Reflecting on Home
In the classic movie version of “The Wizard of Oz”, Dorothy discovered after her adventure that “There’s no place like home.” What does the word “home” connote for you? What would it mean for you, then, to become “homeless”? List a few of the things you would lose (in addition to the obvious) if you lost your housing.
Take a few moments to pray for those who do not have a home and for those who are in the process of losing their home. Also pray that God will use our Compact, 40 Days for Shelter, to do a new work in your heart and to lead you to take action on behalf of others. Finally, pray for the others that are entering the Compact at Kimball Avenue Church, Faith Church in Lancaster, PA, and across the nation.
The first “rule” of the Lenten Compact is “give up making unnecessary home improvement, furniture or home decor purchases (either at a store or online)”. Do you think that will be easy or difficult for you? What (if any) additional steps such as not decorating for holidays, turning down your heat or vacating a room are you choosing? Suggestion: tell someone else who is participating in the Compact what actions you are taking and ask them to hold you accountable.
Tongue on Fire 
I thought it was going to be easy. My wife and I have a lot of blank walls in our home that we’ve talked about decorating with art from local artists. So far, we haven’t found the things we like (or can afford). Then, WHAM!. Today, I get an email from CB2 advertising a big sale on architecture photography by a Chicago artist. If you know me, you know I love architecture and b/w photography. And it’s local. And artists need support. Temptation is tailor-made. What did Jesus do when he was tempted? Quote Scripture. I gotta find a verse about architectural photography. Any suggestions?
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Bummer, Pastor Ray! This may not be the time for you to find the perfect architectural photograph to make your home more beautiful to you. It’s okay to feel the sting; it sucks a little. I tutor at a homeless shelter for women once a week; beauty is a part of home they have to forego. Institutional function is the aesthetic of the place: linoleum tile and concrete block. Churches have adopted rooms, buying furniture and decor to make the shared spaces a little more pleasant, but it lacks the heart of hearth and home. When a person is homeless, or at risk of losing a home, she loses the delight of investing a sense of ownership and pleasure into a place, of making it hers and her family’s. She subsists in a place, rather than living in it. Why buy the rug or picture, why love the room, when you will lose it? So you can empathize a little better now, allowing yourself to feel the sting of letting go of that perfect picture.
To personalize my lenten compact, because I have neither the budget right now nor the sense of style to grieve foregoing home decor, I’ve decided to give something that always makes me feel at home. Reading. I love to sit with hot tea and a good book. So for every book I finish this lent, I’ll donate a book to the women I see on Thursdays. And for every book my kiddos read, or we read together, I’ll donate a children’s book. Come to think of it, I probably better donate some good tea too. Sometimes, to feel at home, something smaller than a home can suffice if it offers a moment lost in a personal pleasure.
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Andy and I found the material useful to have a good discussion. We talked about the stuff that we would miss and how devastating it would be not to have the comforts of home. In fact, everything we are doing to stay healthy would be in jeopardy. Being homeless to us could mean the end of the road.
We talked about the decorating business. I’ve done extremely minor stuff in the house as we lean towards spring and away from Christmas, but I’m happy to say I haven’t had to buy anything new. We decided on an amount that we would contribute to the fund every week no matter what. But, we quickly expanded our discussion to what else could we do.
Lately I saw these stats in an article: one in seven houses are empty in America? One in 402 persons is homeless. That equates to 24 homes per homeless person? What’s wrong with this picture? Both Andy and I feel that we must speak publicly – take a stand out loud – about the wrongness of homelessness.
We want to work more for Occupy Palm Sunday. I’d be willing to write a press release, but need some collectivization. We have to move on this if we want to get any coverage. Andy and I would be willing to make up signs like “Money for low-income housing, not war.” Etc. You get the picture.
Feedback please?
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