Saturday, November 1, 2014

Cranberries

I wrote this over a year ago but never published it.  Since Cranberries and Thanksgiving are starting to be on people's mind here you go:

Friday my housemates and I visited a cranberry bog in Carver, Mass., south of Boston.  This farm, Fresh Meadows Farm is one of the only certified organic cranberry farms in the commonwealth. 

The farm manager Dom, is a third generation cranberry farmer.  His grandfather immigrated to Massachusetts from the island of Fogo in the Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Senegal, Africa.

Dom and his grandson. Picture from
freshmeadowscranberries.com (last fall)

Dom was extremely accommodating.  Despite a slight mis-communication between the folks who organized our trip and Dom which made him think we weren't coming, he still happily gave us the tour anyway.  He talked extensively about the economics of the cranberry market, his organic cranberries, and his conventionally grown berries.  I found all that information fascinating and wish to enlighten you all on the cranberry market.

Market
Cranberry farmers like Dom either sell their berries on the commodity market where buyers control the price, or on the cooperative market where shareholders, and often farmers themselves have more control over the price.  Dom sells to Ocean Spray and to the commodity market.  He said Ocean Spray pays better.  I've made it a goal to only buy Ocean Spray cranberries rather than the store brand to support Dom with my purchase.

Wet vs Dry Harvesting

As you have probably seen on the Ocean Spray commercials cranberries are typically harvested with water.  The perennial shrubs (flowering each year) are grown from cuttings in a bog or swamp.  During the winter the bogs are flooded to protect the plants from the harsh dry winter winds; even though the water will usually freeze it keeps the plants moist and alive until spring. In the spring the fields are drained for the plants to begin growth.  The bogs will typically be flooded several times during the growning season before they fruit to control pests.  They usually flower in April and the flower buds are long and slender representing a crane --thus its name is from "Crane"-berry. 

After the flowers are pollinated and the fruits are ready by late October through November the berries are harvested.  Originally all cranberries were dry harvested, picked by hand or with a comb-like scoop and then sorted, stored or processed, and then sold.  In the mid 20th century wet harvesting became popular which is flooding the fields, the berries float to the top, are collected, and then sent for processing.  The wet-harvest can bruise or soften the berries compromising their shelf life and they require immediate processing for storage.  Typically wet-harvested cranberries go into juices, sauces, or are dried as crasins, and dry harvested berries are sold as whole cranberries in grocery stores.  In the last decade the wet-dry harvesting method has come into play which is a wet harvest followed by an immediate drying in huge warehouses, these can also be sold as whole cranberries.


Organic

In order to have the organic label on one of his bogs, Dom has to dry harvest using the old fashoned machine which is like a giant comb.  

To be certified USDA organic, Dom is not allowed to use any synthetic pesticides or fertilizer on his organic fields.  This requires more care, and often results in more crop lost to pests.  This is one reason organic cranberries cost a little more.  In order to afford to grow organic berries he must also grow conventional in other fields he owns to sustain the income.  The majority of Organic cranberries are grown in newly-developed bogs in Canada where they have no natural pests yet.

I asked Dom what is his spiritual connection to food.  He said it was about his connection to his family.  He does this because he is closer to his parents and grandparents by following in their footsteps.  Dom sort of uses the older equipment and the organic method as a hobby because he loves it so much.

I really enjoyed that visit and listening to Dom.  I will always think of him when I buy Cranberries.  And I will eat more of them raw, after about five of them you get used to the tart flavor.

This Thanksgiving think of farmers like Dom who are honoring their families by connecting with the earth and growing us delicious cranberries.  Maybe go for a visit if you're in New England.  Happy Eating!

Thanks Dom, you've been on my mind for a year.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Food Justice in Virginia

The Sunday after I returned from Boston to my home in Millboro, VA I gave two presentations about my time in Boston.  One at 2:30pm in Goshen with my home parish, and one after a potluck dinner at 5:30pm in Harrisonburg for Trinity Presbyterian where I attended during college.

I talked about YAV in general being like the Church's version of the Peace Corps for one year. life with mostly females, Lazarus at the Gate bible study, Farmer Dave's CSA distribution at my church, teaching people what kholrabi and other weird vegetables are, showing how leftovers go to the food pantry, etc.

I talked a little about Manna Mondays, but then the audience had some excellent discussion about how these themes could apply to my home community in the Shenandoah Valley and Appalachian Mountains where poverty, geography, agriculture, and local food all looks different.  Here are a few pictures I showed.






First of all I asked the refreshments be locally sourced.  In Goshen we got eggs from Chicken Lawhorn's Chickens, lemonade made with water from the mud puddle out back.  There were some delicous cakes and snacks as well.

Justine and Ray Tilghman, the forman couple of the Craigsville Food Pantry were there. The Craigsville pantry serves Bath, Augusta, Rockbridge, and parts of Highland Counties.  Mostly rural mountain communities.  They serve a much larger area than Burlington, but similar numbers.  Justine gets fresh produce from WalMart once a month the week before they open for distribution.  Usually it's close to going bad and needs to be tossed or sent to feed someone's livestock before distribution.  Things have been better since they got a walk-in refrigerator, but Justine is still concerned about the food waste.  She's been considering opening up once a month for a few hours just to give out produce so it wont get thrown away.  (If any of those links ask you to pay to read the full article send me an E-mail and I'll get it to you for free haneyja314@gmail.com)

Refrigeration and opening just a day for produce were two things Jane has been exploring in Burlington to manage the abundance of fresh produce from Farmer Dave's and the area grocery stores.  It was a good conversation of the two of us sharing ideas while other church members learned of ways they can help her.  Those interested near Craigsville should contact Justine at the pantry (540-997-5827) about volunteering for the vegetable only distribution, or helping deliver produce to those in need.

In Harrisonburg a few college buddies came which was awesome!  Mary, Rebekah, Tim, Mike, and Hannah you should all really think about YAV!  The discussion in Harrisonburg involved a lot about school lunches, hunger in schools, the new regulations, and the weekend backpack program.  It got a lot of church members talking about that with some of the college students who are still packing backpacks a few times a month.  We heard from some teachers the real problems hungry kids have in schools and how they hate to see them going for chips to curb hunger pangs.

Both discussions felt a lot like my time in Boston.  There was a lot of raising awareness of the issues, a lot of defining the problems and blaming others.  I walked away thinking that we all knew the problems better but lacked solutions.  But at the core of the discussion we shared ideas and options for real solutions in the respective communities.  That was my truest job as a YAV- stirring up conversation and empowering folks to make changes in their communities.  When it's all said and done, that's quite an impact for a year's time.

I was in Boston for a year, Virginia for a week, and Goshen/Harrisonburg for just a day.  My hope is that the pictures, the silly jokes, and the discussions can all stir up some spirit within folks to take an action, large or small to make something better.  Heck, if we all do something together, we all do something toward the same goal we are working as one body in Christ and what can stop us then?

What did I Learn as a Food Justice YAV Living with 3 Girls?

I wrapped up my term in Boston faster than I wanted to.  I felt like I had just figured out what I was doing, and then it all went away.  When I drove back on the 15th with Kathleen I was missing a lot of people, thinking about how much I've grown this year.  I want to share a few last reflections before I close out this blog.

People have asked me many questions about the year, so here are my top three answers to each of my top three questions:


What did you learn in Boston?  

1.  As a YAV in Boston I was in the top 5% of the world in terms of income.  Yes. On my approx $20,000 annual income ($470 per month plus $120 in food stamps plus everything YAV paid in car insurance, rent, utilities, and my dad's health insurance)  I had more money than 95% of the world.  That is right at poverty line in Massachusetts and I was in the top 5% of wealth in the world.  Every little bit we can give can make a big difference to so many people in the world.  Boston Faith & Justice Network's Lazarus at the Gate class helps us each individually become more generous with this abundant wealth we have.  I promoted that message all year.  It gave me a faith context and real life ways I could do something about the large gap between wealth and poverty in our world.

2. God cares about food and the church should be leading the food movement.  I came into the year thinking the Boston churches were bringing organic, local, fresh produce into their meals programs to be hip and trendy.  I felt like my scientific interest in saving the planet had no place in the church.  But around December I got smacked in the face with biblical definitions of Justice from the old testament prophets, the Manna stories, and the gospels, and then it was clear.  God wants us to take care of the widow, orphan, traveler, hungry, naked, sick, and those in need. We've all heard love your neighbor, and share your toys since childhood. The problems in our food system and environment are leaving people hungry, orphaned, traveling, and in need.  The church should be actively working for alternatives, and better systems so that we can effectively do these things the God asks (and sometimes pretty sternly commands) us to do.

What good does it do to feed the hungry with vegetables picked by migrant labor if the laborers cannot afford to buy the food they pick?  These are issues of justice that God has been concerned about before "Organic" and "Local" became trendy so God's people absolutely should be part of this conversation and deeply involved.  So let's get to it, we've work to do!

3.  Transition happens.  People die, people retire, people move away.  This year, I've lost people close to me to taking new jobs, new property, retirement, suicide, sudden heart attacks, and even my own moving back home.  So many I know have lost family members, classmates, friends, and family this year.  It happens, you can't avoid it, and it sucks.  When working with such big problems it's key to consider ways to sustain the solutions throughout the transitions.  Keep in mind how to invite others in to take your place, or to make tasks accessible for others to fill in as needed so that it doesn't depend on any one or two individuals.


What kitchen skills/ lessons will you bring with you?

1.  Save every last bone that comes through my kitchen, and every stem, peel and veggie scrap for soup stock.  I will never buy soup stock again.  (Also sorry to new Boston YAVs for all the duck fat I forgot to get out of the freezer)
2.  Buy root veggies with the greens on them, and eat the greens and the roots.  It's a two-for-one deal
3.  Gus was right when he told me making acorn flour was too much trouble and I shouldn't fool with it.


What is it like living with 3 girls?

1.  Not going to lie it was fun.  I got to share a tent, bathroom, and several nights out with just me and three ladies.
2.  The girls individually paid way more than I did on shower supplies and haircuts.  But really-a lot more, and they had to take trips to CVS without me to buy those bathroom things I don't have to buy.  So tell me why do men get paid more?
3.  Women (some more than others) like to talk about what's going on at certian times of the month and they speak every chance they can about men making political decisions about their reproductive organs.  This doesn't have to do with my fellow Boston YAV's specifically but birth control treats important things down there and some women take it because they need it, not because they are having sex.   Why does the supreme court allow companies to opt out of having insurance cover birth control, but still cover viagra?  How does this relate to my religion?

I will be posting a few more thoughts in the next few days.

What other questions do you have?  What are some things you learned about God, life, the universe and everything this year?




Thursday, August 14, 2014

Busted Watermelon

Tonight I said goodbye to Jane McIninch.  She has been an exceptional mentor, one of the coolest and amazing people I've been blessed to work with.  I didn't realize until about a week ago how much I'm going to miss her.  If you come to Boston, look her up first, ok.

Food Pantry Co-coordinators Jane (left) and Cristina (right)
with the Farmer Dave's produce donations last fall.

 She doesn't know I've called her Wonder Woman to my housemates. She has her hands involved in Farmer Dave's CSA, the food pantry, the community garden, the chamber of commerce, the church, the YAV program, the schools, the soccer teams, the Walk for Hunger....  Just to follow her around is an insight into food justice work.  Jane is from Denmark.  She used to work in a corporate Biotech company. She used to own her own chocolate-making business!   Her husband James is a wizard, fixes anything, knows everything, and gives the children sermons at church.  Thomas their son loves to read, he's tall, quiet, pretty funny when he speaks and great at basketball. Their younger son Kasper plays the recorder, plays soccer, and mindcraft and is pretty good at frisbe.  Both kids always wear their red soccer uniforms (the Danish color) and they are all soooo intelligent.  We "youth's" hadn't been the closest of friends but I've felt like one of the family when I'd ask Jane for help on my projects at her kitchen table in between Thomas and Kasper asking for help on their homework.  They were the first family from my church I ever met, and the last one I saw.  They've given me lots of support this year, I'll never forget them.

Jane (right) helping Barbara, Seabrite
and Skyra roll out pasta dough at the
first Manna Monday.
Boy did they get some long noodles!!



I started really thinking about them hard on Tuesday morning and here is a pretty crazy story about Jane's family.

I said Jane does so much for the town of Burlington.   Monday she put an end to a high speed police chase.  For real! You may have seen it in the news.  It's crazy she and her kids are who they're talking about in this news report.  This guy was being chased from the Burlington Mall when he fled after being approached about idling in a handicap space.  Police chased him northward on Cambridge Street as Jane and I were driving south in separate cars. It was minutes after we closed the church from the Farmer Dave's distribution. Two police cruisers flew past me.  Reports said an officer (probably the one that flew past me) fired two shots at the driver. He tried to hit the policeman, rear-ended a car in his lane, then swerved over and hit Jane head on. Totaling both cars.  The dummy then got out of the car and tried to run away when they got him.  A local news article about it is found here.

Jane's kids were in the backseat. They are fine, a few seatbelt bruises and a little shaken up.  Both back at camp the next day and playing frisbe with me today.  One of the officers on the scene was their neighbor whose kid played sports with her kids.  Jane is ok, "just beat  up and without a car" she told me Tuesday.  They all are fine. Don't panic.  Her four watermelons and two cantelopes didn't have such a fortunate outcome.

I was literally 2 stoplights behind her, I left the church about two minutes later because I went back in the kitchen to grab two watermelons we dropped and busted during Farmer Dave's distribution.  I heard the shots and didn't think twice about it.  I saw police swarming in from everywhere and decided to take a detour home.  The thought crossed my mind, "sometimes Jane comes this way to the grocery store, but she's probably going home the other way because the kids are with her." I almost went all the way around the block to snoop and see what was up but I was running late so I went home.

I had no idea she was in that crazy mess, or exactly what all the crazy mess was until they texted me after midnight that she wouldn't be meeting me at the pantry in the morning.

Then I heard the NPR report on the way to work and put all the pieces together.  I wanted to kill the guy.  He's an idiot and he could have killed Jane--my only work supervisor who hasn't left me yet.  I felt a crazy anger overtake me and had to pull over and calm myself down. (maybe I got my own mental problems I need to work on.)

If I hadn't gone back in the church for that busted watermelon I'd probably have been right in the middle of all that. Probably texting the roommates I was running late.  I had some angels watching me.  And lots of angels were watching her and the kids. Whew.

That particular spot on Cambridge Street where she was hit is where I picked up the older lady on the walker a few weeks ago from a previous post.  It's a particular spot that I often get flashbacks to either my first day of work, or the day Gus died when I drive through. It always has been and continues to be slightly spooky.

It just takes an instant to take it all away. I am so thankful everyone can walk away from that accident and thankful for the police and medics.  I pray for Jane and the kids. I pray for the idiot who I wanted to beat up Tuesday morning.  He has no easy path before him. I pray for the annoying reporters bothering Jane.  I pray for those I know, and those I don't know who didn't walk away from their accident.  I pray that God can show us some signs of hope.

God of grace, thank you for today and that I am still here.  Reveal yourself to us.  Thank you for putting Jane in my life and for protecting her this week.  Thank you for letting me drop and bust that watermelon--it was delicous when I ate it, but quickly forgotten when I realized what craziness was going on outside of my table. May our eyes be opened beyond the delicious watermelon in front of us. May we see your wonderful works and see how to support those in pain.  Protect your children and help us show compassion to those who hurt us and make us angry.  Amen

image from
http://gawker.com/drug-cartel-busted-using-fake-watermelons-to-smuggle-we-1594695148



Monday, July 28, 2014

Cape Cod: vegetables, beaches, and immigrants. What a camping trip!



I’ve always heard about Cape Cod as an expensive tourist destination or place to retire. Last week I got to see a different part of the cape.  We visited and volunteered with CapeAbilities farm.  This rather well-known farm employs and trains people with all levels of mental and/or physical disabilities growing food and flowers or making sea salt.  They have locations all over the cape with a farm in Dennis, a Farm to Table Market in Chatham, and a thrift shop in Barnstable.

Ian the greenhouse manager at the central office in Hyannis showed us around and had us seeding some micro greens, and pruning the tomatoes.  Ian broke his neck about five years ago in a terrible accident out west, but you’d never know it since surgery allowed him to walk again. He said it was a miracle he didn’t die, and another miracle that they fixed his vertebra in his neck.  For a short while he was stuck in a wheelchair and realized just how little he could do.  He was drawn to work at CapeAbilities because it allows him to give opportunity for other people who are limited in the work or service they can give.  He can find work for any skill level in the greenhouse.

I was deeply moved by this experience working with Ian, and a girl named Liz who didn’t speak to me and just filled pots with soil the whole time.  I encourage anyone who visits Cape Cod to stop by one of their operations to see how growing food can change people.  They'll even give you a navy blue volunteer shirt!

All the food we eat has fingerprints on it because someone picked it at some point (something I heard from our supervisor Maggie).  It is amazing to think someone’s life was made a little better by having the chance to pick the tomatoes, peppers, and herbs we saw in the greenhouse.  Learn more at www.CapeAbilities.org

 

From left to right Alex, Audrey, Libby, Ian, Kathleen 

We also got to see my new-former pastor Rod and his wife Cathy who have retired on the cape.  He's the one who told me about CapeAbilities and gave us some lunch and dinner one night.  It was a great camping trip, and a wonderful side of food justice to experience.  



After the volunteering we visited some of the beaches and toured around a wind mill and grist mill where they used to grind grains (primarily corn) into flour with renewable energy.  Although the operation to dam up the water behind the grist mill is slightly invasive to natural plant and animal habitat, this was a virtually free, earth-friendly way to harness the energy of nature.  I was grateful to step back into the frame of mind of a slower time when folks knew how close the natural world is to our lives. A time when people knew where most of their food came from. A time when there wasn't internet to set up a last minute camping trip on the cape....

The Cape experiences seasonal poverty when agriculture and tourism die down in the winter. Many people are left without work, and wind up homeless for several of the coldest months.  Until work resumes in the summer they often can't afford rent.  There is a large amount of public assistance on the cape despite it's reputation as somewhere only the wealthiest go to their ornate beautiful beachfront property, or where they retire in a condo.  

In current events, a military base on the cape has been considered to host some of the millions of immigrant children coming across our boarders until they can be reunited with family here or sent home.  It's raised quite the controversy on the cape with much opposition.  Seemingly the ever famous pain in the butt, NIMBY (not in my back yard) mentality has folks trying to chase away people that want to do a lot of good and drop a lot of federal money in the region.  This article explains some of the opposition.  It reminds me of tense moments in local politics at home.

I was deeply  moved hearing Massachusetts Governor Patrick trying to be of help to these many children without a home.  He has quite the moving speech on this video.  It gets pretty good at 6 minutes.  Since he's not up for re-election he said a lot about his faith and God calling us to care for the traveler, orphan, and sojourner in our midst, and reminds us that we will have to answer for our "actions and inaction" one day.  It will be interesting to see how it plays out.  It's pretty evenly split in state government.   

So here I stand in the food justice league bringing you the latest from the cape in my cape.  Even the vacation spots have room for justice, and the cape's off to a great start with CapeAbilities!  


Sunday, July 20, 2014

Compost

This is a revised version of a post I submitted to the Presbyterian Hunger Program's blog a few weeks ago about one of my projects starting compost at the church in Burlington.  Read the full thing and the latest in food justice work all over the world here.  It's also a story I shared in my church's newsletter.  Please enjoy some interesting theology and liturgy of compost:



June 9 was a special day for me and compost.  T’was the day I installed a compost bin at my church in Burlington, MA and it happened to be the day I learned what other churches are doing with compost.  I saw an exciting webinar with the Presbyterian Hunger Program (the keepers of this blog) that went rapid fire through 8 awesome food and sustainability projects going on at Presbyterian camps, church basements, roofs, and yards. One of those church yards, "Sacred Greens" at Church of the Pilgrims in Washington, DC provided some liturgy and faith background on compost for me to incorporate into my church’s journey with our new compost bin.  I'd like to share some of my thoughts on compost as well as some from Ashley Goff at Church of the Pilgrims featured in the webinar.  (watch the entire webinar here, Sacred Greens begins around 48min.) 

Our church in Burlington hosts a weekly distribution of Farmer Dave's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).  Customers pay the farm directly at the beginning of the season and get a weekly "share" of whatever's ready to harvest.  The farm drops it off at the church, and we set it up in the playground.  The parent's let their kids play while we help them identify the veggies and give cooking ideas.  A fun time for all!  
We got the compost bin so brown leaves, carrot tops, thick stems, or other scraps that get left behind from the farm customers don't end up in the landfill.  And we are working to direct more waste from the church kitchen and from members’ homes into the bin. 

Food scraps such as greens and coffee contain high levels of organic matter that generate high levels of methane gas when decomposing in landfills.  Landfills are the third largest source of atmospheric methane—a greenhouse gas over 10 times worse than carbon dioxide 1.  And food waste is the largest category of waste in our nation’s landfills2.  In a small way, throwing the vegetable scraps from the farm share and church events in the trash can, we are contributing to a larger environmental problem. 

Composting can significantly reduce the amount of waste we put in the landfills, reduce the stench of trash cans, and it provides a natural nutritious soil amendment for a vegetable garden, or the church flowers if nothing else.  Consider composting in your own yard, contributing to your neighborhood's compost, or start one at your own church!   It’s a very simple process.  
But why should a church compost? Is there any theological reason for it?  Other than doing justice to our planet, I answer these questions with some help from Ashley Goff of Washington, DC featured in that webinar.  

Sacred Greens’ compost began with a verma-compost bin (worm bin) where church members could bring vegetable scraps that earthworms could transform into vibrant, life-giving soil for the church garden—which supplies some food to their weekly meals program.  Their trash could feed worms that feed some plants that feed hungry people in their community. The trash deemed for disposal and death was rescued, saved and made into new life.  Kind of like how God rescues and saves us from the death of sin, and through Jesus Christ makes for us a new life. 

This church dove more into the theology and liturgy.  They came up with what they called a “God story for the garden” with three parts: 1. Compost is an act of resurrection.  2. Growing is an act of resistance.  3. Eating is an act of remembrance. 

Compost is an act of resurrection?  Hmm?  “Dying with the old to create the new,” Ashley Goff said.  That’s what compost does to plants.  Living things we put in the bin die, rot, and decay to welcome the way for new life.  Ashley likened this to Christ dying on the cross, and being resurrected to new life so our lives become new.  We must die completely from sin, so that God can fill us with new life, His life and his spirit.  I see it as a clever Sunday school lesson or even a sermon illustration, but this church did something I never would have thought with the theology of compost and new life.  They used the compost pile as a communion table.  Yes, you heard me correctly.  Here is the story: 

During a special fall sermon series on food and faith, they had a wheelbarrow of veggie scraps at door, midway decomposed compost in the Baptismal font, and in the front of the sanctuary, the bread and cup sitting on top of a pile of fully composted compost. 

Symbolically this represented the journey of transformation we go through as Christians.  In Christ we are transformed from one thing, perhaps a bunch of scraps, into something better.  At Baptism we know this and we have started to be transformed, but we are only midway there.  Like the partially rotted compost you can still see there is work to be done before our minds and hearts are entirely God’s.  And at communion we are completely transformed, like the compost ready to feed someone else.



Photos used with permission from Ashley Goff, taken by Andrew Satter asatter.com
These images and others are shown on the PHP Webinar mentioned above.


The church sat on the floor around the compost pile and shared communion recognizing the mortality of our bodies we usually only recall on Ash Wednesday; remembering the adamah, the soil that God made into Adam.  The soil and dust we will all return to and shouldn’t distance ourselves from.  The soil that feeds the food we eat, that was once alive and is now dead but full of life.  They also shared the eternity we have through Christ that we will be transformed through him.  God’s love and spirit will become new after death.  Likewise this compost is dead, new, and ready to feed next year’s garden. 

This story of compost at Sacred Greens is featured in the Washington Post and soon to be in the Union Theological Seminary Quarterly Review. 

It’s a little weird, new and different, but it makes sense if you think about it.  Compost can be part of your life, your church’s life, or even your church’s communion.  So let it rot!!! That’s what’s been on my mind since June 9 as I encourage composting at church. Thanks for reading!

Thanks to Ashley Goff for her resources, and Andrew Satter for the images. More of his photos at asatter.com.   

  1. EPA (2014). “Overview of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Methane Emissions.” EPA official website. Retrieved from http://epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/gases/ch4.html
  2. EPA (2012). Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Facts and Figures for 2012. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/2012_msw_fs.pdf

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

What does the voice of God sound like?

I drive in Boston. It's warming up so not only must I dodge the potholes now exposed after the snowdrifts receded, but also all the bikers, runners, jaywalkers, motorcyclists, and scooters who come out from their hibernation.

Sunday I encountered a new variety of pedestrian.  An older lady on her walker.  Walking down the hill on Cambridge Street in Burlington, she reached a place where the sidewalk ends so she just kept her stride a going alongside all the cars.  I almost didn't see her the way the shadows ran.

When I drove past I thought of my Great Aunt Nancy who has been deceased four years now, and how much my mom would be yelling at her if she was racing the northbound Sunday traffic in the right lane of a main road in the Boston suburbs, Is this woman crazy!?  I then recalled my old Campus pastor from freshman year Kathleen Haines telling a story of picking up a woman walking a stroller with two kids in the street where there was no sidewalk.  Rev Kathleen would pick up people all the time. Then I just decided, "I'm going to offer this woman a ride."

I didn't hear a voice from the clouds like it was Monty Python and the holy grail, or even something crazy like a burning bush.  Just a split second decision to do something about this unsafe unnecesary act while recalling the examples of kindness I'd seen from previous chapters of my life when rides were given.

I turned around and pulled over.   It was awkward, the only place I could stop to wait on her was an intersection where a guy trimming bushes gave me funny looks for just idling there.  And I stayed in my car waiting for her to continue down the busy street to where I was, praying no one hit her while I just sat there.  It's crazy with vehicles, one short mistake and that could be the end.  As she crossed the side street in front of me I asked if she needed a ride somewhere.  She said "you can take me back to my apartment right down the hill here."  I helped her in the passengers seat and folded the walker.  I really felt like I was with Aunt Nancy or going to lunch with someone from Sunnyside assisted living home during my college days.

As we drove down the hill I said, "just tell me where to turn."  She said, "I live in ____ Apartments on Birchcrest street. it's right down the hill here." Still being unfamiliar with the neighborhood, I thought I'd just keep going and wait for her to tell me where to go.  We kept going, she told me she passed this store, and these buildings, and that one, and it's on her side just up here.   At almost 2 miles from where I picked her up I realized--and she realized--she was lost.  We drove back to the town common near where I picked her up to try and maybe ask at the town hall or police station for directions. But it was Sunday so that's all closed.

From what I gathered she got to the town common, a large park and got turned around and was walking down the wrong side street from the park thinking it was hers when I saw her in the road.

Oh Boston.

I drove her to my church and found Steven, the doorman, head of Sanctuary Security.  He told me where her apartments were.  I asked if she wanted to stay for church. She laughed.  I took her home.  She said to say a prayer for her.  The end.

I share that story first of all to say, I';m pretty sure I'll be a nasty mess to take care of when I'm older.  Friends, just shoot me when I get old and daffy.  Just hit me when I make it to the road in my walker.
wind up racing grannies
Image retrieved from http://www.racinggrannies.com/

Second I want to reflect on what may or may not be an experience of calling.

When I passed her I said out loud, "that woman is on a walker in the middle of the road what kind of place is this?" then those thoughts of Rev Kathleen picking up people in Harrisonburg, VA then I just turned around to ask.  No "voice of God" just a memory and the realization I could do something about this thing I saw wasn't right.

When she was in the car I thought it would be just one straightforward task, but I was just as lost as she was.  I don't know my way around Burlington very well.  I looked through my car and didn't have a map.  I had to make a lot of problem solving decisions.  Who do I call, where do I go, who should I ask???  Was I the best person to pick her up?  Thankfully, being Sunday, I had a congregation of long time Massachusetts residents at church to be a living GPS for me.

If I say this was "the spirit moving" like some people from church told me it was, I want to let you know that sometimes we may be pretty confused doing what the spirit wants.  And that's ok, just go along with it.  Sometimes God gives us the heart for something but maybe not a roadmap.  Maybe you'll be confused a lot of the time. The Bible tells us God provides (Philippians 4:19) .  But when it seems like God doesn't provide (you can't find the map) you see that God gives us community, other members of his body to recruit for help.  Other people are such an accessible resource.  Weather in a church, school, or just asking a random guy on the sidewalk for directions, God will give you all the resources you need to help.  Trust that.  God says, "I will never leave you nor forsake you"

If it wasn't the spirit moving...then what do you call the time lining up that I was late leaving the house and hit the right number of red lights so that I saw this lady at the one block where there was no sidewalk and she was in the street.  And I'm not one to pick up people often, it just kind of happened.  I even wanted to stop that day for some groceries on the way, but just felt like I should keep going.  If we don't call it the spirit, what else is there?  please answer that for me in the comments section.

Afterwards I wonder if I hadn't picked her up how far would she have walked along that street before asking for help or realizing it was the wrong street?  Who else would have stopped to pick her up that may have known the city better?  What other driver texting or changing the radio wouldn't see her and hit her?  You can go down the wild road of  scenarios on how the events would have played out otherwise, or how I could have done it better.  But it happened this way and I hope she's in a better place for it.

Is this the work of God? Is this just Alex doing something nice so he can write about it?  Does the motive even matter?  How do you tell the difference between your gut and the holy spirit?
In my attempt to answer these questions I acknowledge I don't have a seminary degree, but here's my best guess.
1. "Follow your gut and follow your heart.  God's in both of them"  My friend Hannah told me that.  2. If it is a voice telling you to show love, grace, and/or compassion it's probably the holy spirit.  Do it. That's my answer. 1 John 4 says it pretty eloquently.
"do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world.  By this you know the spirit of God; every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God.  This is the spirit of antichrist, of which you heard that it was coming and now it is in the world already.  Little children, you are of God and have overcome them; for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world...we are of God.  Whoever knows God listens to us and he who is not of God does not listen to us.  By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

All deep questions I think about in my spare time.  When did you respond to a voice from God? or a gut feeling to do something Godly?

Sunday, June 22, 2014

General Assembly 4: The church's work for serious mental illnesses

Thursday the 19th I was brought to tears at a dinner with the Compassion, Peace, Justice branch of Presbyterian Mission Agency at General Assembly.  One of their subgroups, the Presbyterian Health Education and Welfare Administration started giving awards to partner churches.

First Presbyterian Church in Danville, IL received one for starting a church group called "Comfort My People" named after Isaiah 40:1; an open place to talk about serious mental illnesses, specifically Bipolar disorder for all those affected by it.

The lady receiving the award gave a description of their group study, and progress on understanding and coping alongside several of their church members suffering from bipolar.

I was literally brought to tears and stepped outside to cry a minute before I realized I needed to go back inside and talk to this woman.  My close friend Gus had bipolar.  That condition led him to kill himself seven months ago to the day I was at this dinner.  Their church in Illinois designated May as mental health awareness month when they incorporate prayers for those affected by mental disorders into their worship.  Gus' birthday was in May.

I never ever felt comfortable talking with Gus about his condition, or talking to others about it.  The last day I ever saw Gus, I brought it up to him, and he got mad at me. Everyone saw Gus when he was ok, brightening up our day, saying something random, bizarre, caring, and loving.  Days when he was full of compassion and honesty.  He just made things better and life much more full to everyone around him. I wrote a lot about that this winter here.

I also saw him get bad because of his disease, and was around him when he just wasn't himself, but felt and continue to feel so helpless on what I can really do.  Too many times I didn't tell anyone about him fearing it wasn't my place, and I shouldn't talk about it.  How different it may have been if I were more comfortable talking about, like members of this church's group seemed to be, together.

Little did I know my denomination--The denomination of the church where Gus grew up, where I met Gus in confirmation class--has had studies and resources on how churches can deal with and talk openly about serious mental health conditions since 2008 and probably before.  There is a whole committee called Presbyterian Serious Mental Illness Network, a cousin in Presbyterian Mission Agency to the Young Adult Volunteers (who I serve in Boston).

The woman accepting the award, Katie, talked about how their pianist only signed on to play music for them because of the experience he had in their group.  He had bipolar disorder, and having that church who did a study of how to minister to and understand the stigma, the symptoms, and those dealing with bipolar provided the place of understanding this pianist needed.

The group used some resources from the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance in Chicago.  They also used scriptures and discussion questions from the Presbyterian Church's statement on serious mental illness, and a study guide the denomination created for church groups.

It sounded wonderful and very meaningful to the life of that church. I couldn't help but feel regret that those of us close to Gus had trouble understanding and dealing with him sometimes and how maybe, just maybe, the church could have been a place for him to talk, and us to talk.  I never had a good open conversation about the really dark times until he was dead.  Gus' family and many of his friends have been blaming the state's failure to provide Gus with care. The state's system clearly messed up and didn't find him a bed when he needed it. Period. But I think we all let him down a little bit too. Many of us feel that helplessness that we individually didn't know what to do, and the things we did, didn't work.  I share access to these newly found resources for individuals and churches who are still dealing with such conditions that it might make it easier to understand and talk about.

Please consider these resources for your church, club, or small group and share them with others and families who may be interested.  The church is to be the salt of the earth, and the light of the world.  The church must be a safe place, especially when the state fails to be!  God can heal anything broken.  An honest community can heal most things!  

Helpful links and resources (please share other helpful resources you know of):

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

General Assembly 3

Monday all three food-justice overtures I was following made it through committee and will be sent to the main General Assembly body on Wednesday for the final say.  Please read my previous post "General Assembly 1" for more info.  Here are a few details.

Overtures 09-09 and 09-11 on the first 1,000 days of a child's life, and promotion of the principle of food sovereignty were sent to the committee on social justice (committee 09).  This committee also considered more controversial subjects like 2 overtures related to gun violence (09-01 on Reducing Gun Violence and 09-07 Preventing Gun violence) and one calling for further study on the church's stance on abortion, which I watched the open hearing arguments for.  The food-related overtures passed with relative ease.

There was no argument about the 1,000 days campaign, everyone pretty much agreed that nutrition for infants should be a priority.

The food sovereignty overture raised some questions.  One person didn't do his homework and asked about the definition of food sovereignty.  He feared it messed with our relationship to God, who is sovereign. Sometimes I forget that not everyone is as well versed as I am with these food terms like this that have been widely used since 1996.  There was a small change to the overture where they removed the clause about returning land from land grabs to original owners.  This was made in part due to confusion on how far back in history would the church push for land restoration (Native Americans and Europeans), and fear that the larger assembly would make it an issue about Israel and Palestine referring to land being returned to the owners.  They removed this language entirely in hopes it would not confuse the larger body who has the final say and keep it limited to food which is important.

In committee 15, the Committee on Immigration and Environmental Issues held an open hearing on overtures 15-01, 02, and 03.  One being fossil fuel divestment, 2 is consideration of the precautionary principle and sustainable development that I was watching, and 3 was affirming the stance of an Oregon group looking for a study on some coal projects in the area. During the open hearing anyone who signed up before the end of the day Sunday could speak for or against the overtures.

One wrench that got thrown in the socket was on the precautionary principle overture, one lady advocating  for the abortion study overture in the social justice committee spoke in favor of the precautionary principle because it would allow "careful consideration" of things that may cause harm to human life, which she interpreted as abortions.  Meaning the church might consider changing the current policy on abortion by forbidding it all together because it caused "harm to human life".  Another person argued that supporting the term "sustainable development" might suggest abortion as birth control in some rural villages in the developing world.  These seemed so far beyond the overture I didn't think anyone saw it coming except one other lady from the morning hearing on abortion spoke in favor of the overture.  She asked the committee to make sure they considered wording that did not suggest the precautionary principle would apply to abortion.  It was a mess.  Eventually it passed with a few amendments added, but this goes to show how crazy and literal people take this when they have an agenda in mind.

 That was weird because the precautionary principle as defined in the overture was specifically speaking toward new technologies, chemicals, and goods introduced to the market.  Following the overture, the church would advocate that these things be tested to show their safety and level of harm to consumers rather than the current system of putting something out on the market, and then keeping it there until it is tested to be unsafe.  It puts precaution over profit for new emerging technologies, toxins, and GMOs, and really doesn't speak to abortion which was definitely covered by the social justice committee. But when someone's got an agenda, they do their homework and they look for loopholes.

The two on food justice were passed with a more than 75% majority so they will be lumped together with other bills and overtures with such a majority in committee and voted on together on Wednesday.  The Precautionary Principle overture passed with a 60 something percent majority and will be voted on by the larger assembly on its own.  We should know by Wednesday if they pass the plenary session and become real.

On Tuesday I sat through the Environmental committee on the question of divestment from fossil fuel companies.  Stay tuned for more details.  That one was tough to sit through.

Monday, June 16, 2014

General Assembly 2

As a Boston YAV, I'm visiting General Assembly in Detroit following the latest policy changes in the Presbyterian Church USA denomination.  Please see my previous post on some food and environmental-related policies.

Sunday I learned more on the hot button topic, gay marriage.  I attended a worship service with More Light Presbyterians.  They are all about including LGBTQ people in the work of the church.  It stretched me a little, and I grew a little. I want to apologize for my naive understanding of LGBTQ and if I use terms incorrectly please tell me to change them, as I'm not well versed in sex terms.  But this isn't about sex, it's about compassion.

Compassion.  A word that reminds me of the unique perspective of a former colleague, Alex Zuercher.  Alex's example and message reflecting compassion along with Gus doing the same for honesty, made my last year's summer home of a bunk house full of rowdy boy campers a tame place.  A word which these fine men shaped into my own character.  A word I would have said described me until Sunday.

Compassion.  That's what I heard about from More Light Presbyterians.  Compassion they said is having a heart for someone else.  Back to the Latin roots it comes from compati, meaning to sympathize with:   com (with) + pati (to suffer).  It means to share, sypmpathize and really know what someone is struggling with.  The preacher used the story of Joseph's brothers selling him into slavery as an example of apathy, the opposite of compassion.  Not until they saw their father weep for days at Joseph's bloody coat did they understand their father's compassion.  If you have a few minutes please read or watch Anna Barclay's sermon here.

She told about the many times we create, "the other." Someone different than us, like Joseph's brothers did to him.  For us it may be the poor, the homeless, the hungry, maybe those on welfare, those on food stamps.  Maybe those who wear the rainbow scarfs at GA, those who use these letters LGBTQ to identify themselves. People we cast out.  People we are tired of hearing from that we want to throw into the pit like Joseph and get back to "normal life."  But if we have compassion would we make them "the other"?

Honesty moment.  LGBTQ is weird to me.  I'm a little uncomfortable around these people, I tend to make them "the other".  I consider myself sheltered, but becoming more open-minded, sometimes old fashioned.  I was called a grandpa just today.  I like females, I think that's normal, and I don't understand homosexuality.  I know sexuality is part of ourselves that we discover growing up.  I know and believe we need safe people in our lives to explore and understand this about ourselves.  I think our sexual drives can get us in big trouble and I associate these letters with being promiscuous, lustful and and wrong.  If I stop there, like I sometimes do, I create "the other" and throw out the letters LGBTQ like I understand what that means.

But I can't stop there.  We can't stop there and say we know.......Not if we have compassion.  So I'm sorry for the times I do.

I know there are parts of myself most people don't know, there are parts of myself even my closest friends don't know, and there are parts of myself that even I don't know.  So there is plenty of room for other people to have parts of their lives I don't know or understand.  And that's ok with me to a degree.  I don't know everything about the world.  I know the world is bigger than me.  The church is bigger than me.  God is bigger than what I think God is.  Compassion, is recognizing that it's more than me, my own thoughts, and what my great uncle is thinking right now as he rolls over in his grave hearing me breaching this subject.  Compassion is listening, hearing, truly understanding, and loving someone.  Loving someone so much that they aren't an "other" they are one with you, with all of us, with Christ.

In Anna's sermon she mentioned several other problems that exist in the LGBTQ and Ally community like poverty among queers, racism toward people of color in the LGBTQ community.  The fact that Anna herself feels more comfortable as an openly queer woman of color in a white crowd than she does in a black crowd.  That doesn't even scratch the surface of injustice, apathy, and lack of compassion among this group.  All this stuff we people privileged, "normal," "non-other," or maybe just too uncomfortable to bring up don't know about because we make them "the other" we get uncomfortable, scared, and don't talk about it.  We deny compassion and ignore them in the pit, or like Joseph's brother Reuben, we feel compassion but we don't speak loud enough against the injustice and apathy.

I work for "Food Justice" it's a loaded term, two trendy words put together.  It's Justice (read Isaiah, Amos, Micah, and listen to Jesus. You'll get it) and we do that through work with food.  My work shows me that God want's justice, and compassion, and we do it through the church so people know that God's church does too.  Christ knows those parts of ourselves that we don't tell everyone about, the parts we may not have explored yet.  Christ went as far as to feel compassion and empathy with us by living, struggling alongside us and dying as a human. But even further he rose from death and freed us from it.  That's compassion.

If the hungry, the poor, the broken, the widows, the orphans, the oppressed, the racially-discriminated, the LGBTQs "the others" can't find compassion in the church, what good is the church?  And there are some pretty stern warnings in the scriptures on what happens when you don't show compassion...

These issues are hard.  They ask sheltered, privleged guys like me to change the way things have always been, they get old fashioned people like me who like the status quo a little worried.  But I'm learning it's about improvement, not change.  Look at the Bible and honestly tell me things never change.  Look at the people in the last year in your life who have died, moved away, had kids, gotten married, divorced, incarcerated, employed, laid off, and tell me things don't change.  Things will change, and we need to get over it.  But through compassion we can change things for the better. Lets understand the people we make "the other" in our life, truly understand what they struggle with, and share what we struggle with.  Let's not throw them in a pit and sell them into slavery, but see the good, the value, the imago Dei (image of God) in them.  Lets create a system that makes compassion and understanding among different groups easier, better, and more loving.

May we all find compassion in our lives from those around us, and extend that to others who we encounter who may seem different, scary and make us uncomfortable.  God has compassion for them, why don't we?   Sunday I learned I don't have a clue about the LGBTQ community, but I hope compassion will get me to some understanding, and I hope GA and churches considering these tough issues start with compassion.  Compassion is as old-fashioned as it gets!