ruf'n it on rocky top: March 2011

“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare." (Jeremiah 29:4-7 ESV)

Where to begin? It was a very long, but very exciting and life-changing week in Chicago with Sunshine Gospel Ministries. The trip with Tennessee RUF didn't wind up panning out, however, my old RUF group from Samford was going the same week. They were kind enough to let me jump in with them, and what a week it was!

We (Samford) were there with other RUF groups from UT-Chattanooga and Birmingham Southern, as well as two other groups from Bethel University and Indiana University. We were participating in Sunshine's Bridge Builders Week. You can read a fantastic description of Bridge Builders here. In short, it's a short-term missions program where groups come to Chicago not just to serve, but ultimately to learn. In addition to work projects, there is teaching on a biblical perspective on the poor as well as other special experiences to enhance and accompany the teaching. These experiences included a tour of Pacific Garden Mission, Meal Share (going out into the city in teams of 2 with an extra bag lunch, with the purpose of sitting down and eating with a homeless person), and the "El" Experience (riding from one side of the city to the other on Chicago's "El" train, with the purpose of striking up friendly conversations with whomever wound up sitting next to us.) The combination of the excellent teaching with these experiences led to a life-changing, transformational week.

One lesson that stuck with me was when Sunshine's director, Joel Hamernick, led us in discussion about causes for poverty. We all volunteered reasons, which we noticed him grouping into 3 unlabeled categories on the white board. He then labeled one category "tragedy." This included death of a family member, loss of a job, natural disaster, etc. The next category he labeled "personal sin." This included drug and alcohol addiction, crime, laziness, etc. The final category only had 2 reasons that had been offered up, much smaller than the others. He labeled this one "injustice and oppression." We were realized that most of our reasons for poverty had been in the tragedy or personal sin realm. The only ones given for oppression had even been individual instances (like abuse and abandonment). We learned that as members of a cultural majority (especially in America), we rarely see injustice and oppression that is systemic rather than specific or individualized. While poverty coming from Tragedy or Personal Sin requires some act for it to occur, we saw that poverty coming from injustice only requires us to go on living naturally, maintaining the status quo.

The biggest lesson we learned was to view every human being as an image-bearer of God. Joel reminded us that "you can't minister effectively to someone you think less of." As image-bearers of God, every human-being deserves to be treated as such. Every person has a story, every person wants to be listened to and understood...every person wants to be treated like a person. Far from seeing ourselves as the "helpers" coming in to help the lowly poor, we had to see ourselves as poor and impoverished, helpless apart from the grace of God. As we took to the streets to sit and eat with the homeless, our mission was simply to engage with them as human-beings, listen to them, see them as image-bearers, perhaps even learn from them.

Throughout the week, we were split up into different work projects in the mornings. Some helped out with remodeling projects around the church that was hosting us (we slept in their gym. it's in the middle of one of Chicago's more dangerous Southside neighborhoods, Woodlawn, and 90% of the congregation is homeless. They are doing a lot in the neighborhood, and we were greatly blessed by their hospitality!). Some helped doing demolition work in another building nearby that would soon be home to a church plant. Some of us went into the schools to help out the teachers and staff, spend time with students, etc. One group went to a public elementary school (Wadsworth), and another group went to Hyde Park High School, where they were also able to talk to students about college and encourage them to continue their schooling.

Our group went to Master's Academy, a small Christian school there in the Woodlawn neighborhood. It only had 32 students in K-8th grades, 4 teachers, a principal, and some volunteers. We were so impressed. The founder of the school had grown up in the neighborhood and managed to graduate high school and attend college. He came back, and by God's grace, defying all naysayers, began a Christian school in one of Chicago's dangerous South side neighborhoods. We were able to help with all kinds of projects around the school (with so few staff, there was plenty to be done from hanging artwork to cleaning the kitchen! we soon realized that when volunteers weren't there, the principal would often have to clean the kitchen herself between breakfast and lunch.) We were also able to spend a lot of time with the students, and they were awesome. It was so encouraging to see their gifts, talents, and individual personalities being nurtured and encouraged by the teachers. These students were being affirmed, encouraged, and loved...and it was evident in their behavior. They were all very well-behaved and ambitious. One 4th grade boy told me he was going to go to MIT! Talking with the 4 middle school boys, I found that one was an excellent classical pianist, another was a extremely gifted (and self-taught) artist, and another was obsessed with the muppets and wanted to be a puppeteer. We also heard a few of them freestyling Christian rap, and couldn't believe our ears how talented they were! It was sobering to realize that so many students in the neighborhood didn't have these same opportunities to be creative, be themselves, be nurtured spiritually, and set their sights on college. However, it was so encouraging to see how God was working through the Master's Academy staff to make a difference in the lives of what students they could. Joel encouraged us all that whether we could make a difference in the lives of 10,000 students (like a social entrepreneur he knew with a plan to build a system of charter schools), 30 students (like Master's Academy), or just 1 student (like a family he knew who took a troubled student into their home, eventually sending her to college)...we could all make a difference.

We learned so much from our experiences in Chicago, and the staff at Sunshine were wonderful. In everything Joel taught us, he showed the upmost humility and winsomeness. He never relied on guilt or manipulation, but rather the gospel. We left feeling inspired and excited rather than browbeaten. True love and concern for others is born out of the gospel...not guilt.

I wish I could write about everything I learned this week, but this post is already so long! I'll say one of the biggest lessons I'm bringing home with me is seeing everyone as an image-bearer of God, someone with a story to tell, someone who longs to know and be known. Having to strike up conversations with total strangers on Chicago's "El" train has shown me I can do that very same thing back here in Knoxville...right here on Tennessee's campus!

Thank you all for your prayers. It was a very exciting week (not to mention exhausting!), and it was great to spend it with some old friends (and new ones) from Samford RUF. It was also great to spend some time in such a beautiful city. Chicago is such a cool place. Like all big cities, it's amazing to see both the utter brokenness of man and man's reflection of God's image juxtaposed in such a magnificent way. We are reminded of our need for redemption as well as the new creation to come, and the vibrant diversity gives us a taste of that new creation. Cities are tragically beautiful, but ultimately hopeful, places.

I will finish up the post now, but of course, there must be pictures...haha. Enjoy. (photo credit for some of the pictures goes to Rachel Freeny! thanks!)

Resting in His Promises,

Stephen