Moths were flocking around the halogen lights in the parking lot, and people too were streaming through the darkness towards the light. On this muggy August night in Memphis, I was one of those pilgrims leaving my locked car and heading towards the brightly illuminated green grass and white lines. I had already been to a Saturday afternoon game a few weeks earlier—but then I had brought friends with me who actually cared about football and were willing to explain the details of the positions and strategy to me. Now, however, I brought only myself and a hunch that somehow this was the right thing to do. As a new teacher at an urban and mostly African-American high school, my white skin and my Northern accent automatically made me outsider. I knew that I had to understand Melrose football if I was going to really become a part of the community.
After paying for my ticket, I made my way through the crowds towards the stands. I remember laughing on the inside when someone rather loudly swore and then exclaimed, “There goes a white boy in a Melrose shirt.” I managed to find an open seat and sat down to pretend that I was riveted by the game and was following each play and strategy decision carefully. Instead, I was really just enjoying being in another culture and trying to understand more the community I was in.
For most of the game, I couldn’t get any conversation going with any of my neighbors, but I didn’t really mind much. I was shocked by the alcohol everywhere—at a high school sporting event—and I wasn’t sure what to think of the fact that people seemed to hide their smuggled concoctions once I sat down (perhaps they thought I was a cop). I was pleasantly surprised, however, by the quality and enthusiasm of the pep band and the folks in the stands who knew when and how to shout “Orange Mound!” at certain points in certain songs.
At the end of the night, I did meet a friendly man whose kids go to Melrose and he gave me his business card (he runs a pressure-washing service) and I enjoyed talking with him for a short while. Despite the fact that I learned a lot about the school culture, I didn’t feel like I really crossed any bridges and made much progress towards being more of a part of the school community: I didn’t see many students and didn’t see any other teachers.
The students, however, did see me. On arriving at school the next Monday, more than a few students commented that they saw me at the game and others asked me if I enjoyed it. Not a single person ridiculed me for being there, and some seemed somewhat better behaved after having seen me outside of an educational context. Perhaps my night was more fruitful than I had thought.
Since then, I’ve made it to a handful of other games and even worked in the concession stand for two games. I’ve met several very friendly alumni, fans and parents and I continue to see smiles on students faces when they see me there (they are still generally surprised to see me, but they always seem to appreciate it)—and some students have taken to loudly greeting me and hollering my name from a distance. I have even begun to enjoy football to some extent!
Who knew that being a community member was as easy as “watching” football on Friday nights!
November 2007
Thursday, October 23, 2008
"Hope" by Steve Houlihan
There is one thing that really stands out in my mind after spending a year living in the inner-city: people need hope. I know it is a simple statement and probably something that we all know, or at least think we know, but it is definitely something we too often forget.
Hope is something that most of us take for granted. I know that before moving to Yale Avenue I never thought twice about hope or recognized the role that it plays in my life. I would consider myself a self-motivated person, one who doesn’t need to be pushed to exert effort. A year ago I would have mistakenly told you that this is something I was born with or that my parents instilled it in me, but now I have learned that, like all “self-motivated” people, I am dependant on hope for my motivation. The reason I have the perseverance to push through tough times is because I have hope for something better on the other side. And the reason I have hope for something better is because I see and have seen the better times. The reason I am motivated to work hard is because I have hope that my situation will improve because of my work. I anticipate promotions in the future, promotions that I will likely receive.
A similar train of thought can be applied to eternity, I have hope that heaven is a great place—as it most certainly is—because I know that my God is an awesome God. I pursue a righteous relationship with Him because I have an assured hope that He is great and loving. There is tangible evidence in my life that God is merciful, compassionate, and loving. But what about someone who has not seen, or at least recognized, God’s loving hand in their life. Or, how about someone who has been continually let down by the school system, teachers, parents, and employers? Should I expect the same level of motivation, work ethic, and hope?
I am often guilty of casting judgment on people without jobs, without dignity, without motivation. I forget that there are millions of people living in inner-city America who live without hope. This is something I can never fully understand because I have come from a background filled with opportunity, choices and success. Hopelessness is a product of circumstance; insufficient education, poverty, want, a lack of opportunity, success and role models. However, a lack of worldly hope can have eternal implications. God manifests Himself through the hands, feet and mouths of His children, those who are called to bring hope, both earthly and heavenly, to our neighbors in need. Serving the poor for the purpose of the gospel brings them earthly hope and opens the door to a relationship with an eternal focus. Our Lord wants all people to know Him and thereby have an assured hope in the treasures of heaven. In Luke 4:18 Jesus says, “The spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Now that the same Spirit that gave Christ His power dwells within us, we are to continue His work among the poor, the oppressed, and the captives. Jesus didn’t just walk around preaching salvation; he healed people, lived among them, and served them with His life. He brought not only eternal hope to the blind beggar, but also the opportunity to make a living, hope that he could have a better life here on earth. As Christ’s followers we are in the process of sanctification—becoming more Christ-like—and if Christ served, loved, healed and helped the poor than we must do the same.
During my time in Binghampton I have learned something else about hope, something encouraging, that hope is contagious. Taking small steps to bring about change in a neighborhood will lead to others, with newly aroused hope, to do the same. We have the opportunity to be involved in God’s eternal plan of bringing hope and salvation to the poor of this world. How is God urging you to take part in His plan?
May 2007
Hope is something that most of us take for granted. I know that before moving to Yale Avenue I never thought twice about hope or recognized the role that it plays in my life. I would consider myself a self-motivated person, one who doesn’t need to be pushed to exert effort. A year ago I would have mistakenly told you that this is something I was born with or that my parents instilled it in me, but now I have learned that, like all “self-motivated” people, I am dependant on hope for my motivation. The reason I have the perseverance to push through tough times is because I have hope for something better on the other side. And the reason I have hope for something better is because I see and have seen the better times. The reason I am motivated to work hard is because I have hope that my situation will improve because of my work. I anticipate promotions in the future, promotions that I will likely receive.
A similar train of thought can be applied to eternity, I have hope that heaven is a great place—as it most certainly is—because I know that my God is an awesome God. I pursue a righteous relationship with Him because I have an assured hope that He is great and loving. There is tangible evidence in my life that God is merciful, compassionate, and loving. But what about someone who has not seen, or at least recognized, God’s loving hand in their life. Or, how about someone who has been continually let down by the school system, teachers, parents, and employers? Should I expect the same level of motivation, work ethic, and hope?
I am often guilty of casting judgment on people without jobs, without dignity, without motivation. I forget that there are millions of people living in inner-city America who live without hope. This is something I can never fully understand because I have come from a background filled with opportunity, choices and success. Hopelessness is a product of circumstance; insufficient education, poverty, want, a lack of opportunity, success and role models. However, a lack of worldly hope can have eternal implications. God manifests Himself through the hands, feet and mouths of His children, those who are called to bring hope, both earthly and heavenly, to our neighbors in need. Serving the poor for the purpose of the gospel brings them earthly hope and opens the door to a relationship with an eternal focus. Our Lord wants all people to know Him and thereby have an assured hope in the treasures of heaven. In Luke 4:18 Jesus says, “The spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Now that the same Spirit that gave Christ His power dwells within us, we are to continue His work among the poor, the oppressed, and the captives. Jesus didn’t just walk around preaching salvation; he healed people, lived among them, and served them with His life. He brought not only eternal hope to the blind beggar, but also the opportunity to make a living, hope that he could have a better life here on earth. As Christ’s followers we are in the process of sanctification—becoming more Christ-like—and if Christ served, loved, healed and helped the poor than we must do the same.
During my time in Binghampton I have learned something else about hope, something encouraging, that hope is contagious. Taking small steps to bring about change in a neighborhood will lead to others, with newly aroused hope, to do the same. We have the opportunity to be involved in God’s eternal plan of bringing hope and salvation to the poor of this world. How is God urging you to take part in His plan?
May 2007
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