O Lord, please, please, please give me the strength to be wise and kind and charitable.
Let me be understanding of the fears in the room, allow me to make allowances for words mis-spoken and unkindnesses unintended.
We were considering the need for a women鈥檚 shelter in Duncan. To be fair, few of the people present denied the need. Most, however, were adamant in denying the location.
鈥淎 blight upon the neighbourhood鈥� said one long time stalwart pillar of the community. Scion of a local political family. 鈥淕ood work happening inside, but we don鈥檛 need any of what it brings on the outside.鈥�
鈥淐onsider the children,鈥� said the Executive Director of the Daycare sharing a parking lot with the closed school the shelter would occupy. 鈥淗ow can we put them at risk? Needles, congestion, potential damage to staff vehicles鈥hat would they see? How could we guard against it? Why did no one come to talk to us about a plan?鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 all in favour of helping the homeless,鈥� said a local counsellor, 鈥渕y wife and I made sure some of them had food and toiletries when they were burned out of their apartment. But really, this is not the place for them. They should be at the other shelter. I talked to the executive director there and he said he鈥檚 not aware of any women who feel unsafe coming there.鈥�
鈥淗omeless people have a voice,鈥� said one dad 鈥渕y kids don鈥檛. Don鈥檛 get me wrong, I鈥檓 a first nations man, I understand abuse and residential schools and all of that. But those people don鈥檛 belong in my neighbourhood. Our kids need to be protected from them. Kids don鈥檛 know right from wrong. We do.鈥�
鈥淚 have total sympathy for those people,鈥� said one woman, 鈥淚鈥檝e lived in this neighbourhood for years. Worked hard to have my house. I want more work done on another location before we start giving away space in the neighbourhood to people who won鈥檛 work as hard as I did.鈥�
Lord give me strength to say the right thing. Help me to find the words that inspire, that urge to transcendence that bring relationship and love into the room.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about the kids. We have 5 daycares, an online school, a mental health group home, a vulnerable seniors facility, we don鈥檛 need this. Our kids don鈥檛 need this.鈥�
I failed.
I should have reached out, and I tried. But part way in I lost my way and began asking what kind of world they鈥檇 decided their kids should see. The world where homeless abused women, afraid to go to a shelter where the men were not noted for stability could be condemned to rain-soaked huddles by the side of the road? A world where their children understood that they too would be, could be, undervalued, scorned, dirt on the edge of the pavement? A world without shelter, where even a tent is a deniable 鈥榣uxury鈥�. Where homeless folk, driven from parks and pavement are forced to seek shelter in carports, crawlspaces, sheds, dumpsters and unlocked vehicles?
Yep,I tried hard to make the case for love on Monday in Duncan council chambers.
The vote went against the shelter. The neighbours cheered.
Still angry a day later, I was brought up short by Luke 10:29. The lawyer鈥檚 question to Jesus after being forced to admit that loving your neighbour is second only to loving God.
鈥淲anting to justify himself, he asked Jesus 鈥榃ho is my neighbour?鈥欌�� I ask myself 鈥� 鈥淲ho am I in the story?鈥�
Keith Simmonds is in ministry at Duncan United Church, where folk are engaged in seeking justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with the Creator. He blogs at聽.
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog. Spiritually Speaking,
Photo of baseball cap by聽听辞苍听
