I've been kinda lax in writing recently. I guess every writer goes through a stage like that every once in a while.
Some friends of ours recommended a book to me several months ago. It was The Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. I was taken by the book and the things Shane and his community of believers were doing in Philadelphia. I was afraid to write too much about what I was challenged by because I wasn't living it. I mean, Shane has taken the Gospel to one of the roughest neighborhoods of Philly.
Shane is a radical, raised in eastern TN (I already liked him because of that). He felt called to those without an advocate in the poor section of Philly. He had attended Eastern University and been impacted by other radicals like Tony Campollo. He's also gotten his fingers into the Mennonite community because of their theology (but not necessarily their practice) of a simple life.
At Thanksgiving I talked to Ben about Shane and his work and he encouraged me to look them up and go spend some time hanging out with them. I found the website and began a correspondence with Grace Young and her husband Michael. They hail from Lancaster County but if I blink my eyes they remind me a lot of the 70's hippies I saw in my youth.
I finally made my first trip down there a few weeks ago and again this week to help them out with some building projects. They own 9 properties in the Kensington neighborhood of north Philly. It's street after street of small 3 BR, 1 Bath row houses. Very tight streets and several burned out or boarded up houses on each street. I helped Michael with a few plumbing issues the first time but didn't get much time to chat.
This week when I went down to work I was joined by a father and his two college aged kids from Cincinnati. They came to check out the ministry and volunteer. The son had read Shane's book and passed it on to his Dad. They helped me remove some walls in the row house serving as the office of The Simple Way to open up the space and make it more useable for their meetings. There's a lot more I'd like to do there but I need to find the time.
What is The Simple Way doing? They are living right among those they are seeking to serve and love. They have bought up several properties to make available for rentals. They take in community service workers that have been referred by the courts. They clean up their street, hang out with the kids, provide food for families that need some help, give clothes to the poor, hand out school supplies at the beginning of the school year to the local kids.
Yesterday, there was also a group of Jewish kids who volunteered to help clean up the lot where a factory once stood that had burned out several years ago. In the fire event one of TSW houses was destroyed. That lot is now converted to green space for others to enjoy. The lot being cleaned up is owned by the city and TSW is hoping to plant some stuff there to add some greenery to the neighborhood.
Before the volunteers had arrived to the vacant lot I brought over a truck load of debris from the office to be dumped in the dumpster. As I started to throw stuff into the dumpster a fellow came running down the block yelling to me to get my attention. He thought maybe I was using TSW's dumpster for my personal trash. I later met the good neighbor, Manuel. He is a card and he takes pride in what they are doing in his neighborhood. He is a positive force in that neighborhood as well.
What do people really need? Friends. Ones who will love them, hang out with them and bless their lives. I blessed the community verbally as I worked there this week. I blessed the love of TSW group who is there putting a foot in the door of inner city Philly. They want to impact their world. They are living simply and loving much.
There's a part of me that could get caught up in what they are doing. I enjoyed so much the interaction I had with people there in the neighborhood. I got familiar with finding my way around. I am overwhelmed by how much needs to be done in the neighborhood. It takes way more people than I can represent by myself. But it has to start somewhere.
Pat is having an impact in her classes at Pequea Valley High School. I'm touching a few in Philly. Others are impacting children in NYC. Who are you loving today? Is there someone you have overlooked that needs some of your attention? Would you like to go with me to Philly some time?
Oh, by the way, I did get to meet Shane. He's cool...because he talks with the right accent from TN (not Philly).
