Today’s message has two unrelated topics. The first has to do with a concern on our church campus; the second is about a theme that we will follow in worship and beyond, during the month of October.
For many reasons, the bus depot on the other side of San Joaquin Hills Road has long been a way station for persons who are homeless. Because of that, we often get homeless persons who might approach the church during the week, asking if we distribute bus passes or simply looking for a comfortable spot to escape the heat, charge their phone, etc. Our encounters with these visitors are usually brief and cordial, although there have been a handful of exceptions during my time here. And, on occasion, someone will enjoy the comforts of our buildings, the company of our people, and the taste of our food quite a bit and keep returning. That is largely a positive thing. But, it raises some concerns as well.
Many homeless persons – as a cause or an effect or a cycle of both – live with mental illness. That is why housing the homeless is a far more complex matter than finding an empty apartment or offering rent subsidy. And – depending on the degree of the illness – it can make it difficult to be in community together. I’m using a lot of qualifiers because these kinds of generalized observations are often used unfairly against persons with mental illness, and I don’t want to contribute to that unfairness. But, taking mental illness seriously is necessary if we want to safely, compassionately, and effectively be in community with our homeless neighbors. So, let me offer three questions that might help us find paths that are safe, compassionate, and effective.
1. Is someone acting inappropriately? We have had persons who have not respected either the people or the property here. In that case, the staff addresses it directly and usually the behavior changes. Sometimes it takes a while, especially if the person involved is a member of the church. If the behavior does not change, we may either insist that they leave the property or we may get the help of the Newport Beach Police, but we do address it directly. Please report any inappropriate behavior to the staff and we will respond to it the best we can.
2. Is someone threatening? Even if someone is not actually doing something inappropriate, some actions can be intimidating – such as when someone is on the property as a single person arrives alone to prepare for an event, or someone whose presence on the patio is okay, but whose presence up near the preschool is not. “Threat” is always a judgment call, full of gray areas. But, here is the key: If you feel threatened by the presence of someone on the campus, please tell the staff. You need to be able to participate in the worship and work of the church without feeling threatened. So, it matters and we will try to respond appropriately.
3. Is someone discomforting? This is a little different from the second question above. If someone lacks access to customary practices of hygiene or if their behavior is erratic, but not inappropriate – it can be discomforting. We want to maintain the difference between being uncomfortable and being threatened, because someone who causes us discomfort may be exposing flaws within our society or prejudices within ourselves. But, again, these are gray areas and I encourage you to err on the side of caution. So, even if you are unsure of whether you are feeling uncomfortable or threatened, talk to the staff. We do not have perfect answers either, but we will try to respond appropriately.
If there is no staff present and you feel threatened, do not hesitate to call the police. They handle these matters very well. For emergencies call 911. For non-emergencies, call the NB Police main number 949-644-3681 or Officer Tony Yim, the liaison with the homeless community: 949-432-0240.
On the whole, the people who are St. Mark do a marvelous job in practicing hospitality to those who typically experience hostility. It is the way of Christ. At the same time, we are responsible to one another and your staff is here to help us make the critical decisions that allow us to be a welcoming place. We take that role very seriously.
And now our second topic: During the month of October, we will be following the theme with the hashtag #TheWorldWhereItHappens. We will study the church in Antioch, whose story is in Acts 11, and through that we will have assignments to go out during the week and to look for places where we discover the kin-dom of God taking place in the world. So, get those cameras and phones ready to capture some glimpses of the kin-dom of God and share them with each other. I’ll show you how next week as we turn our eyes toward #TheWorldWhereItHappens.
Mark of St. Mark
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