Monday, August 11, 2014
My Neighborhood
The City of New York wants to build homeless shelters in neighborhoods. Those who now live in homes in these neighborhoods do not want the shelters. On the one hand, welcoming the homeless would be a way to be more like Jesus. Yes, this is easy for me to say. I don't own a home or have children running around the neighborhood, nor did Jesus for that matter. We are still left with the Gospel demand to shelter the homeless. Jesus did not give instructions as to where one builds a shelter. To be in a neighborhood could be very healing for a homeless person who feels disconnected. And it could be dangerous. Property values are an issue. Yet, you cannot build them in so remote a place that there is no public transportation or access to other services that the homeless poor might need. I hope that there is some negotiations between the city and the neighborhoods to see what can be worked out. Your thoughts are welcome.
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Homeless is just not giving people a place to be . I try to make it a point to talk to BOBS( Bums of Boulder). I don't find many who want to work. They are sort of evolved hippies. There is a colony of 30,000 homeless in LA. Since we are a two class society, we could do sponsorships of homeless individuals. I wonder about the fellow who begs outside of Sacred Heart. He has 4 children. 2 are in college. Maybe the paper could start high lighting one per day so we or I could better understand their situations. The Camera told me that it made people uncomfortable to write about soldiers who had died in wars. So I dropped the paper. So much money devoted to this issue and so little results. Maybe a farm could be purchased and they could work it. It works for the Monks. You fellows need some workers ????
ReplyDeleteI respect your comments totally. Thank you.
DeleteThe fella who begs outside of Sacred Heart of Jesus church ( I believe there might be two men) they have been here for years begging at the church!
DeleteYes, I told Fr Bill years ago, get rid of the Abortion Rock and the Sunday morning bum in front of the church, but they're both still there. Oh well
DeleteI do work in a soup kitchen, near the monastery.
ReplyDeleteYou may be familiar with the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) attitude of the nearby billionaire culture.
Each individual has unique needs.
The institutionalized social service industry tries to make one size fit all, without humanizing the individuals.
Jesus mingled with the outcasts, and spoke directly with those He served.
Just sayin'.
My grandmother came from a foreign country. She was 18 years old had no relatives except one sister. She worked there was no attitude that she would be taken care of by somebody other than herself This is what she did . Thank you but don't make "begging" an occupation, Homelessness ness is an occupation!
ReplyDeleteFr Terry, you sound extremely naive and even silly. There was no homeless issue in this country until the recession of 1982. The media in it's usual manner sensationalized the problem. It was a severe, but short lived recession. There were true hardships, but as always people adapted and moved on. Unfortunately, the homelessness industry continues to grow as if we lived in a permanent 1982 recession, perpetuating and growing the "problem." All the charitable giving, all the charitable work, all the tax dollars has done nothing but underwrite a permanent homeless class.
ReplyDeleteI would like to add that I don't believe Jesus would approve or condone this kind of institutionalized "sheltering of the homeless." Frankly, our prison system does a better job.
DeleteThe fella at SHJ really tests my patience. He is playing everyone. He is smart, like a fox, but has no pride and no shame. I wouldn't allow it and I'd have him arrested. I would welcome him to mass with the rest of us sinners or give him a broom or a mop and put him to work.
ReplyDelete"take a ride on a NY subway, you'll see that the world doesn't owe you a damn thing." Lauren Becall
ReplyDelete