Last night I was driving through Homewood with several LAMP mentees when I saw a group of former LAMP mentees who had graduated from high school. The mentees that I had in the car with me start their senior year in high school this year. It was a nice summer evening, so we all stopped and talked with one another for a while. I couldn't help but to be thankful to God for what was taking place in that moment. When I first started spending time with all of these young men in Homewood they were just kids in elementary school who had been referred to me to have a mentor because they were having problems in school. Now, these guys are succeeding in their educations, graduating high school and even taking college classes and working.
The context of the moment last night also struck me. We stopped and had that great conversation at an intersection in Homewood that is infamous for illegal activities (drugs, prostitution, etc.). These guys weren't out participating in those things. We were talking about their bright futures, not their struggles with coping in the inner city. These guys have built up many assets over the years, and they are resilient. They are Homewood's finest, setting out to make a positive difference in the world with their lives. That doesn't mean that they won't struggle as adults, but they at least have a fighting chance to thrive.
Transformation in people or in places doesn't happen by focusing on what's wrong. It happens by building up what is right. The process of transformation takes time, but it is so rewarding to experience. I have high hopes for each of the young people that I've been privileged to invest in as a mentor over the years, and that includes some who are currently locked up or struggling with the street life. I think that they have the assets to be able to thrive as well, it just may take some more time. I'm not giving up on anybody, no matter what the outcomes of our time spent together may have produced. And I am thankful for moments like last night where I got to experience joy in the midst of a complex urban environment. I celebrate the signs of hope that I see in Homewood.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Friday, August 16, 2013
A Safe House in Homewood
Jesus modeled the type of incarnational living where we give ourselves away to others. We find out where marginalized or vulnerable people are in our world, we go to them, we spend time with them, and God takes everyone on a process of transformation as we build relationships with one another. The concept seems simple enough, right?
The problem is that mainstream society, especially in America, does not hold to those types of values. The American Dream actually causes us to distance ourselves from the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our society. Upward mobility, at its very core, involves making our lives more comfortable so that we don't have to deal with as much messiness or discomfort.
To be a follower of Jesus, we should be downwardly mobile. We should be spending time with people in the places where God asks us to go, the very places where he promises us that we will find life if we will only give up control of our lives. We find the Holy Spirit at work in surprising places in our world, the Almighty God giving scandalous amounts of grace away to those who need it most... both the comfortable and those of need find God's grace in the margins.
My friends in Homewood, Pastor Freedom Blackwell and his wife, Freed, live out incarnational ministry like Jesus on a daily basis. This week they led a housing blitz in Homewood where an abandoned home was converted into a safe house for children in the middle of the neighborhood. It will be a place of refuge for kids to get off the streets for a little while. It was rebuilt by residents of Homewood for residents of Homewood.
I am excited to see what God does through the safe house in Homewood. Many of the children who have spent countless hours playing at my house or eating dinner at my dinner table will now have another place to go. The young people who are some of the brightest assets in the community now have a place to go that is an asset in the community.
I know that we will still welcome people into our home in Homewood, Pastor Freedom and Free will, and there are several other people living out incarnational ministry in Homewood who will continue to do so. Still, it is great to have another place for kids to go when we are unable to be there for the kids. I am praying that God raises up many more people in Homewood to live like Jesus in many more houses that are restored by the residents of Homewood in partnership with volunteers located throughout the city of Pittsburgh. God is truly doing an amazing redemptive work in Homewood, and I am privileged to experience that work up close.
The problem is that mainstream society, especially in America, does not hold to those types of values. The American Dream actually causes us to distance ourselves from the most marginalized and vulnerable people in our society. Upward mobility, at its very core, involves making our lives more comfortable so that we don't have to deal with as much messiness or discomfort.
To be a follower of Jesus, we should be downwardly mobile. We should be spending time with people in the places where God asks us to go, the very places where he promises us that we will find life if we will only give up control of our lives. We find the Holy Spirit at work in surprising places in our world, the Almighty God giving scandalous amounts of grace away to those who need it most... both the comfortable and those of need find God's grace in the margins.
My friends in Homewood, Pastor Freedom Blackwell and his wife, Freed, live out incarnational ministry like Jesus on a daily basis. This week they led a housing blitz in Homewood where an abandoned home was converted into a safe house for children in the middle of the neighborhood. It will be a place of refuge for kids to get off the streets for a little while. It was rebuilt by residents of Homewood for residents of Homewood.
I am excited to see what God does through the safe house in Homewood. Many of the children who have spent countless hours playing at my house or eating dinner at my dinner table will now have another place to go. The young people who are some of the brightest assets in the community now have a place to go that is an asset in the community.
I know that we will still welcome people into our home in Homewood, Pastor Freedom and Free will, and there are several other people living out incarnational ministry in Homewood who will continue to do so. Still, it is great to have another place for kids to go when we are unable to be there for the kids. I am praying that God raises up many more people in Homewood to live like Jesus in many more houses that are restored by the residents of Homewood in partnership with volunteers located throughout the city of Pittsburgh. God is truly doing an amazing redemptive work in Homewood, and I am privileged to experience that work up close.
A Time of Reflection
Since I'm not in India this week, I've been making some progress on a few writing projects. I've had so many incredible experiences leading a mentoring program over the past year and I'm hoping to be able to share the stories with the world. As I go back through my old journals and blog posts, I am reminded of how good God has been to me throughout my journey. I've seen lives changed, and God has changed my life in so many good ways. There have also been many difficult moments and challenges along the way. God stayed faithful through it all.
In order to keep going in a difficult world, it is important for followers of Jesus to pause and take the time to reflect. It gives us the opportunity to be encouraged by what God has done for us through all of the good and bad times. This life is all about honoring and glorifying God, but it the process of doing that God raises us up according to his purposes. I am encouraged today knowing that God is in control of all things... through the celebrations and the trials. I love being a part of God's epic adventure.
In order to keep going in a difficult world, it is important for followers of Jesus to pause and take the time to reflect. It gives us the opportunity to be encouraged by what God has done for us through all of the good and bad times. This life is all about honoring and glorifying God, but it the process of doing that God raises us up according to his purposes. I am encouraged today knowing that God is in control of all things... through the celebrations and the trials. I love being a part of God's epic adventure.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
India Delay
Our trip to India has been delayed for about a month or so because we need to take care of some travel documents before we are allowed to go. We're disappointed for now, but we know that God has a plan and we're doing our best to be obedient. This whole situation has been a very humbling learning experience. Please continue to pray for us as we follow God's lead.
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Leaving for India
We're departing for India in a couple hours. I can't wait to see what God is doing there. Prayers are much appreciated! Hopefully I'll be able to post updates on this blog when I have opportunities to access the internet.
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