P.S. Here’s where you can buy the shirt! http://skreened.com/radicalloveproject

Last night we walked a few blocks through our neighborhood to go to the kinda-monthly meeting of the Neighborhood Association. As we approached the street that leads into the neighborhood, we saw a group of young people. I said to Tracy, “Better call the cops.” This, you might have guessed, was a joke. Let me explain.

See, last month at the Blockwatch meeting, we (PineHillians? Pineys? P-Hillz?)… we were told that if we see a group of more than about 4-5 young people, we should call the police. Yes, indeed. We must call the police and report suspicious activity.

As we got close to the kids, and approached them, I noticed a little one in a stroller. (A teen-age-type was pushing.) One of the kids said to us, “Don’t worry. We ain’t goin’ rob you.” Then another said, “Naw, they trick-or-treating!” Which was funny, because I’d said to Tracy just before that the weather & the time of day & the neighborhood reminded me of Halloween as a girl.

Anyway, we smiled & said hello, and kept going. I considered asking if they were all right, because I could sense some agitation. I could also see some people in the distance ahead blocking the sidewalk. Was there conflict? But they didn’t seem to want our involvement. So, on we went.

Uh oh. There’s more.

Half a block later, we ran into the other group we’d seen. This time it was our neighbor, Blockwatch Guy, and a couple of security guards. (I’d have called the police, but there were only three of them. Besides, they said the police were on the way.)

I think because we appeared to him to be Us and not Them, the Blockwatch guy was friendly, and told us all about the problem. The kids were congregating at the corner store, and they needed to go. He was there to make sure they went, and didn’t come back. His demeanor was… well, let’s just say he’s made it known that he carries a weapon, and he’s not afraid to use it. It was not a posture of humility.

It made me wonder. Where are these kids supposed to hang out? There’s no “official” places, “acceptable” places, except inside the homes in the neighborhood. I can think of a zillion reasons a teen might not want to be hanging out inside their house on the first spring-like evening after months of cold and gray. Stale odors, abusive parents, boring parents, no space to move…

Tracy and I started to continue on, talking about the experience. Soon, we realized we did want to go back and see how the kids were doing. But by this time they’d left.

Neighborhood Association isn’t for “neighbors”

Pine Hills is laid out pretty clearly. It’s roughly between a rectangle and a football, bordered by a thoroughfare on the north, a creek (that I love) to the west, and freeways to the east and south. It’s easy to guess where the borders are, but if you did, you’d be wrong. The borders of the official neighborhood are drawn with all sorts of angles, to exclude all those folks in apartments. When I look at those borders, my heart breaks.

According to the census data, there are way more apartments than the 550 houses the neighborhood association includes in its boundaries. Wonder if that’s why we exclude them? We do it, not just by declaring them somehow “not part” of the neighborhood association. But also by taking an Us/Them posture at the corner store, on the playground, on the street…

What would happen if, as a start, we considered the whole neighborhood, invited folks from the apartments to meetings, hung out with the young people we run across on the streets?

Just call me Polly Anna.

So then I got this idea…

Well, actually, I’ve been really at a loss. We left our ministry in Eugene, and have been waiting, watching, walking, looking for where the path leads from here. Winter is a slow time in Columbus, and it makes sense that we’ve spent a bunch of time in quiet waiting. And it makes sense that with the first green shoots of spring (like the ones in our yard, which cheered me greatly!) — with spring, we would find ourselves breaking out, ideas forming in our minds and hearts like buds on the trees outside our window. :)

It’s not that I haven’t had ideas. I’d like to go to the Baptist Church in the neighborhood, and help the folks there figure out how to love the neighborhood. But will they have me? I’d like to get pizza or burritos and share a meal once a week, like we did in Eugene. But where? I’d like to turn my garage into a hang-out. Don’t get me started on why that’s a bad idea.

But last night, I was around real people, and something clearer started to form. (Hang on. I’ll tell you what in a second.) It’s something I’ve had glimmers of before, which is part of why this feels more real. In the past, when the “right” path has shown up, it’s shown up with a life of its own. We’ll see whether this turn out to have that kind of life in it.

ok, here it is

What if, right along side the Blockwatch patrollers, there were Radical Love Project patrollers? What if we wandered the streets and talked to people with love and respect, offered help and kindness, befriended folks and encouraged them? That might be something I could handle. No 501(3)c paperwork, no accounting nightmare, no zoning board. Just two feet on the pavement. I think that’s how God likes me. Walking.

Trusting in the tao (aka the way) to carry us through — sometimes I picture the way as a flowing river — we have uprooted, and replanted ourselves on the urban frontier of Columbus, Ohio.

A new context for radical love

Remember when I said this is not a homeless ministry? I tried to say that it’s about radical relationship, scandalous, risk-taking love, honesty & presence in every moment.

In Eugene, it manifested partly (but not entirely) under a bridge, during meals shared with the folk who live there, under that very bridge, year round. And it spread to hospital rooms, courtrooms, and bars — a beautiful, amazing experience.

It’d be so easy to go across town to the riverbank where I know folks are camped. And I’m tempted. In fact, I’d be lying if I said there weren’t socks and hand-warmers stashed in our car, just in case.

But I don’t want to try to re-create the experience we had in Eugene. I think that deep down, if I go to those places, I’ll be looking for the friends I left behind in Eugene. I miss them so much! Maybe I’m avoiding facing the fact that they aren’t there? But that’s not the main reason we aren’t seeking out the same kind of ministry we had back home.

The main reason is that it’s clear across town, and it’s clear that there’s plenty of room for our radical presence right here in our neighborhood, Pine Hills.

Pine Hills

Pine Hills isn’t known for either pines, or hills. It’s a flat subdivision with old maple and oak trees, and even older houses, a few blocks from where I grew up. In the late 60s and early 70s, families — mostly white, mostly two-parent, mostly moms at home — bought these houses here on the suburban edge of town, and sent their kids off to the neighborhood school.

But cities have changed since then. Where once almost everyone in the neighborhood owned their homes, now lots are rentals. Where manicured lawns and tended gardens once decorated clean sidewalks, now chipped curbs line damaged lawns holding broken-down cars and the occasional empty beer can. Where nuclear families with 2.4 kids once attended each others’ parties, now single parents, multi-generational families, or groups of roommates share a house, keeping mostly to themselves.

But while the neighborhood isn’t as tidy as it was when I was a kid, it’s way more diverse. And while there is struggle visible on the surface of this ‘hood, I’m not sure that’s entirely a bad thing. Appearances are usually deceiving, and I know when I was growing up in the early seventies, there were things going on that were kept hidden. But even if life was more comfortable for some, comfort can be isolating. Difficulty is — or can be — an opportunity for connection.

I admit I don’t mind so much, trading in the shiny, orderly 20th Century world of ticky-tacky boxes for this patched-up ramshackle collection of neighbors.

Neighborhood

In the short time we’ve been here, we’ve met neighbors who are widowed and have lived here for 30 years. We’ve learned of young people who’ve been taken away to jail for drugs, guns, burglary. We’ve met a single mom and her kids while chasing off the two feral dogs who were tearing up a cat in her front yard.

We’ve met the civic association folks and the blockwatch folks (not as much overlap as you’d think). We’ve seen lots of kids, and heard tenuous rumors of Bloods and Crips. (If you see 5-6 kids together, we’re told, call the police and report them as suspicious.)

“A big part of this,” Tracy tells me, “is about not insulating ourselves from our actual world.” It’s about opening our eyes and hearts to what is immediately around us.” These days, I think getting in the car to drive across town for “homeless ministry” wouldn’t do justice to the beautiful task God has given us, to love the people placed right in front of us. To bring everything we’ve got to loving God & to love our neighbors with what’s real inside us.

So here we are. Pine Hills, you won’t know what hit you. :)

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly. (From The Gospel According to Matthew, chapter 11)

This isn’t the message I get from much of the Christian world. But wow! Isn’t it beautiful?

There’s nothing to fear in this message. If you’re paying attention to ideas that are heavy or ill-fitting, if a path fills your heart with loathing or dread, what you’re seeing isn’t God. God is love.

You’re welcome.

:)

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field. I’ll meet you there.

When the soul lies down in that grass,
the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase each other
doesn’t make any sense. ” — Rumi

As soon as we mention God, or Jesus (or, for that matter, Buddha) people want to know what we’re about. They want to know “what we believe.”

“Remember: the buddha-dharma is about seeing, not about believing.” — Steve Hagen, Buddhism Plain and Simple

“Remember: the jesus-dharma is about loving, not about believing.” — The Radical Love Project

If you’re looking for something like the Nicene Creed, I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. We don’t subscribe to a list of “beliefs” that we think grant us some special status. We do have some ideas we think stand up to criticism. We like reaching for an understanding of how reality works, but we don’t reach for certainty, and we don’t think anyone else has to agree with us or else.

• The Source.

  We are in awe of divine power, the creator, the source of peace.

• God within.

  We reach for an awareness of God’s presence within us, and we find it in Jesus, the living Christ, who shows us the way.

• Grace.

  We are excited by the light of unconditional love and infinite grace, and we are serious about forgiveness. We’re called to love with a radical, scandalous dedication. In every single moment, we are called to honesty, compassion, and awareness.

God’s world is full of beauty and knowledge and love, and we appreciate those things wherever we find them.

• From Zen, we’ve learned the importance of a quiet mind, and the role of attachment, opposition, and delusion. We’ve learned how it might be possible to follow the advice of Jesus, “Judge not.”
• From Non-Violent Communication, we’ve learned how to love by listening with empathy.
• From Conal Elliott, we’ve learned that heart-connection doesn’t come from managing how we communicate; it’s about finding an empathetic, loving place from which to speak what’s true.
• From James Dennert, we’ve been inspired by the idea that religious and spiritual knowledge need not be tied to belief.
• From Heart of Now, we’ve learned to fully accept where we are in every moment.

We hope this gives you a good idea of where we’re coming from. If you have more curiosity about what we’re doing or thinking, we invite you to talk with us. If you’d like us to understand what’s most important to you, we’re happy to listen.

We’ll happily talk about those things, but we don’t spend much time in debate. We’re more interested in practice.

I’ll report back here on our progress. We need to raise $120 by Thursday morning. If you can help, please donate something. Even $5 can make a difference.

Update

Thank you so much! As of this afternoon, August 19, we’ve received $130 — enough for a ticket and a little left over for food. So grateful for all your support.

If you wanted to donate, don’t feel bad! We still need money to buy food for our common table dinner in the park, Saturday night. Love and grace!

]]> http://radicalloveproject.com/2009/08/an-urgent-need-120/feed/ 0 http://radicalloveproject.com/2009/07/not-a-homeless-ministry/ http://radicalloveproject.com/2009/07/not-a-homeless-ministry/#comments Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:02:34 +0000 Angela http://radicalloveproject.com/?p=132 I get asked sometimes whether this is a “homeless outreach” — more often, it’s just assumed. Or that it’s a project to “feed the homeless” in Eugene. While we could be called a ministry without a home, we are not at all a “homeless ministry”.

Our agenda is not to feed anybody, and it’s not to solve the problems of the folks we meet who don’t have houses. Our task is to grow in love.

In doing that, we do share food, and we do help solve problems. Friends do that for each other. We solve problems and share food with our rich friends, too. We aren’t “feeders” or “solutions.”

I want to be especially clear: loving people is not about picking out some special group of “disadvantaged” or “victimized” people, and loving them. Everyone is hurting, and everyone is worthy of love.

Here are some ways people have been hurt:

• Some have been born poor, to drug-addicted parents, and have lived outside since they ran away at age 11.
• Some have been abused, and never known, until now, that they could escape.
• Some have been rich, and felt scared of losing it and guilty for having it, and unworthy of love.
• Some have been so afraid of their world breaking down that they became defensive and angry.
• Some have been told God hates them because they’re gay.
• Some have been kicked out of church for not fitting in.
• Some have come to this point in life believing that God can hate someone.
• Some know no other way to solve problems than to become violent or judgmental.
• Some have taken a life, and have to live with that knowledge.
• Some do things every day that hurt them or other people, and don’t know how to stop.

(That last one may apply to everyone. It certainly applies to me.)

You don’t have to be homeless to be broken and in need of love and grace. And you — no matter who you are, you have value. Whether you’re homeless or housed, angry or gentle, judgmental or a saint. Whether you’re a monk, a sex-worker, a middle manager, or someone who commits violent acts for a living, you have value.

• You sometimes find hope when things seem very dark.
• You get inspired… maybe it’s when you see a sunset over the river, or a beautiful building.
• Your heart sings… maybe when you see a baby laugh, or feel the sun on your skin, or hear a bird.
• You get scared… and you want to feel safe.
• You get lonely… and you want human connection.

Everyone is welcome at this table. No exceptions.

]]> http://radicalloveproject.com/2009/07/not-a-homeless-ministry/feed/ 2 http://radicalloveproject.com/2009/05/fishes-and-loaves/ http://radicalloveproject.com/2009/05/fishes-and-loaves/#comments Sat, 30 May 2009 17:41:05 +0000 Angela http://radicalloveproject.com/?p=111 We’re going to the park today to hang with our peeps. This week, we’re not sure where our own grocery money will come from, so we’re going in empty handed. We’ll take what we have at home, but it will be meager.

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” — Phillipians, Message style

I love that! The reminder helps me sometimes. And, to be honest, I’m not worried.

It’s not about the food. Each time we go, it’s about the loving attention, the reminder of grace. But the food is nice, too.

This week, I’m inviting you to share some of your fishes with us. If you feel called to help, we’ll use whatever donations we get to provide for our friends who live outside.

]]> http://radicalloveproject.com/2009/05/fishes-and-loaves/feed/ 1