Assertive, Directive, Hospitable - a posture to welcome Transient Guests

The Mary Tyler Moore house in Minneapolis, MN. Mary was incredibly hospitable, and had to learn to lean into Assertive and Directive, for her own good, and the good of others. 

In a recent conversation, I shared about an increase in transient guests we have experienced at the church I serve. The increase is expected to be temporary, and it is primarily the result law enforcement razing homeless camps. As a church staff we asked, what should our posture be? We developed the posture - Assertive, Directive, Hospitable - drawing upon the fullness of scripture and the wisdom of the saints. 

In the flow of the discussion, my fellow conversationalist asked, "have you shared this with anyone outside of your team? I like the concept, but have never heard of it."    

"No," I replied. "But I will."

For what it is worth, here is a working draft, with places for you to fill in resources in your neighborhood.  

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Assertive Directive Hospitality

Assertive:

- take the initiative to greet people on campus 

- take the lead in conversations, in setting the pace of interactions

        - while initiating, carry with you a non-anxious presence - we are not in a hurry, we are available

Directive:

- as a staff member you have access to resources that may be helpful to a person who is looking for some direction or help; discern in the conversation how and where to direct a guest

- if a person needs a place to stay - you can direct to an emergency shelter

1) 

                2)

                3) 

  - If a person is loitering, impeding the access of others, or being disruptive, you have direct discretion to ask people to move along, and/or make a call to 911

Hospitable:

- if a person is looking for food - share an "on foot" food package with them, created by the Food Pantry

- if a person needs a bottle of water - share it with them - you will find water available ___________

- if a person needs a restroom . . . (use your best judgment) ... you may direct them to              (a specific)             restroom 

        - if a person needs a place to pray, we have that available in many spaces

Boundaries:

- if you feel uncomfortable or in danger, be assertive, directive, and breath

- work with an awareness of where fellow co-workers are located; let someone else know what and where you will be and for how long . . . don’t fly solo.

- if you are alone on campus or in the building, we advise against deep engagement

If you wrestle with how to engage while retaining a semblance of boundaries according to the tenor of Jesus, you should be aware that the early church wrestled with the same questions. In a brief resource titled, The Didache (the teaching of the 12 apostles), composed about 100ad, the early church began to rely on the following practice:

CHAPTER 12 - Traveling Christians (http://www.thedidache.com)

1 Let everyone who "comes in the Name of the Lord" be received; but when you have tested him you shall know him, for you shall have understanding of true and false.   

2 If he who comes is a traveller, help him as much as you can, but he shall not remain with you more than two days, or, if need be, three.

3 And if he wishes to settle among you and has a craft, let him work for his bread. 

4 But if he has no craft provide for him according to your understanding, so that no man shall live among you in idleness because he is a Christian. 

5 But if he will not do so, he is making traffic of Christ; beware of such.

With the Eyes of a Foreigner

 1 Peter 1.1 - This letter is from Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. I am writing to God’s chosen people who are living as foreigners in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.

1 Peter 2.11 - Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners”

       A week ago I had the privilege of taking part in an intellectual retreat in Grand Rapids, MI. The retreat centered on the development of religious liberty in America, and it utilized texts written by colonists and founders from 1610 to 1815. Included in the text were sermons, letters, drafts and final pieces of early state constitutions, notes from constitutional debate, and Supreme Court reflections. 

    The reading was invigorating and insightful. The discussion was engaging and robust. At the conclusion of a couple of sessions, one and one-half hours in length, participants celebrated with applause at the end of our time, not for its conclusion, but as prize fighters pleased with that round and ready for more. 

    The discussion did not stay on the texts themselves. Engaging with the texts often brought modern concerns that were embedded in the text. There were times when the conversation was hopeful and there were moments of despair. A trademark of most Americans is our capacity to despair about the state of the country, regardless of political affiliation. We are united in despairing that the 'more perfect union' has yet to achieve its goal. 

    One of the beautiful aspects of the retreat was the inclusion of 'temporary residents and foreigners,' to use a line from the Apostle Peter. At least 1/4 of the participants were foreign born. They came with perspective insights, superb questions, and an appreciation for the prospect of the American experiment, not only as it was in the text of old, but what it offers to the world at this very minute. 

    Reflecting on the hopefulness and appreciation of those who were not born here, and their ability to see with the eyes of a foreigner, their thoughts sent me back into history, past Tocqueville's Democracy in America (1835), to the writings of Saint Peter and the Prophet Jeremiah. Saint Peter called the church he wrote to as 'God's chosen people, living as foreigners.' Peter did not have in mind just one state of being a 'foreigner' but two. The recipients he addressed were most likely not Roman citizens, but neither were they citizens of other earthly kingdoms; they belonged to the Kingdom of Heaven. 

    In Jeremiah's writing, chapter 29.5-7, the people in exile were told to:

“Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”    

They were to invest in the place they lived. Some would call this the task of putting down roots, even as their hearts longed for a restoration of Jerusalem. How does one do this? How does one put down roots and retain the eyes and heart of a foreigner? How does one pine for a place that was, or a place that is to come, and invest in the moment and love the place you find yourself in? 

    I suggest, we who have seldom or never been outside our own borders have much to learn from those who live everyday as 'temporary residents and foreigners.' The eyes of the foreigner can see what we take for granted. They eyes of a foreigner has an eye for what is possible. The eyes of a foreigner imagines how they can plant gardens, and invest, even while pining for a different place. Since it was a foreigner God made covenant with in Abraham, we might say it's in the eyes of a foreigner that we can perceive 'the earth is the Lord's' (Psalms 24.1). This frees us to appreciate, to wonder, to celebrate, to rejoice, to invest, and to pine - for the place where we are, and where our hearts long to be. 

    

   

Livestock Auction, a cultural event on MLK day

This morning on NPR (national public radio) there was a lot of talk about how people were going to be observing or not observing Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Serge attends Mt. Pleasant High School and they had the day off.  One of the places I told him early on in his stay that he would need to visit is the livestock auction in St. Louis, Michigan.  I prepared him and Moses and Asa that we'd head down to the auction for a little culture today.
The first part of this culture on a day like today is knowing how to dress to survive in the cold.  They dressed in snow gear, I dressed in the requisite insulated carhart gear.  The first stage for the auction is the outside portion where the items for sale include hay and straw bales and firewood.  After about 15 minutes the tugs started on my arms - the boys wanted some shelter from the cold.
We acquired a tip that the hog and lamb barn might be a warmer venue.  We were off.  Opening several doors we found our way to an alley way where we could look at the hogs that had been brought to market.  Serge was surprised to see the flock of barn swallows that inhabited and ruled the air without any real regard to humans or hogs within the shelter.
After looking at hogs we made our way to a familiar scene in any good auction barn - the catwalk.  Like a catwalk in a theater that allows one to walk over the stage, a catwalk in an auction house is usually accessible from the auction ring and it extends out over the holding pens to allow all interested parties an opportunity to inspect the animals that have been brought in for sale.  We saw baby calves, young feeder calves, cows and fat steers.  I pointed to the cows and said to the boys, "Next time you'll see them is at McDonalds."  OK, maybe not at McDonald's, but they are the largest retailer of beef in America and a cow brought to the auction on Monday is headed for the hamburger line.
Looking at the cows Serge said, "You know what I want, I want a big steak."
"Hungry, eh," I said.  "Let's go to grab some lunch."
Just about every auction barn I've visited has a restaurant somewhere on the grounds.  We stopped into "The Cattleman's Cafe."  There were a few tables available.  We picked a 6 seater because we anticipated Roger Brookens, a guy from our church, and a friend of his were going to join us.  Before long the manager who was the only wait person came by.  She brought us water and welcomed us.  She was especially nice to the boys.  Before long the order was in.  The four of us had some kind of burger.  Serge has discovered a real appreciation for McDonald's Angus burgers.  After he finished his burger there I asked, "how does it compare?"  He indicated that they were both very good.
Serge had a slide of coleslaw, a first for him, and Asa had a side of onion rings, a first for him.  Both of them downed them.  Serge said after eating  the coleslaw that it reminded him of fare he would have had in Kazakhstan (the land of his birth).  He's observed that more of the food in America seems to have similarities with food in Kazakhstan than it does in his present home in Germany.  
Roger asked if we liked the sign that read "Welcome to the Roadkill Cafe. You kill it, we'll grill it."?   Of course we liked it.  That's part of the culture we were taking in and engaging in, a salt of the earth humor that deals with  reality. 
Before we left the cafe I encouraged the boys to have a piece of pie.  I noted that this might be the only time we'd be by this way while Serge is staying in America.  He responded by saying I could get him out of school anytime to bring him to St. Louis for lunch and a visit to the stockyards.
It was time to watch the beginning of the auction.
As we climbed our way to the top of the auction arena and looked for seats we discovered that other people had a similar idea.  The chairs that an hour earlier were empty were now all taken.  We found a wide ledge to take a seat upon.
After a few minutes the auctioneer welcomed us with a less than inspiring speech on MLK day.  He noted that those who were present didn't seem to be observing the day.  "Here at Producers, you'll find us open today and just about every other made up holiday like Memorial Day, Labor Day.  About the only day you'll find us closed is Christmas, and then it's hard." 
Every culture has its positive contribution and its less than commendable attributes.  The sentiment expressed, in my perspective, a continuing animosity in race relations that is saddening. On this day, when we're asked to remember a man who had a dream of all of God's children choosing to make judgments on character instead of skin color, it remains evident that there are plenty of pockets where the color of ones skin is the preferred course of commentary, assessment, and determining if we can live in community.
What is needed here and in every culture is the witness, call and life of Jesus and His church. Only He can save us from our prejudice and scapegoating of others so that we might be at and be at rest with ourselves and others.

With the introduction completed, the cattle began rolling into the sale ring.  We saw calves sell at $1.00 a pound down to 40 cents a pound.  Every time I'm in a setting like this I see cattle that my dad would do well with and I've always got a little temptation to raise my hand.  Thank the Lord for saner thoughts and the assurance of Anna that I had better not. 


After several head had come and gone it was time to address other events of the day.  As we were walking to the van I asked Serge what he thought.  He gave the sign of two thumbs up.  Another slice of life in America had been encountered.  It was beautiful, it was ugly, it is in need of redemption, it is being redeemed.        
  

A Tale of Three Kings

Jesus said, "You have heard that it was said, 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'  But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer.  But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile; go also the second mile." - Matthew 5.38-40

In Gene Edwards drama centered on the story of David, Saul and Absalom (A Tale of Three Kings) these line reflect Jesus' teaching:

Joab:  Why David?  Why did you not end these years of misery?  He (Saul) is mad!  And God is no longer with him.  And David, he will yet kill you!" 

David:  Better he kill me than I learn his ways.  Better he kill me than I become as he is.  I shall not practice the ways that cause kings to go mad.  I will not throw spears, nor will I allow hatred to grow in my heart.  I will not avenge.  I will not destroy the Lord's anointed.  Not now.  Not ever."