenged when I hear of the poor doing what the book says when they take in STRANGERS into their home (I've known many, who have done exactly that, often gotten taken advantage of, but did it because someone needed a bed or couch or floor space and they shared what little they had). For me and others on the "richer" side of the equation, it is so much more complicated, we have troubles obeying the command to take strangers in because we are too busy protecting what we have, be it home, possessions, family or image. We spend the opportunity coming up with exuses why we shouldnt take them in, the biggest being that it's not safe. How safe is it to disobey what the book unabashedly requires of us?
well said!
the deal here is that most of us don't really know how insidious this is. we are so good at putting up barriers. and we do it on both sides of the relationship...
it would be easy to think that we are the only ones doing it but we're not. everyone is erecting barriers.
what this means is that we not only have to avoid putting up barriers but somehow overcome the ones everyone else is putting up.
Jesus was very good at this...
i'm not.
lil sis: "Counter Power". Good one. I expect CP from the govt, and I guess I expect it from christian social services too...but I hate to say that. Thanks for stopping by.
Agent Wife: always the wise one in our duo...I've been meaning to write an appropriate post on the poor's generosity and their willingness to take Matt 25 seriously...
Miller: than you for stopping by. I've recently found your blog and love what you have to share. The agent network of the fair mother city is connecting rapidly...
yeah, we need to have coffee sometime...
Anytime. Steve knows how to get in touch with me.
Nicely put!
Post a Comment