If only I were Jew-theran

Once again it's been awhile since I've posted on here. I guess I should just stop apoligizing because it will be a recurring theme. I had a great weekend. On Friday I attended my first Shabbat service (http://tikkunleilshabbat.blogspot.com/). I've always been intrigued by Judaism but this was my first non-academic experience with Judaism. It was incredible! I went along with my good friend Ilana who is in Avodah (the Jewish volunteer corps). The service was so beautiful. It was very informal, just a gathering of 20-30 20-something's in a room sitting in a circle. Different people took turns leading and the majority of the service was sung (all in Hebrew!) accompanied by guitar. It was so inspiring and powerful to hear different people explain their own feelings towards certain parts of the liturgy. They also spent a lot of time explaining the different pieces of the service because many of them come from different backgrounds. It was just very cool - did I say that yet? And afterwards we all partook (is that even a word?) in a vegetarian potluck. To finish off the evening, Ilana and I and her friend Josh went out dancing. Makes me wonder why we don't have church on Friday or Saturday nights ;)

I also had a busy weekend with speaking engagements. I haven't had to speak in public in over a year and I got to do it twice in one weekend. I had a blast. On Saturday night I spoke about homelessness at a youth event at a local church (http://www.wilsonlaneyouth.org). I was very impressed that the kids listened seeing as they were really there to hear some local bands play. Good music...brought back good memories of high school (glad they're memories though). And on Sunday morning it was my turn to share about my work placement at the church that sponsors my program. I made sure to do a mini sermon ;) And I think it went over alright. If you're interested...

One of the aspects I enjoy most about my work at Bethesda Cares is the time spent in our drop-in center. The clients we see are predominantly male, the majority of whom are either alcohol or substance addicted and/or mentally ill. This has been my first experience working directly with this population and while initially I found myself outside of my comfort zone it has truly been an amazing learning experience. My comfort zone has increased by leaps and bounds.
In our office, it is always amazing to me what I witness each day. It is a community in its own right. Our clients are homeless; most live on the streets or in emergency shelters. For many of them, our office is a safe place for them to be and for many of them our office is their home – something which I need to remind myself of on an ongoing basis. As in any community, there are good days and there are less good days. Many days are filled with good conversation - sports, music, current events – the knowledge base that fills our office never ceases to amaze me. We also have days where there are disagreements and heated discussions. When you have an office full of people, many of whom are mentally ill, suffering from the effects of their addictions or simply just tired from spending night after night on the street, there are bound to be conflicts. And while we must have some rules in order to keep the community functioning, there is a tremendous amount of forgiveness. Many of these individuals have burned all of their bridges with family and friends and truly have nowhere else to turn. As such, we try to be a constant in their otherwise chaotic lives and give our clients as many second chances as they need, of course within reason. We always ensure that there is a basic level of respect held for both clients and staff. I think one of the biggest lessons I have learned over these past few months is the invaluable importance of human connections - and developing connections with a population that I otherwise would have very little contact with. These homeless individuals are no different from anyone else – they have their problems like the rest of us – the only difference is that society places them on the margins because of their differences.
I am always struck by how frequently the poor are mentioned in the Bible. Jesus continually reminds us to remember the poor. He says “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.” I like to reverse this phrase so it reads “You will not always have me, but you will always have the poor.” For me, this is a calling for us to be with the poor. Not something that is done easily in our society – we have busy lives and lots of commitments. For this reason I have been so grateful for this year where I can spend time “being with the poor.” Not in an act of charity but an act of mutuality – or so I hope. I have learned so much from my clients – about their lives, about relating to other humans, about connecting with other humans, and about my own strengths and weaknesses. It is my hope that I am able to offer something in return, even if it has only been a listening ear.