What Would you Do? Part 1

Today, I take a slight departure from my intent in this blog. I intend to write about my life and the poverty of not having a job after graduate school. Today I write about dignity, the poor and a slice of life.

I like John Quinones. I think he does some very interesting human-interest pieces. Not too long ago I saw a promo for a new special titled “What Would You Do?” Okay, I never actually got around to watching it, but I think I’ll be hunting it down after today. The idea is that they would recreate uncomfortable situations, like a couple yelling in the park and then the man grabs the woman by the wrist to take her away, and see how spectators respond. He usually asks those people to walk him through their through processes.

I was inspired by that promo. Yup, 15 seconds seemed to change how I look at people in Boston. I usually walk right by the homeless man because right now I feel as poor as him. If I hear people yelling, I usually try to get out of there as soon as possible.

Today I was downtown and near a T station. It’s a nice part of downtown, in the banking/ financial district, and it’s not too far from some tourist/historical spots. This is important to know because it creates the “feeling in the air.” This isn’t a seedy part of town where it’s safer to call 911 and keep walking. Nope – I was there with at least 50 of my fellow Bostonians.

As I was walking by, I heard a man swearing at the top of his lungs. The man swearing was white, in a wheelchair with only one leg, disheveled and had a bag (instrument sized). The man he was yelling at was black, overweight and had a refreshingly honest sign stating that he needed money to get drunk and high so he could deal with life on the street. Do these little details matter? They did to me, and they might to you as you draw your own conclusions.

The white man was yelling obscenities to the black man saying he was stupid, and if he put in half an effort, he could actually get a job. I’ll let you figure out the obscene words. I listened to it for a full minute. Feeling sorry for the man being yelled at (he appeared to be “taking it” with a grace that I could only describe as strength in vulnerability), I walked over and handed him a dollar. I could not stand the idea of this man’s dignity being ripped from him for all to see. I started to walk away when I started thinking about John Quinones’ report and my class on Vocation, Work and Faith. Had I done enough for a bullied man? Was I like the first two to pass by the man injured on the road? Did I have the courage to be a Good Samaritan? This is not yet where I ask “What would you do?”

I walked up to the black man and asked if he would like me to call the police. The guy said no and followed it up with a comment that the [white] man would leave soon enough. The obscenities continued, and I said, “Sir, I think it’s time to move along now.” (He had been telling the black man to get out of his f---ing way… except that guy was sitting on a park bench) Completely ignoring me, the man continued. I raised my voice above what I thought possible and yelled, “Sir. Either you need to move along or I need to call the police.” (I really need to get the non-emergency number for BPD on my phone.) I started to call 911, and another man from the crowd stood next to me. The white man left in a huff, and I was left to explain to the 911 operator why I no longer needed their service.

Now, here comes the part of “What would you do?” A man came up to me immediately after this and said I had no business getting involved. I had it all wrong. The facts were that the man in the wheelchair was there first and was playing music. The other man came over and instigated everything with yelling at him [white]. I defended the wrong man, and I gave the wrong man money. Now, what would you do?

Wages, Sabbath & the Poor

Generally, when you work on Sunday, you make 1.5 wages. If I make $8/hr every other day of the week, I make $12/hr on Sunday. It's enough to make you want to go to church and thank Jesus for the extra half loaf of bread... oh wait... you can't go... you're at work.

Since I decided to go to seminary, I have told every employer that I will work on Sunday BUT only after service is over. I usually give myself an hour or two after the official time of the service's end just to be safe and so I can enjoy fellowship. Who wants to miss out on some of those goodies?!? While most employers say they are okay with that (Federal regulations state that a person cannot be made to work during times of religious observance), some make sure you know that religion and the workplace do not co-exist. One employer switched the mandatory meetings for all staff to Sunday mornings well after my employment. While I'll never why this person did it, I do know that my absence was always questioned. Perhaps my lack of attending those meetings for a prayer meeting in my sanctuary was evangelism - I don't know.

I do think it's right to require extra wages on the Sabbath, which should be a day of rest. For Christians, that day is Sunday. (I'm a little jealous of my Jewish friends who get paid extra and still have a Sabbath day.) There should be some incentive to closing the doors a little early when people should be spending time outdoors and with family. It should not stand like any other day in the week.

Here's the problem, it's alluring. Knowing that I was making some extra money for the same thing I do every day was intoxicating. I could make about 20 extra dollars in one shift. While that may not sound like much, it sounded like a gold mine to me. Those $20 represented a little extra space in the form of paying my bills a little easier. I could possibly spend it on some much needed entertainment in my life - life is supposed to be enjoyed after all! I could even start to use it in a new fund, which will support a vacation I really want to take. Before I had even earned it, my money was spent, and I realized I was gambling with my time AND my money.

I have made a commitment to attend church first and then be available to assist my employer and coworkers. I know not everyone feels that is possible - they may think it a luxury to have a religious observance. In the end, do we discourage people from honoring God and the Sabbath by dangling a carrot of money in front of them? Do we show them Caesar's face and provide promises only God can give? This will make you happier. This will give you freedom. This will let you enjoy life. Is this legal exploitation? If I had a job that paid me more on a consistent basis, would I still be willing to go into work on Sunday, or would I be willing to forgo that extra monetary incentive in favor of a little rest and time with loved ones? It makes me a little sick to participate in it, but I'm caught too. $20 sounds like so much money right now. If I have already taken the time to worship and honor God, can I still hold my head high and work for Caesar? Can the Sabbath be parceled?

I'd like to say that I can still hold my head high and that I'm not parceling the Sabbath. I have sacrificed that which could bring me comfort to be with God in those (late) morning hours. By saying I won't work during service and fellowship times, I want to believe that I am still honoring the Sabbath - I mean, farmers still have to work on Sundays because cows do not milk themselves! My comfort is that I try to take the lessons I learned at church that day and bring them into the workplace. It's not the "in your face" evangelism I think many of us have come to expect. I don't pass out tracts or say "God bless you" to people, but I do smile. It does actually make people wonder what you are up to - they want to know your secret. I talk to the children and entertain the little ones while Mom or Dad is digging out the form of payment. I let the angry and impatient customer know that the person who took 40 items into the express checkout lane (which is 12 or less) has now left, and my full attention is in the present with him or her. The person in front of me is the most important person at the moment. I'd like to think that's how Jesus would have handled working on the Sabbath - taking care of the needs of the people in front of him and in the moment.

I still feel uneasy about 1.5 wages and Sunday. I do the best I can, and I think there are many people who are doing the same thing. Perhaps not shopping on Sunday is something people can try next Lent. We could try not doing it for one Sunday and see how that goes. We could remove the incentive for stores to be open on Sunday, and then everyone could get a nap in while football plays on the TV.

humiliating

Yes, I know - it's two posts in a row. I already have so much stuff to say about this new topic, so I might as well get to writing.

I finally swallowed my pride a while back and applied for SNAP, which is better known as food stamps. After watching my finances dwindle away, I realized that I could pay my bills if I stopped eating. However, not eating has very bad consequences, so I didn't really think that was a good option.

My case manager has, thus far, been a wonderful person. After talking with her about my current employment situation, she realized I was going to need serious help and fast. She got me set up with emergency funds to make sure I could get food. I was really thrilled to know that at least something was going right. I even joked to a few friends that I finally got to see a benefit for paying taxes all these years.

The laughter stopped when I realized I would have to go to a new employer for documentation about my employment. Now you don't want to lie about your employment. Overstate it, and you may not get all the help you need. Understate it (like not reporting), and you can expect some face time with Boston's finest officers of the law... you might even get to see a judge and jury. While I understand all of this, it's really hard to go up to HR on your first week on the job and ask for a letter of employment verification. (I need the letter because I do not have enough paystubs for the required documentation.) While the HR woman was very nice about it, I don't think any amount of "nice" would ever make me feel comfortable sharing my economic situation. I think there are only two reasons people know how much money you make: you make a ton or you make nothing... you're rich or your poor. Everyone knows the Hiltons or Kardashians because of the obscene amount of money they have. When you're poor, people know because you need their help. It's humbling and sometimes humiliating. Honestly, while I know I need it, I find it strips away a little of my dignity. I'm well-educated, have many commendations to my credit, had a professional career and come from a good home. Now I have to tell people, who are really strangers to my life, that I'm practically broke. I joked that the Commonwealth doesn't think I'll survive Darwinism and that's why they're giving me food stamps! It's laughter designed to hide pain and humiliation. I don't want to be a charity case, but I also don't want to go hungry or struggle to the point of worrying myself sick.

In another blog I'll talk about the documentation required by the commonwealth, but right now I want to put a feeling on the process. It's humbling. I feel like Oliver, who takes his bowl up to get more porridge. The only light I've found in this, besides being able to pick what I want to eat again vs. what I could previously afford, is being able to give back to others. I can now make a batch of cookies to take over to someone. I can afford to bring chips and dip. I can give back to friends and family who have helped me out as much as they could. It's a little place where I regain a little of that lost dignity in the process.

A new direction

I have been very silent on here. What I used to find strange about Boston is suddenly very normal. I've learned to silently harmonize with the guy who sings Billy Joel tunes on the bus or (in my head) commend people for being so comfortably bold in their fashion choices. I didn't feel like there was anything new to say. And then graduation day came... and went.

I figured I'd take a month off and then I would find the job I had always wanted. Just over two months later I'm still waiting to find it. I began to enter a new phase in my life, and it's not one I ever expected to be possible - poorer than seminary. At least in seminary I had a safety net. I didn't always know it, but there were plenty of resources. I know I made some of those possible for others. But now, with my savings drying up like a desert at noon, I found myself wondering how ends were going to meet.

So I am now dedicating this blog, at least for a while, about what it's like to be educated, poor and navigating the social services. This is a hard journey to put out there - it's deeply personal, and there's a stigma about receiving aid from any government be it state or federal. However, I believe it's important for me to record what this time is like so I never forget it. I also think it's important for people to know what it's really like to be in this situation. I'll admit, I thought people just griped about what they had to do to get help. Perhaps if they had just finished high school they could figure out how to fill out a silly little form. I am not enjoying the taste of my foot in my mouth right now, and the words that I have just swallowed are gnawing away at my stomach.

I'll save a few of the details for another blog, but I want to address something first. Everyone has the right to dignity... even those who receive assistance from the state (or commonwealth). I currently work at a grocery store to get a little income. I remember from my Vocation, Work and Faith course (in my last semester) a conversation about the dignity of work/labor. Yes, I make minimum wage right now, and yes it's hard to make that with a Masters degree hanging on my wall, but right now it feels good to earn my income, however small it is. It wasn't handed to me - I worked hard for it. There are days I literally sweat from the physical nature of the labor I do scanning others' groceries, but it still feels good to pay my bills or anything else knowing that it actually came from the sweat of my brow. It may not be glamorous, and I aspire to do more than this, but it is honest work, and it is dignified.

Now, to get on my soap box, I want to talk about how we all need food to live. I see people from all walks of life at the grocery store. I can usually tell by the cards they pull out to pay. Some pull out a check card; others use a credit card; some have fancy credit cards that say "Platinum" or "World"... something... anyway, it lets everyone know this is someone special; some use EBT cards. EBT is essentially food stamps. I can't tell much about a person from the way he or she is dressed, but I can tell something about the form of payment the person uses. I've seen people in line get rather impatient with people using EBT or WIC (Women, Infant, Children) methods of payment. Yes, they take longer to process, but there are good reasons for it. People have abused them in the past, and precautions were taken to help prevent that.

Anyway, back on topic - I've seen many people embarrassed to have their card out. They take the EBT card out at the last possible moment, swipe it really fast and put it back with lightening fast speed. They don't want anyone to know they need help. I can understand that on a personal level - but I'm ashamed to be part of a society that puts a stigma on a loving gift of charity. The word "charity" has changed into something great to give to and something bad to receive. Every time I think about it I am reminded of the last words of 1 Cor 13 - now these three things abide: faith, hope and love (charity), and the greatest of these is love (charity). Is it still the greatest?

People deserve to be cared for in ways that really mean something - and why shouldn't they have access to basic needs like food? I have made it my mission to not look at the card someone uses to pay unless that person has a question about it. Everyone in my line will be treated according to the attitude he or she treats another. Want to be nice to me? I'm sure we'll have a great time. Want to take out your bad day on me? I'll make sure your order is completed as fast a possible.

I'm sure this is a bit of rambling, and I promise it'll get better. I'll try to keep up with my own adventures in receiving transitional assistance for food and medical care (health insurance is a law in Massachusetts). I hope this becomes a companion to others who have struggled with these same issues, and I hope it is enlightening to those who never do.

Good Friday - a reflection

Just about everyone I know has posted something about this final leg of the Lenten journey. It's probably because the vast majority of people I know are in seminary or a ministry profession. However, this reflection I offer is contextual. It is a vulnerable side of me, and I have found it almost prophetic that I have come to it at this time... it's one more way God says to me, "it is my time, and not the design of humans, that is perfect."

I have always loved Good Friday. It is a day in which God showed strength in vulnerability. Strength - now there's a word worth defining. In the American vernacular I best know, it generally means to have control over the will and actions of another. It can also mean an ability to temper the emotions within one's self. So how do strength and vulnerability coexist? Well, how do finite and infinite, divine and human coexist in one person? I take this Good Friday to sit with the paradox of what should not be and what is. A young boy should not have taught the priests and scribes at age twelve in the temple, but he did. A young boy, of little to show in family name and status, should not have lead the temple over the sons of the high priest, but he did. A young woman should not have entered the court of a king, but she did - and her people were saved. A man who sought to persecute those who believe should not have changed sides, but in doing so he taught us about love, fellowship and clinging to hope. There are many things that should never transpire, but they do; God has a way of making it right somehow.

So, vulnerability... it's a difficult thing. Commercials tell me that I should never let them see me sweat. I should never show any sign of weakness lest it be exploited. If you open your heart, it might be plundered, and you will be left with nothing. No wonder so many people wander around looking for someone to love them but feel unable to do so. No wonder I have felt more at home communicating through facebook or text messaging. If I keep a barrier there, I do not have to be vulnerable. I do not have to risk being hurt, but I find that I also do not risk being loved. This leads to feeling alone in a world that has surpassed 7 billion people!

The greatest joy has been when I have risked it all and felt loved in the end. My dearest friends have held that vulnerability in their hands with tenderness that can only be described as divine. Conversely, a great joy is when someone hands me his or her vulnerability, and I can say to that person, "I see you; I hear you; know that I love you."

How does this translate into a cross on Calvary? God, in Jesus Christ, risked it all for love. He was hurt; he was betrayed - I don't want to take away from what should not have been. No one should die for wondrous love like this - not in body, mind, heart or spirit. But still - something surpassed it all. From on this cross he still risked it all. He spoke to his neighbors, criminals on crosses just like his and promised that love would still win out. Anger, pain, betrayal, grief... they are never the end of the story. This wounded healer, with arms literally stretched out for all to see still spoke to us, "I see you; I hear you; I love you."

While I would never compare myself to Christ, I have had my own experience with this in the past few weeks. The decision of the board of ordained ministry felt like my vulnerability was exposed for all to see. In the midst of my pain, it felt as though a crowd had come, once again, to see just how far a person could be torn down before giving up. I told my congregations about what had transpired, and feeling wounded themselves, we began to say that this is not the end. This is the end of one journey and the beginning of another. We had hope in the promise of Sunday.

The story is not done; not the Lenten story and not my story. For now, though, I must sit with Friday and what is finished. It's horrible to look at. It hurts to see, and I want to look away. I think God knows that those who hurt do not have the opportunity to look away; God knows I cannot look away and my pain is deep. I need to hear the words "I see you; I hear you; I love you." This is the vulnerability because I risk not hearing them at all. I risk the feeling that my life was in vain and I have nothing to give to God and God's people. I risk not being loved in return. As much as I need to hear these words, I need to find the strength to say those words in return. In that cycle, I know I will find Easter present again.

We are living in a digital world, and I am a digital girl

Madonna still rings true - it is a material world, but things have changed a little bit since her song came out. There are cell phones, laptops, internet, Skype, instant messaging, electronic mail, voice mail and personal data assistants (pda). As a student and young adult, all of these things can be my friend. I can have real time conversations, and I can transfer documents quickly. Decision making happens so much faster.

What has been lost is the authentic face-to-face conversation. I am guilty of having instant message conversations with someone who is 5 feet away from me - in my defense, it's been in the library. Nonetheless, it seems we are becoming more comfortable with communicating via these fragmenting forms of communication. Why are they fragmenting? We can forget there's another human being on the other end of the digital box. We will say things over e-mail we would never say face-to-face. We leave voice mails laying things we know will hurt, but we aren't there to see the hurt it does to hear it. I have been both sender and receiver of this fragmentation, and now I'm rethinking the importance (or role) it will have on the next 30+ years of my life.

A fellow congregant at church asked, "What does Christ want this city to know?" We all thought long and hard about it. I think Christ wants us all to remember we are more than the receptacle of what comes out of these boxes. We are more than objects standing in the way of personal goals. We are more than bodies in the way of the exit off the over-packed bus. We are humans, imago dei, created to be in loving connection with each other.

The church and the ecclesia stand in contrast to this digital world. We gather together and look at each other. We touch hands. We touch common food of bread and wine/juice. We hug. We physically pass peace - we don't download the app! We don't schedule note in the pda to remember to send Jesus something on his birthday. There's something about being in a physically present community that has a rhythm of remembrance that is beautifully opposite what I'm supposed to be doing according to culture.

I am a digital girl. I send e-mails. I use instant messaging. I'm more likely to send a text than cold call a friend. However, I take at least one hour every week to remember this is not how it has to be. That one hour prepares me to open up to the possibility of shared meals, face-to-face conversation and the movement of the spirit when two or more are gathered.

Laying down burdens

I'm up late at night trying to find a prayer. The trouble is, I don't know for what I should pray. I know my prayers can have more than one thought - just like praying for one person, but I still don't know what's on my heart.

I know what my fears are, and I know I have burdens. I trust that I have done the best I can to avoid harm, and if I caused it, I trust I found it in time to seek forgiveness. My fears are not just for me, they are for others too. I wonder what plagues them so that they feel trapped or cornered and must fight for their lives. I wonder if they feel lonely. I wonder if I could have helped but walked on by, never noticing the burden.

I start to think of others who have power. In the midst of a heated health care debate, how do the people in charge find a way to sleep at night? Do they sleep well because they are comfortable and do not trouble themselves if others are in need? Do they sleep well because they have done all they can and worrying won't make it better? Do they sleep poorly because they wonder how they could make it better? Do they sleep at all because they wonder if the world will reject the message they have to bring?

Since I am writing this at midnight, I am clearly not in the first two... the question remains, which one am I in? I want to lay my burden down, but I keep questioning what more I could have done. I keep replaying scenes in my head looking for ways people could have been hurt. There are no stories about Jesus going to sleep. It's mentioned that he is tired; I even think it mentions that he did sleep. Most of the sleeping happens with the disciples, and Mark documents it best. Jesus carried a great weight on his shoulders, and I have no idea when or how he slept... a very basic function of the body.

I know who I am and what I have to give to the world. I know it will not always be accepted with open arms. I guess in light of all of this my prayer is that those who reject the message I bring do so in respect and without ill will... I will strive to do the same in bringing the message forth.