Theological Reflection

It is my belief that there is good in this world, hidden in the darkest of places. There are people without a voice, desperate to be heard and seen instead of shunned in fear, waiting for justice. There are honest, hard-working, family-centered and compassionate people who are pre-judged for living a certain neighborhood where it is thought that only evil can exit. And there are youth who watch the same circle of violence, hatred and despair continue day after day, with no shred of hope for a future life on the outside. It is these people who are forgotten and ignored by most and for who I am called to serve.

I’ve always felt out of place in my hometown and that I was born in the wrong setting. More comfortable in the city than in the suburbs, I looked to different cultures that surrounded me to satisfy my curiosity for the outside world when traveling was not economically feasible. I grew to feel a passion for not only at-risk youth in my own city, but realized that there was a whole world with these problems, most ignored by the general population. A fan of documentaries and social journalism, I tutored myself on the poverty-stricken favelas of Brazil, the orphanages of the Ukraine and the street-children of Russia. My heart was broken again and again as I longed for a way to be able to reach out and affect even one life.

As a journalism student, I thought that my voice could only be factual and unbiased. Realizing that there are former journalists and filmmakers out there making an impact through research, travel and writing has inspired me to continue my education to include urban studies, so that when I write for socio-political reasons, I understand the people in which I write about. My journey thus far has consisted of research, study and the child sponsorship of a 5-year old in Brazil, with the hopes of visiting and producing and working on documentaries in various cities around the world. I see myself in research and communication with NGOs, churches and government, along with writing social commentary and producing documentaries to spread knowledge of the world’s crisis situations. The good in this world is worth the risk, fight and criticism one must expect to face in this ministry and to let the public hear the voices of those in need. I base my line of work and ministry in the teachings of Jesus as he called us to serve the young and poor, those in need of more than just charity and without a voice.

As Jesus said in Mark 7:14, “The poor will be with you always.” Indeed, it is the church’s mission not only to fulfill the needs of its own members, but to reach out to the rest of the world, city, neighborhood and block. Too often the church gets caught up in feeding its own and forgets about the outside world. To some, church is just that- a safe haven away from the sins and ugliness of the rest of “them” where they can ignore what’s outside the doors and focus on their own spiritual well-being. Christ wasn’t put on this earth to walk around and be fed spiritually from others. He was here to serve as an example of what a Christian should strive to be- not only living a pure and holy life but to help those in need. Matthew 20:28 says “just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

In today’s modern working world, it is a fact that if you want to get to the top, you have to start at the bottom. As an entry-level college graduate, you are not usually offered the position of CEO when you join a company. Hardly. You have to start at the bottom doing all the dirty work- stapling papers, running errands, copying, and generally just being a slave to the higher powers above you. If it sounds like I’m talking from experience, it’s because I am. Currently, here I am, working on my Masters and some guy with barely an Associates degree but about 20 years my senior throws a pile of papers on my desk and tells me to have them copied and stapled by 3:00 PM this afternoon. In the working world, we know that in order to get a promotion and work our way up the ladder, we have to do all of those boring, menial tasks because, well, everyone had to (well, except maybe the boss’s son but that’s a completely different story). The point is that we do these jobs because we know that we’ll get something out of it later on. But Christ’s call for us to live as servants should teach us just the opposite of the world’s way- serving others requires nothing in return. No rise to fame, power or recognition. Just humble service and proof of God’s love to those who need it the most.

When I told my boss that I was starting in the Urban Studies program at Eastern with the hopes of working in a non-profit organization, the first thing he told me was that I wasn’t “going to make any money.” I bit my tongue with the urge to say, “Well sir, that’s the difference between you and me.” Because obviously one doesn’t go into this line of work or ministry with the intention of making lots of money. There is a specific moment when you realize that there is more to life than working in the corporate world, making a pile of loot and retiring to Florida at age 55. Working with greedy and corrupt people in the daily rat race is no longer desirable and you realize that in order to find greatness in God’s kingdom, “the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the one who serves” (Luke 22:26).

There are several reasons why servanthood in the Lord’s name is often corrupted. Humans, by nature, always feel the pressure to be the best, biggest and brightest. Even those with good intentions can be blinded by selfish reasoning and the desire for recognition. It’s only natural to want to feel praise for something that you’ve done well. But at what point do you start doing things for other people with the intention that you will gain recognition? When does it no longer become about the person that you are supposed to be serving, but instead about you and you alone? There is the “selfish giver”– the person who serves in order to make themselves feel better about their own life. They gain personal satisfaction from the work that they do and that becomes the basis of their work. Sure, they like helping people and stuff, but mainly they do it because it helps them feel good about themselves, that they’re not such a horrible person after all and that they can cross a goal off of their “to do” list.

Not only does God call us to serve, but he calls us to serve the poor. This is a group of people who are routinely cast aside in life, even by Christians. They are looked at as a problem that needs solving and charity and not as a group of people who need love and care. It is not uncommon for a church to raise thousands of dollars to help starving children in Africa or tsunami victims in Indonesia but will balk at the thought of paying for a homeless shelter in the city less than 20 minutes away. It is almost as if the poor in our town are not looked at as real people, but rather as “cases”. God commands us in Proverbs 31:8 to “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.” He has blessed us with the comforts of life and in return asks us to help others who are not so lucky. Who are we to forget about and ignore someone because they have less material possessions than us? Just because a person does not drive an SUV or own as many pairs of shoes as we do does not make them less of a person to God. 1 John 3:17 says “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?”

And to serve to the poor, we must go to where they live- urban areas. Cities. Not that poor people don’t live out in the countryside or even in the suburbs, but the most congested poor areas are in the inner city. I love the city, the culture it has to offer and the diverse people. But I’ll admit, I haven’t spent much time in the ghetto. It scares me, not because I think every person is out to harm me, but it’s the fear of the unknown, of the “what if?” Let’s face it, some parts of the city are just NOT safe for a 23 year-old white female but that doesn’t mean that I can’t help in some way. Even when walking to the parking lot at 10th and Wallace, the professors warn you to stay in groups. I can’t move to Compton and expect to be taken seriously, let alone make an impact. But I can do things that use my strengths to try and make a difference for people living in the roughest neighborhoods.

There are over 300 verses in the Bible on being a servant in God’s name. But just because we are called to serve does not mean that we have to stand on a street corner handing out bowls of soup. There are many ways to serve God’s people that aren’t just through community volunteering. During our residency, we heard from all types of people who are serving and ministering in many different settings. They were both inspiring and refreshing. Salt World is a group of extremely talented actors, singers and dancers who take their urban ministry directly to the streets. They give hope to the people of the neighborhood where they perform and offer them ways to get in touch with a church or mentor. William Branch uses his hip-hop music and roots to minister to the inner-city residents who can relate to him. He shows them that they can love God and still be true to themselves. Maher Salhani ministers to his people as well and I must admit, I would be hard pressed to try and minister to a Muslim. He’s got a tough job, that’s for sure, but he does it with vigor and enthusiasm. And even though Sandra Rivera works in the government precinct, she still manages to show Christ’s love and compassion to the victim’s families that she deals with. All of these people have chosen to integrate their ministry and servanthood into their 9-5 job and it seems like they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Because, in the end, I think that God’s plan for us is to worship and serve Him in our day to day lives. Sure, taking a mission’s trip every once and a while is great. You get a chance to see another part of the country (or world) and meet a whole new set of people. You come away feeling spiritually recharged and ready for anything. But being able to minister to everyone around you, in your job, neighborhood or city every day is truly a blessing. We are so used to separating church from our jobs that we waste tons of precious hours where we could be doing God’s will. Having to make the effort to minister is hard. But after trying at it for a while, it should become second nature. And if you’re like me, who isn’t the preachin’ type, Christ’s love should be apparent through the way you do your job and treat those around you.

Which brings me to my next question. What about those who aren’t as outgoing and talkative with strangers or coworkers? Can they still reach out to others? I say yes. While the majority of leaders are outspoken and charismatic spitters, (i.e. Tony Campolo) there are plenty of people behind the scenes doing just as much. I find myself in this category. Writing has always been my passion, not speaking or pounding the pavement. I’m not much of an idle chit-chatter and prefer to get my message and meaning across simply and through the written word. Although I don’t claim to be the next great American novelist, I do feel that writing comes with a lot more ease to me than a math test or science project. Throughout the years, my interests have grown to include film and web design, all things that reach masses of people and can impact the world with a message. Since I’m so specialized in my skills and interests, it can be difficult finding an organization that I can work with as a career. There are two ways that I could make a documentary- one would be with grants and private funding and the other would be to partner with or work for a production company. It’s hard to know where to start. I assume it involves writing lots of letters and begging on doorsteps. But it’s something that interests me and something that I will try to achieve in my time here on earth.

We’re all unique, each with our own individual mission and meaning for life. If the world was full of outgoing, talkative leaders then there wouldn’t be anyone to listen. If everyone decided that urban ministry was their call, then there wouldn’t be anyone to help in rural areas. There’s a reason why we’re all different and that’s so we can balance each other out, feed off of each other and learn from one another. With so many distinct calls and missions, the possibilities really are infinite.