About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (July 6, 2011)
THANK YOU. PANHANDLERS It has been a beautiful four years in Athens. After our exodus from Ohio eight years ago. Jen and I have never felt more at home than we have here. We have been blessed with amazing neighbors and community; we have eaten so many delicious foods raised by local farmers and prepared by visionary chefs; and we have been enlightened through music and art (and food—it always comes back to food!). This has been a truly special time for us, as Jen taught in the Clarke County School District and I served at the First Christian Church of Athens, downtown, then Bogart Christian Church. So. when I was asked to share a word in Flagpole, the very first mes- age that I thought to share with Athens was Thank you for your warm hospitality." The econd message that I would like to share , a word of thanks to the men and women I ave come to know on the streets downtown .ho regularly ask for any spare change or for a meal. That is correct. I would like to say "thank you" to the panhandlers. And while this may seen like a set-up to a tirade worthy of the ABH comment page. I am sincere in my gratitude. Thank you to the men and women who have the courage to stand up (or sit down) in front of a community and to ask for help, because they remind us that life in our city of Athens is not always about dinners, bars, shows and art. There is another side to the “unleashed life" found in Athens, and that is poverty. Now, some of you may be recalling the last experience you had with a panhandler downtown; you may be cringing as you relive that moment in your head when you looked down the street and realized that there was someone up ahead who was going to ask you for money; you may be cringing as you recall the dreaded decision to either engage him or her, or to ignore him or her and continue walk ing on by; you may be cringing as you recall the persistent individual; you may be cringing as you recall your decision to move on and perhaps deposit a quarter in the "homeless meter." That cringing is good. Because at least it conveys some level of humanity and empathy. And that humanity and ability to relate to others in our struggles will be essential if we are actually to address the problem of poverty in our community. Actually, poverty is more than a “problem." A "problem" is when you have a leak in your kitchen plumbing. Poverty is far worse than that; poverty is a human tragedy due to indi vidual and collective decisions. Poverty is a scar not only on our community, but on our souls. Poverty is. dare I say, a sin—a result of our actions and/or inaction. And, Athens, we are living in sin. Now, many of us—the two-thirds of us who live above the poverty line—can escape the reali ties of living in a community that is soaked in generational poverty by avoiding downtown, looking the other way, or justifying the situ ation by chalking it up to personal choice rather than admitting any participation in an economic system that values profit over peo ple (and over land, water, air and animals). But, the individuals who hold out their hand, look you in the eye and ask for change are the saints in this situation who proclaim to us the depths of the issue of poverty and who. thankfully, will not let us forget the humanity of our impoverished reality. To address that reality, we will need to be intentional about caring for our children. Athens must be intentional about caring for our elderly. Athens must be intentional about where our money goes— do we value the product/ service with the lowest price or the product/ service that comes from someone receiving a living wage? Athens must be intentional about creating more and more affordable housing. Churches must be inten tional about justice rather than just charity. We must alt be intentional about resolving the injustice of poverty in our community. So many people are already committed, and we see this in organizations like Interfaith Hospitality Network, Athens Homeless Shelter, A Bigger Vision, Habitat for Humanity, Community Connection. Our Daily Bread, Athens Nurses Clinic, The Ark, etc.—but so far, it has not been enough. It has not been nearly enough. Until the ethos of Athens changes to value the fullness of iife over the fullness of bank accounts, it will not be enough. To do justice in Athens—to bring our brothers and sisters out of the pain of poverty—we must be intentional about our actions and our desires. We must not only be able to connect the dots between our eco nomic decisions and their societal outcomes, but we must be willing to change our individ ual and collective behaviors to begin to bring about a more equal and dignified community. If you're struggling to become more pas sionate and intentional about doing justice, just take a walk downtown. Find a brother or sister who is asking for a little help, and see if you can sit down with them over a meal and get to know them. By the end of dinner, I think that you might thank them. Thank him for reminding you of what matters most in life; thank her for reminding you that your wholeness is dependent on hers, too; thank her for reminding you that the presence of justice is an ongoing struggle that requires much from us all, and rewards us all with grace and beauty. To all of you in Athens, thank you for blessing us with such love and beauty in our lives. To all of you who seek to work for jus tice in our community and our world, thank you for your work; may you find worth in your efforts each and every day. To ail of you who have extended your hand at one time or another and asked a stranger for help, thank you for not shying away, but drawing our attention to the harsh realities of poverty. I hope that the people of Athens will have the courage and will to always respond in compassion, grace and justice. Peace, Chris McCreight An unabridged version of this Comment appears at wwwflagpole.com. There is another side to the “unleashed life” found in Athens, and that is poverty. » 312 E. BROAD ST. • 3RD FLOOR • 706.208.5222 • FRIGIDAI RE BUILDING • ENTRANCE ON JACKSON ST. 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