God Among Us

“So don't be intimidated by them. God, your God, is among you—God majestic, God awesome.” –Deuteronomy 7:21, The Message

Today, I picked up a dear young friend and took him to the Project Y!MBY (Yes! In My Backyard) Homeless Connect Day. Studying Torah for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah, Sam wanted to come and serve in preparation for his bridge to adulthood. He shared with me that he will be reading out of Deuteronomy on his big day, so we turned to it before heading over to the event.

It was an amazing day. Some of our current Dwellers and Discern-ers were also there helping too, and we were instructed to escort homeless individuals from table to table to make sure they had the opportunity to have all of their needs met. For some, this was legal assistance, others health, others emergency shelter and many others needed help with getting proper identification. I thought the verses from Deuteronomy above were particularly pertinent, as this day was about seeing the goodness and awesome face of God amongst one another. There was plenty to be intimidated about: bringing my young Jewish friend to our Presbyterian Church; taking him to a huge event with a variety of homeless peoples; reaching out and getting to know those people and their stories; even more. And yet, God is so awesome, so majestic, so powerful. Sam connected with a young mother who recently lost custody of her children but was determined to get her papers in order and her health concerns squared away so that her family could reunite. Sam stayed with her all afternoon, and it was a delight to learn that the two of them shared the same birthday. This mother also enthusiastically offered many tips for my upcoming fatherhood, placing distinct emphasis on reminding me that my wife should avoid salt as much as possible so her feet don’t hurt and swell in the third trimester. An exchange of humanity, of grace, the image of God. Building bridges through service and through relationship, the power of God. Reaching across faith backgrounds, across age differences, across economic and racial differences, God helped us all shake hands and share stories. What a day. Amen.

And then we learn about Michael Jackson’s sudden death, ironically, as we are helping folks along the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sam and I had already spoken of how there are so many homeless teens in Hollywood, due, in large part, to the flocks of kids who come for fame and fortune and are overwhelmed by the competition. Michael Jackson, world famous before his age hit double digits, symbolized so much of what inspires that pilgrimage. Yet the superstar’s constant lament was that he never was able to have true friends, never able to truly trust. He wanted to remain in that youthfulness, that moment in his life when it was all glory and innocent joy. A man who had many houses, but did Michael Jackson have a home? Praying that he found some joy and love in his last years here on earth. And praying that this large crowd of “house-less” people were able, at least in some small but important way, to find a sense of home in the safety and compassion offered by the many volunteers today.

I’ll close with some recent photos from the garden, taken by Dweller Alison. Again, many said this garden might not work because of issues with shade or soil or sun. But prayer and community have a great way of working around the concerns that might intimidate and hinder us. And better are we for finding that kind of trust and willingness to try.

Blessings to you all, and if “you wanna be startin’ something,” may I humbly suggest you first take a look around you and see all the many ways good things are already in motion, how God is already at work.

Matthew