Imprisoned.

“Everything out of your pockets! Jackets and belts off! No cell phones!” We comply to the barking orders from the officers as we line up in the cold outside Division V among the girlfriends, mothers, and small children of the men held there. A four-year old, who, based on Chicago statistics probably does not know her ABC’s, has already mastered putting her arms out in the stance to be frisked by security so she can visit her dad.

There’s nothing about this process that promotes dignity or compassion. After making it through the metal detectors, pat down, background check, and a second round of metal detectors and pat downs, we are ready to visit.

We walk a mother through the process to see her son. This hassle grants the opportunity for her to spend 15 minutes shouting through a scratched-glass wall, leaning over the counter to get her ear level with the speaking hole to hear, and attempting to block out everyone else’s shouting as they talk to their own loved ones directly beside her. Despite the struggle, mother and son catch up the best they can, and laughter and jokes are shared between the two family members. It strikes me—these cages and safeguards are for this young man, beaming with a warm smile and discussing the latest book he has read. He is much more lost than he is dangerous.

He speaks to us about some of the conditions while he is locked up. There is a prevalence of inmate-on-inmate violence, unsanitary conditions, and poor food quality, among other issues. Gang members spend more time educating and recruiting inmates than they do repenting from their practices. In 2008, Cook County Jail was condemned for its poor treatment of inmates reaching unconstitutional levels (Full Report here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/18/us/18cook.html). While the jail has no doubt improved since then, it is not a model for humane treatment.

It is a nightmare that no parent would want their child to endure.
This is not an inspiring type of place, full of mentoring, role models, or life-changing programs for our inmates. It is a place that strips a person of their dignity.
How many people have you heard of were arrested once, served for several years, and then had a great, criminal-free life afterwards? While there are no doubt some exceptions, most re-emerging to society are angry, without opportunities, and seek solace among those who have faced similar conditions.

Other parts of our penal system create the same issues. Court cases are granted numerous continuances that drag cases on for months, straining the wills of both sides. The object of the prosecutor is to prove the defendant is beyond hope to change. Trials expose the worst as traumatized victims are torn to shreds by the defense. Meanwhile, ex-felons hustle on the streets because they are prevented from getting a real job, despite having “paid their debt to society.”

How did we decide as a nation that this was the best solution to the problem of crime? While the system is not necessarily unjust, it is certainly not helpful in rehabilitating young men. While there absolutely needs to be a justice system, the current one seeks punishment more than justice. Is our goal punishment or correction? While we cannot ignore the dangers of criminals, we also cannot correct without compassion and forgiveness.

Right now, inmates are not the only ones imprisoned. We are imprisoned by our inability to find restorative justice methods aimed at reconnecting “lost ones” back into society. Jesus calls us to take an active part in caring for our lost members, and these members need hope that they can belong.

–Megan Sherrier, BSL
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Loving the “Lost Cause”

He approaches us every Wednesday as we walk. The encounter begins with some form of harassment aimed at Brother Jim: throwing a football at his back, tugging at his denim habit, or asking repeated questions, perhaps. The projected toughness of this ten-year-old mirrors that of his only role models—the young men who control the streets of Back of the Yards, hardened on the outside to any childhood desire that was left unfulfilled.

Unfortunately, it is not the first or even the hundredth time that I have looked into the eyes of a child and seen the rage of a bitter old man. In yet another case of a child drowning in the system of poverty, violent neighborhoods, a drug-abusing parent, and failing schools, this young friend has learned defiance at any early age. Refusing to listen to authority or participate in school, he chooses instead to project an image of an independent soul who needs no one. He is protecting himself from the vulnerability of trusting adults who do not fulfill his needs.

However, he is not lost. There is a small glimmer of hope in his actions; He cries out for attention from Brother Jim. Despite his defiance to adults, he still wants to be loved by them. Last Wednesday, when Brother Jim offered him a chapter book, his demeanor changed completely. The childish voice returned: “You gonna bring me a book next week?! I like adventure.” Cautiously optimistic, this boy is testing whether or not Brother Jim can be trusted.

We can see the trajectory of this child, and it does not look good. And yet his parents, teachers, and mentors feel lost at finding a solution that changes his path. Can you really be too far gone at age 10?

When have we decided that it is too late to act? States give up in 3rd grade; they track literacy test scores of this age group to plan prison populations. The practice is accurate enough to be useful. Leading psychologists give up as early as age 3, when they believe that certain behavioral development of the brain is set in stone.
It has been my experience that those who do not do anything to change the trajectory of “problem” children feel helpless. Teachers and community workers are engaged in conversations and feel frustrated with the lack of options. They are overwhelmed and paralyzed. The ability to lose a child to the streets is the result of losing hope in these moments. The prevalence of inaction happens because are a great many ways to legitimate it with fatalistic excuses.

When does BSL think it is too late to act? Never. On this same Wednesday walk, we stopped by one of our dear friends to catch up. A 50-year-old woman who admits her past includes prostituting, drugs, and squatting to survive, has turned her life around. In recent years, she has worked with the support of BSL to improve her health, take care of her home, and become a better community member. She now contributes her extra medical supplies to our neighbors at Port Ministries, is always helping a neighbor find a meal, mentoring the teenager upstairs, or offering part of her own link card to help our other friends in need. A “lost cause” is now a shining light of hope for her community.

Our immediate instinct for action in ministry is to “do.” If there is not an immediate 3-step plan, we think the cause is lost. More often than not, though, people need us to “be.” Missions and ministries fail when they focus too much on doing. Creating plans for others to change their lives does not show love; it shows control and conditionality. Be. Be present, be ready to help, and be there when people make mistakes. Love unconditionally, and create the space people need to change themselves when they are ready. Change cannot be a pre-requisite for love. Love has to come first.

The story of most evil in the world has started with a child who was ignored when he or she cried out for love. Do we learn this lesson, or allow history to repeat itself with the youngest generation of the poor? On this Valentine’s day, will you give your love to those who are perceived as lost? Despite your fears or hopelessness, it is the only tool you need to act.

–Megan Sherrier, BSL

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Home.

It was a place where everyone knew your name. Your kids all grew up together and played in one another’s homes. Doors were unlocked and neighbors walked in without knocking. If you needed a cup of sugar, a place to talk or even a midnight snack, your neighbor was happy to share. The adults knew the business of all the neighborhood children, and the children learned to respect their elders. The men played chess and dominoes in the neighborhood while each and everyone greeted one another as they passed by on the sidewalk.

This sounds like the perfect suburban neighborhood or small town, right?

Wrong.

Actually, this is a description of the Cabrini-Green projects in the 60s or 70s as told to us by one of its long-time residents last week.

Even today, walking the row houses of Cabrini-Green, you will find evidence of this. Guys are on their front porches, relaxing and talking about the Bulls and other every day events. Everyone says hello to one another, and if you are looking for someone, a first name or even nickname is enough to find them. In the warmer months, you will see residents help one another fix their cars, get their hair cut, or have a barbecue. Without calling ahead, you can knock on anyone’s door and be welcomed into their home. Some families still do not lock their doors. You cannot find better hospitality.

Shocked by the ideal description? Don’t be. Suburban neighborhoods are becoming increasingly known for their isolation. It has become a trend that the more money you possess, the higher that your gate rises in front of your home and the less you are able to recall your neighbor’s names, much less their occupations, interests, and hobbies. If you ever had an emergency, how many of you would feel comfortable approaching your neighbor?

Meanwhile, poverty creates community because people are forced to realize both that they need and belong to one another, and that it is easier to survive in community than alone. The destruction of the high-rise buildings in Cabrini-Green has caused widespread grief among the poor that is unspoken in political and social circles. Did Cabrini-Green have its crime and problems? Absolutely. But it also had a sense of community that would rival the most prestigious country club. In the words of our friends, “They don’t realize, it was home to me.” The sentimental value of “home” is ignored as residents continue to get displaced and forced out of their living arrangements.

For example, an older woman who is a friend of BSL and who we have mentioned in our previous blogs on housing continues to remain in a home with toxic mold, despite the Chicago Housing Authority being given the specific problem, address, and telephone number to look into the problem. For months, she has battled with various agencies and most recently, was forced into making a rushed decision to move, being told that her Section 8 voucher would expire on February 1st. Phone calls were left unreturned, workers deflected her to other workers, apartment searches were promised that never materialized, and other mismanagement forced her out of her community and into less desirable housing, especially for her grandsons who will be vulnerable at the new location.

This woman represents countless stories of displaced residents of Cabrini-Green. Without concern for the emotional impact of being displaced, agencies are dispersing poor residents throughout the city, making these communities a dream of the past. While the poverty and crime persists, the sense of community is being lost. The poverty is now spread throughout the city, straining the ability for diminishing services to reach those who need it.

Tearing down the housing projects to create mixed-income housing and reduce crime and other problems in the area is not an evil pursuit. In fact, the end goal is necessary. However, the people displaced by this decision are neglected. These once-tight communities have been separated, sometimes in traumatic ways. Chicago Housing Authority places pressure on uneducated individuals to move quickly and to move into areas where they are not part of the community environment. Pressure and fear push them into isolating living conditions. They lose the ability to rely on friendly neighbors and need to rebuild relationships over again. This community building is not happening as it once did in the past. Something of value is being lost.

Chicago lies at a crossroads. We all have something to learn from the poor when it comes to community. Can we become vibrant communities once again and understand that we belong to one another? Or is community something Americans want to forget? Mixed income neighborhoods provide an opportunity to enhance community living that has not been actualized. Instead, communities have been eliminated and replaced with an increasing sense of isolation.

We dream of the old-fashioned communities mentioned above, but act to create isolation. During this time of change, will we embrace our neighbor or shut the door?

–Megan Sherrier, BSL

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Reality.

This past Saturday we witnessed a scene that has become all too familiar. The casket was opened for the viewing of a young man. Mourners were weeping in the front pews and holding one another for support. The family, with whom we have gathered for several funerals this month, was dressed in memorial t-shirts for the victim. A screen-printed picture accompanied by a prayer reminded the family of their lost loved one. This time, though, they placed pictures of two victims on one t-shirt side-by-side. In a sad state of efficiency, they will re-use the t-shirt for next week’s funeral, also of a young man from the family who had been shot and killed. The family sang, read the obituary, listened to the eulogy, gave personal remarks, and viewed the body one last time.

What struck Br. Jim and me was the uniqueness of this funeral. The first thing we witnessed was a “friend” of the victim being chased out of the church. In this case the victim and the shooter were in the same gang, so there were conflicting loyalties. The person who came was a friend of both the shooter and the victim, so while he came to pay his respects, some thought he had other motivations. Anger, hurt, and fear ebbed and flowed through the crowd.

The atmosphere in the church shifted drastically to a hushed piety. The victim had been hospitalized for six months and while he was able to communicate he had lost the use of most of his body, breathing by machine until he passed. The relative who led the service desired to express the victim’s conversion from a gang banger to a man who accepted Christ into his life and forgave the one who shot him. The funeral continued along this theme of hope.

The problem with this is that the victim went through a number of emotions concerning the person who shot him. While he did try to forgive, he would also stew in anger. He named the shooter, but would not tell the police. He asked for prayers and scripture readings and had a positive disposition, but he also expressed his frustration that he could do absolutely nothing for himself. He grappled with his current experience, but he also wanted his old life back.

The complexity of the victim’s emotions is a human reality. While we strive for one desire, other intentions creep in. While we know and may seek the moral high ground, our actions do not always match this will. The relationship between the friend of the victim mentioned earlier to both him and his shooter represents this complex tension. Within one person there are conflicting emotions.

Brothers and Sisters of Love enters into situations of extreme pain. In this case, healing will not take place for awhile. The family wants to believe that the victim was saved and is enjoying paradise, but this comfort does not erase the wounds. There seems to be no justice for the crime, for the guilty continue to prosper. From the family’s perspective, the death is void of meaning for the community. Therefore, their perception of heaven is in conflict with their reality in this world. Part of the problem among gangs is that the pain from these murders is carried for a long time and affects the community in negative ways.

God sees these conflicts and still loves all of us; our virtues and the parts we wish to hide. In times of tragedy, in order to find hope, we often put our best foot forward before God and suppress our true emotions. We fear displeasing an all-powerful God, and as a result, we limit God’s love for us, the very tool that has the power to transform our situation. Presenting our true hurts and desires before God liberates our concept of God from a God who needs to be pleased to a God who understands our situation, healing us and bringing hope for the future.

–Megan Sherrier and Br. Jim Fogarty, BSL

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Would You Live Like This? (Part Two)

 NP Lanthrum has helped Brothers and Sisters of Love by photographing the living conditions of our friends in Cabrini Green and Back of the Yards that we wrote about two weeks ago. Below are photos of various damages and living conditions. A picture tells 1000 words. Click on the thumbnails to view the slide show. See for yourself and let us know what you think should be done:

A burned out home of a friend of BSL is left abandoned

The source of a leaky roof that the landlord “can’t afford to fix” in Back of the Yards

Warped floor that landlord also cannot “afford to fix”

Our friends attempt to paint over toxic mold in their bathroom

A gate in disrepair

Back of the Yards

Broken glass and boarded up homes are the norm. Many of these buildings are temporary homes to the otherwise homeless

Graffiti and litter decorate the neighborhood

A line of foreclosed homes in Back of the Yards

There are more chains than welcome mats

These kids must live in the house of the following pictures…

Leaking roof

Toxic mold in the bathroom

The walls are in various states of disrepair

Toxic mold flourishes in the living room

Would you live like this? She must.

–Megan Sherrier, BSL

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Listening for the Kingdom

Image via Wikipedia

Readings:1Samuel 3:3b-10; John 1:35-42

 

The first reading and the Gospel reading this week speak to us on call and on prayer.  As a baptized Christian, I believe that God loves us all equally and uniquely.  It does beg the question, is God more pleased with some of us, like Samuel or Peter in how we respond to the call? Or does God love so much that we are just loved unconditionally? 

 

The Bible says that both Samuel and Peter received numerous theophanies or direct messages from God.  Peter’s are documented from the passages of the Transfiguration and of the Resurrection, and even a few times after Jesus’ Ascension into heaven; from these he determined the direction of the early Church.

 

Samuel seemed to experience direct messages throughout his life telling him to be a conduit of God’s messages for the transition from the period of the Judges to the first Israelite Kings.  In reflecting on Samuel’s interactions with Saul and David, it just seems natural to Samuel that he would get these messages and directions.  Why is that? And why does it not happen to all of us?

 

I have often reflected on this passage of Samuel’s calling.  The conclusion that I have come to is that this was the Prayer of Samuel: “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”  The proof that Samuel was able to listen was that the Lord did not always say what Samuel wanted to hear.

 

Brothers and Sisters of Love was founded by Bill Tomes who experienced numerous theophanies or direct messages.  The messages of Love, Trust in God, Forgive Everyone, and Be Not Afraid are the basis on how we have worked with gang members and others through the years.   Even though I have never experienced a theophany myself, I have come to believe and experience the power of the messages that Brother Bill received.

 

If we believe we are called by God to being doing what we do or how we live, we must be tuned into God speaking to us in ways we can understand.  I pray the Prayer of Samuel often and seek to find the answers.  The danger is that I confuse God’s will with my own.  This is brought home to me when Jesus says that the Prostitutes, the Tax Collectors, and the Gang Bangers will enter the “Kingdom of God” before the Pharisees and Practicing Christians (Mt. 21:31).

 

Over the thirty years, I have experienced the grace of God “breaking into” situations that I face on the streets working among the poor.  Often it coincides with what I am praying about or struggling with.  Over and over again, I see that God shows no partiality to even gang bangers, drug dealers, and prostitutes who often show more generosity than I am willing show myself (see Peter in Acts 10:34).  That is not to say that the sins of gang bangers, drug dealers, and prostitutes are not devastating, because they are.  Still I have experienced the presence, grace, and Kingdom of God breaking into my life and the lives of the people I am with. 

 

Over the years people try to pin me down on the effects of Brothers and Sisters of Love on gang members.  There are still gangs, murders, drug abuse, and friends I have known for decades who go back to jail and prison.  If we are so effective, why haven’t these things stopped? I say often, come and see, like Jesus said to Andrew, John, and Peter.  They usually find something that they did not expect to see. 

 

Jesus tells us to seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things be given you besides (Mt. 6:33). It seems to me that we do this by listening to how God is speaking to us and finding where the Spirit of God is working, and following the direction of Jesus to Andrew, John, and Peter to go and see.

 

 –Brother Jim Fogarty, BSL

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Would You Live Like This?

Walking through the streets of Jaipur, India, I would take my head scarf and bury my nose.  The smell of urination, animal excrement, and decaying garbage mixed with the sand and desert heat to create a thickness almost unbearable.  Children and adults alike would be picking through these garbage heaps to find anything they could sell or eat.  Women with babies would stand on the corners begging for a coin.  Several families would be crowded in a one or two room shack, floors caked in filth with piles of random items that have been hoarded “just in case.” Women were mostly invisible on the streets, and if they were seen, they would have their heads down to avoid all the cat-calls and inappropriate attention from the men, who were standing around with nothing to do but smoke because they had no work.

Walking through the streets of Chicago and visiting our friends in their homes, I cannot help but notice that the poor neighborhoods of Chicago and poor neighborhoods of Northwest India are more similar than most of us would care to admit. Entering homes invokes some of the same smells, and the floors and walls are often below layers of dirt.  Families of double-digits squeeze into tiny apartments, with foam pads, blankets and other makeshift beds sprawled across the floors. Guys are near garbage cans searching for leftovers and plenty of our neighbors are working the streets for a dollar or two.  I have not known a single woman who has made the walk past 55^th andAshland without at least one inappropriate sexual comment from the group of guys hanging around. Despite garbage services in America, litter out-numbers the grass in front lawns.

There is one major difference: While there is no standard code or housing welfare in India, the housing conditions in the United States have a legal code aimed to prevent people from living in substandard conditions. Despite this, the homes we visit typically fall below that code in some way. Throughout Chicago, our friends crowd together in homes with cracked windows and warped floors that landlords will not fix.  Within these walls are toxic mold and other harmful agents that children and adults alike must breathe in as they sleep.  They awake to rashes, breathing problems, and other medical ailments, but have nowhere to escape. No matter how many grievances are placed, these issues are often neglected.

Most of us would last five minutes in a place like this. We would put up complaints, evacuate from the toxins, and file class-action lawsuits against the injustice.  But these friends of BSL have nowhere to go.  In fact, they consider themselves lucky that they have a place at all, and with the help of BSL often have to fight CHA (Chicago Housing Authority) in order to remain in public housing, where they can scrape the money together to have a roof over their heads.

As often as we complain that kids have poor attendance and records in school, or that the poor should seek jobs and fight for themselves, we must realize the discomfort it takes to live like this. How hard must it be to even get a night’s rest, knowing your family is being medically harmed, and fighting among the 12 other household members for the one bathroom to get ready in the morning? I cannot imagine an 8-year-old having the concentration to make it through their homework among the constant distractions of a crowded living space, or being well enough to get to school when they are constantly fighting illnesses caused by their living conditions. How depressing must it be to look at your window and see boarded up lots and broken glass bottles in every direction? This image is all you can provide for your family.  Now, imagine gathering the confidence to go out into an entirely different world to find a job. How would you fare?

I cannot help but reflect: Where is the social sin that has allowed this to happen in America? Where is the root of the neglect? Where did we lose the idea that we belong to a community that extends beyond our family and friends? The answers led me back to fear. The majority of our nation has learned to fear words like “projects” and “poor neighborhoods.”  We choose safety over our Christian commitment to love, and abandon the poor community. We do not buy homes in the area, or frequent the stores, or invest financially in any way. Our fear further isolates these areas, so businesses and builders alike all flee, diminishing any chance of improvement.  There is a cycle: Neighborhoods lose income and vitality, the desperation of poverty leads to violence, and violence creates unsafe neighborhoods that cause further isolation from sources of income and vitality. 

Only the courage to choose love over fear can break this cycle.  Brothers and Sisters of Love believes that love casts out fear. How can we love these communities back to health? Will you join us in loving our neighbor? No one should have to live like this. And no one will, if we would only make the commitment to cast out fear in the name of Christian love. Will you?

–Megan Sherrier, BSL

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