Just a few weeks ago I had the pleasure of making a Sunday
visitation to St. Paul's Church in Newport News. For those who have
never visited the church building, St. Paul's is situated in the remains
of what once was a grand downtown neighborhood in the center of the
city. All that remains in that neighborhood now are municipal government
buildings, a few businesses, structures belonging to the Newport News
shipyard, and bits and pieces of low income housing. There is no longer
any true neighborhood there like most of our parishes enjoy. In a real
sense, St. Paul's is a parish in an urban wasteland.
And yet, the membership of St. Paul's is very clear about
their parish's role in the community - why they are there and what they
believe God is calling them to do. While a portion of the congregation
is made up of dedicated people who live in more desirable parts of town,
the largest portion is comprised of people who are homeless, or very
near homeless.
During my visit I was asked to lead a bible study and hold a
general discussion with the community. Most who gathered for the
conversation had come both to talk and to receive the free breakfast
served after the class. For some the meal would be their only meal of
the day - possibly the best of the week.
Needless to say, leading an adult class made up predominately
of street people is not at all like leading any other adult class in
our diocese. The attendees are not the least bit interested in talking
about the diocesan budget, Talbot Hall, the bishop's vision for
congregational development, or this summer's General Convention. In our
discussion, other than some interesting initial questions about why
bishops wear "pointy hats" (a question for which, I must confess, I did
not have an adequate answer), the real topic of interest was the
shooting in the Baptist church in Texas. It was clear that although the
news was a few weeks old, many in attendance were still struggling to
understand the tragedy. After several minutes of conversation, I became
deeply impressed by the level of passion being expressed. People were
genuinely perplexed and outraged that such a thing could ever happen in a
church. And they wanted to talk about it!
But, it wasn't until later that afternoon while driving home
that I figured out the meaning of what I had witnessed during the class.
I had not witnessed an abstracted intellectual discussion on the need
for gun control, or on politics, or on the psychology or sociology of
mass murder. Rather, I had witnessed the passionate concerns of those
who literally depend on their church to be their "safe space," their
sanctuary, from the dangers of the world. The people of St. Paul's - at
least those who are its street clientele - attend church to escape the
day-to-day violence of the streets. Church is where they go to escape
being shot. The notion that church could be otherwise invokes in those
challenged people a sense of injustice and a level of anxiety that most
of us fortunate types will never comprehend.
I am not at all sure what it means to live in a world where
innocent people are murdered in church. I don't know how to live with
that reality yet. But, I do know - have been reminded by the good people
of St. Paul's - the incredible power of grace that the Church conveys
when it takes the risk of offering itself to the world as a true
sanctuary of God. The Church is always at its best when it seeks to find
ways of un-protecting itself, of being more
vulnerable and more risk-taking. And its witness to the love of God is
never as powerful as when it opens its doors to the world when all other
doors are shut and locked down on Main Street. After all, such action
is our way of saying to those suffering, or fearful, or in need, that
there is room in the inn, by God! There is room in the inn!
Note: Many of our churches in Southern Virginia are actively
engaged in various forms of ministry to the homeless. I hope all of us
will find some way to both financially and physically support the unique
ministry of St. Paul's, Newport News, as well as our local ministries
during the holiday season and throughout the coming year.
Merry Christmas,
+Holly
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