Misgivings About The Building Part 2

As I continued struggling with the uneasiness I was feeling, several situations unfolded that deepened the ache in my heart. The first one…

I was asked to design centerpieces for a local charity dinner. I was not familiar with the name of the organization. When I arrived at the venue the day of the event, I was met by the kind people who headed up the organization. As they helped me unload and then watched me set up, we talked. I asked about their organization, Family Promise, and was amazed at their story. I listened as they talked about the way they help homeless families (with children) in our community by meeting their immediate needs of shelter, food and clothing through the local church congregations. They, along with the congregations, help get the children to school and provide tutoring after school, provide GED assistance and job training and résumé writing for the parents, provide a private room in the church building for each family to sleep and provide meals prepared by congregation volunteers.

I was impressed by the organization's attention to detail and “big picture” goals. The families in the program are families that have a strong desire to gain independence that will last. They agree to cooperate with the guidelines of the program which require them to gain independence within a specified amount of time (meaning this isn’t an open-ended arrangement) and use their days working to secure the education they need to find a job. They learn how to handle financial commitments and budget their money. As I listened, I couldn’t believe I had never heard of this program. I couldn’t believe that my church wasn’t involved as we had one of the largest facilities and memberships in town. I figured my church simply had not heard about the program and I was excited to tell them. So, I mentioned my congregation to the organization officers. They told me they were familiar with the church and had been talking with one of our ministers who was trying to get the program approved. Perfect.

As I left the venue, I was excited for the opportunity to participate in this ministry. I thought of 1 John 3:17-18. And I thought of all  the resources my congregation had at its disposal …a large, beautiful and comfortable building with plenty of room…a commercial kitchen and large area for dining…multiple vans for transporting people to school and job interviews…a beautiful playground for the children…and a congregation full of people with skill sets that would bless each family.

In the coming months, the congregation was surveyed regarding interest in the program and many members responded positively to the survey. Family Promise was placed on the agenda for discussion at a church meeting. I attended. I have to be honest here. I knew, from being a member of this congregation for over 20 years, that there were some members of the congregation that would probably oppose participation in Family Promise. However, I was not prepared for what seemed, at times, to be a blatant disregard for scripture.

Sprinkled throughout the discussion about the program were these viewpoints:

-Some of us know every inch of this building. We helped plan, design and build the building and we need to take care of it.

-Having these people in our building might be out of compliance with city regulations and/or fire codes.

-We’re not equipped because we don’t have showers in the building. (the program offers alternative places for showering if your building doesn’t have showers)

-What if the couples aren’t married, but living together?

-Let’s just buy a fourplex in town and put them in there.

-[If they are at a separate location], we could drop the groceries off on their doorstep and they could cook their own meals. They aren’t going to learn responsibility if we’re doing everything for them.

-We don’t need to use our vans to transport these families around town. Let them take public transportation.

-If we allow these people to use our facilities, we need to require them to attend our Sunday and Wednesday church programs.

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I was shocked. It seemed as though we were desperately trying to find a loophole…a way out. These verses were rolling around in my head:

¹⁷ If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? ¹⁸ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:17-18

and

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matt. 25:41-46

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That meeting ended with a minister standing and saying he would take on the responsibility of finding a director and getting the program started. Nevertheless, I left the meeting in disbelief. I wondered how we, as a congregation, could have such vastly different views of what scripture says about caring for those in need. I wondered how a congregation willing to spend thousands of dollars on mission trips to Estonia, Germany, Czech Republic and Zimbabwe could justify potentially turning away homeless families with children in our own town. How could we elevate the wellbeing of our building over the wellbeing of people? In the grand scheme of life, what did it matter if the families broke something or spilled something in the building? What did it matter if the couples weren’t married? What did it matter if the families were not interested in attending our church programs? These families were in obvious need. Didn’t Jesus show compassion and care for the poor, the prostitute, the leper and the rich man? Did he give us the right to claim exemptions?

I realize it’s natural to have differing opinions and viewpoints in a congregation. I even cherish and welcome the diversity. I know we are human and sometimes misjudge what we are supposed to be about in this journey we’re on. So, I considered these other viewpoints over the next few months and wondered if I was the one overreacting to concerns that had been voiced (there’s that word again). I wondered if it was acceptable to God for us to give our money to remedy a need, but deny the people in need access to our facilities. It just didn’t seem right to me. But, if the need was being met, did it really matter? In the end, I only felt a deepening sense of unrest about the importance we, as a congregation, were placing on the building when making decisions.