RE: Hoquiam: New Views, Anecdotes, and a Bumblebee Interlude
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The schizo lady certainly poses an odd dilemma for the church. I, too, can see why they would prefer it if she wouldn't change her clothes in the middle of a youth group activity, and resort to banning her from the premises. I can't think of an alternative solution at the moment, however.
I like the photos of the bumble bee and the flower, which looks like a rose to me.
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From Matthew 25:35, 40 (italics mine): For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: ... Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
They could feed, clothe, and provide housing for her.
They could ... but that also would require specialized training to work with her unique needs ... or at least some way to partner with organizations that do. We deal with this at my church to a certain extent ... having to balance the needs of people we are already serving with people who need more advanced care. Most churchgoers are average people with no ability to cope with the aftermath of meth addiction and the presence of serious mental health challenges ... but at my church, we do try to find partnerships to meet the needs we can't.
REMEMBER: Christ is God. There is no possible mental or physical challenge He cannot heal. Average not-God Christians: not so much, and that should be understood ... but average Christians can be challenged to do better. The case of the one you love is a TOUGH ONE for any organization that serves children to handle; what would have been needed was a trained, compassionate specialist to stand in the gap for her at that moment. Immanuel Baptist Church needs to partner up ... but maybe they don't know that, yet. El Bethel Missionary Baptist Church had to learn ... maybe Immanuel can, too.
Yes, absolutely, thank you for contributing your experience. I think that connecting Katt with trained professionals would be a loving, compassionate thing to do, and perfectly in the spirit of what Jesus was teaching in the verse I quoted.
Interacting with the homeless is somewhat new to Immanuel Baptist (and all of us in Hoquiam). Our neighboring city of Aberdeen broke up a tent city of about 100 people a couple years ago, and everyone scattered throughout Aberdeen and Hoquiam. All public organizations (library, restaurants, etc.) are being presented with the challenge of dealing with people who literally have nowhere to go and who have basic human needs that the organizations are really not set up to serve.
Aside from my relationship with Katt, I deal with it at the gas station where I work at night. We aren't supposed to allow loitering; it's my job to move people along or call the cops if they don't. That's the policy, but what is the human thing to do, when it's cold outside and warm in the store, and the only shelter is miles away in Aberdeen and they've already closed their doors for the night? How can I deny a cold person a cup of coffee if they have no money, when there are boxes and boxes of coffee sitting on our shelves? Or what about when they are hungry and shoplift food? Should I call the cops on them?
I have made people go back into the cold, I have denied them coffee, and I have called the cops (though so far not for food shoplifting). To an extent my criticism of the church is projected self-criticism.
I certainly can't deny the complexity of issues that Katt presents for the church. I just think that we do have a responsibility to each other, and I want to challenge us (the church and myself and anyone) to look for the compassionate and loving path.
The challenge of competing responsibilities is a tough one ... we work in a system that simply does not care about people over property and profits. You would be descended upon by dozens of needy people and swiftly lose your job and your ability to care for your family if you gave in even once... so, your stewardship, in this system, requires a hard stance. The people of Immanuel Baptist Church are, in a way, in the same position: as a 501c3, organized churches are creatures of the state, and therefore belong to the system.
I know in other countries, people are using Hive to solve these problems: what is lacking in Hoquiem and Aberdeen is an organization set up to help other institutions work with this issue. There may be people in Immanuel and many other churches there who want to help, but within the present structures, there is not a way ... but there probably is space to do something new. What that would be, I don't know ... our churches here support the local shelters, some have provided designated space, and it simply does not get that cold at night here such that life hangs in the balance except for a few days a year.
The Lord Jesus also said, "Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and the door shall be opened unto you." You, sir, care about Katt and the 100 who need help. Perhaps you are the leader you are looking for. With Hive only at 36 cents, there is not so much we can do for 100 people NOW ... but in building toward and into the bull run, if Hive were to meet its former all-time high, we could do a lot more. Maybe share this article around a bit more, online and off, and see who cares about the issue. I am going to put it in Things Ms. Dee Likes, my newsletter, this week to get it more exposure.
Hive does offer many exciting opportunities; in a way, it already is a space for something new. The technical infrastructure to administer and distribute a city-based UBI is already available on this platform, for example. It would take a relatively tiny amount of money to create a Hoquiam token. And, we have many examples on this platform of tokens that distribute Hive earnings, so a self-funding, city-specific program for the homeless (or to be truly universal, anyone in Hoquiam) would certainly be possible.
I'm a bit like Jonah when it comes to leadership, though.
Well, sir, you know what happened with Jonah... all that running, just to have to go do the job, because he was called ... of course, your name is Cliff A. Green, but you know Hive has a goodly number of whales already around in its seas, so ...