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About The Georgia bulletin (Atlanta) 1963-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 1989)
Supplement to The Georgia Bulletin, September 14, 1989 0 Faith Todav A supplement to Cotholic newspapers published by Catholic News Service, 3211 Fourth St, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20017-1100. All contents copyright © 1989 by Catholic News Service. 30 f CNS illustration by Mark Williams The By Father William Jansen, MCCJ Catholic News Service F rances James stood at the podium facing the Los Angeles City Council. “My people are dying in the streets,” she shouted. “Free us from drug peddlers and gangs who carry military assault rifles. I don’t want to get killed and, especially, I don’t want my son killed waiting for a bus to go to school.” Ms. James, a divorced mother of a 15-year-old son, Michael, resides in south central Los Angeles. Six years ago she felt called by God. It seemed that she passed before the burning bush of God’s presence in her community. God spoke to her in a general way, saying, “Lead my people.” Like Moses, she answered “here I am,” reluctantly at first. She was not sure it was even God or how she could make changes in the community. Frances witnessed the violence of the 1960s riots. Following the riots, not much changed in her community or her parish, Holy Cross. In fact, guns, drugs and gangs were destroy ing the people. The average funeral age at Holy Cross was 20. Health care and unemployment were worse than before the riots. Housing for the poor and working class was non existent almost. Frances felt she had to do something, but what? In 1982 churches began to organize in the area, forming the South Cen tral Organizing Committee. Eventually the group would include 40 churches of all denominations and synagogues with a total membership of 80,000 families. But in 1982 not many people knew about the committee. The pharoahs of the world of power couldn’t yet recognize the power of faith in a people organized to make change happen. □ □ □ I became pastor of Holy Cross in 1982. Every morning the front steps of the rectory were filled with vic tims — of violence, drug wars, evic tions, hunger, unemployment. People were crying for freedom and looking for leadership from their church. In Exodus 3:16, God tells modern face of Moses Moses, “Go, assemble the elders. Tell them that I am concerned about you and about the way you are being treated.” My priority as a pastor was to find those in the Holy Cross community who possibly could unite the people and communicate to them God’s call. “What can I do?” Frances said. “I’m just one woman.” “Moses was just one man,” I told her. “Look what he did. The Israelites recognized God's power because of Moses. Then the people and Moses brought about real change for the good of all.” Like Moses, Frances protested, “Who am I to lead the people?” (Ex odus 6:11). □ □ □ Though Frances was unsure, she accepted the community’s invitation to begin a leadership journey. Two years ago, she became co-chair of the South Central Organizing Committee. There were times when she doubted her own abilities. “Can I handle this?” she wondered. “Will I fail?” She faced formidable foes. But as God guided Moses through the desert, so he guided Frances through the years of reflecting on her faith and community organizational training. She was frightened at the size of the task confronting her. But who wouldn’t be frightened? Moses was nervous, frightened and reluctant. Frances is a person of faith. Her community, where God is present, rallied around her. Hispanics and blacks came together to solve com mon problems. Christians of many denominations and Jews worked together for neighborhood change. Just like Moses, Frances discovered that the faith journey of Christian leadership does not build up to one big victory after which one can rest. God calls her relentlessly to new situations. Frances has been in the midst of many South Central Organizing Com mittee victories. At present the organization is working to create a model community of 600-owner occupied low-income houses. But she also has heard so many times the words of today’s pharoahs, “Who is the Lord that I should heed his plea to let his people go?” Her strength comes from the sense of fulfillment at being the best leader she can be. The unity of a supportive worship ing community on Sunday mornings tells her God is with her. The God who spoke to Moses speaks to the whole community and to Frances. She believes that God is telling her just like Moses, “I will be with you.” (Father Jansen is pastor of Holy Cross Parish, Los Angeles.) Like Moses, Frances James became a leader of her people reluctantly, doubting her abilities to tackle the large problems facing her south central Los Angeles community. Like Moses, she also discovered that the faith journey of Christian leadership does not build up to one big victory after which one can rest. Leadership means answering God’s call to action again and again.
