“Greater things have
yet to come
And greater things
are still to be done in this city
Greater things have
yet to come
And greater things
are still to be done here.”
South Street. Like
every other area, South Akron and Summit Lake is a place of brokenness. The
brokenness of this area manifests itself in different ways—a through
addictions, abuse, and anger/violence. People are homeless, in poverty, incarcerated,
and stuck in cycles that make in nearly impossible for one to get out alone or
even with help. Granted, the sentences above are huge stereotypes and are not
to be interpreted as the case for everyone in the city, as each person has
their own individualistic experiences. These are simply observations after
spending a week immersed in this area and listening to those who have lived
here for a while.
Growing up in the
suburbs of Akron, I have not had much experience in the city. From going down a
one-way street the wrong way, to getting stuck in a parking deck, it is obvious
that my knowledge is limited. For this reason, being at South Street has been a
bit of a culture shock. In the last week I have found myself perplexed by the
reality that I live a mere 10 minutes from this area and yet it seems like I’m
traveling between different cultures entirely. People around South Street walk
on the side walks, confidently, heads down or looking out. Bikes dart around
cars on narrow lanes. People walk in groups to the corner store, coming out
with Pepsi and candy. When I am at South Street, I am in the minority, as a majority
of the people I interact with are African American.
When I travel the
twelve minutes to my house, it all changes. I am suddenly the majority as a
Caucasian in the suburban area that I live in. Silence encompasses the streets,
as all are in their households. People aren’t walking about. Even by the lake,
it is clear that everyone sticks to themselves—there is little interaction with
others. There are high values of safety and security (manifesting itself in the
form of comfort) that hang think in the air. The environments are strangely
perplexing when put together. Again, these are huge generalizations of these
areas, and are not to be taken as the reality of what each one is. It simply
reflects my experiences as I commute and spend a lot of time in each
environment every day.
If there’s one thing
I have been so swept up with this week is the possibilities of people and the
impact we can have on our surroundings if action is taken. My heart is aching
for my generation. My generation has the potential (as all do) to utilize their
strengths for the common good. Yet in my own life, I have found that I, among
others, am stuck in cycles of apathy and complacency. For me, it took
discovering that my life’s story isn’t about me that drove me to other-centered
action. The question I have rolling in my mind is this: What conviction can
bring a generation to action? At South Street Ministries, action abounds. For
the ministry, it comes from a conviction Christ’s resurrection and the
implications of this. On the website in the mission section it is stated that “We
are Christians, but Christ's sake is deeper. For the sake of Christ we suffer,
serve, give, and lose to see Christ formed in our neighbor and in ourselves.”
The conviction of Christ’s love leads those in the ministry to action,
including myself.
In this past week, I
have seen the power of love in action, and the restoration and reconciliation
that active love can bring. Example after example could be listed here, as it
is part of the reason I was so drawn to South Street Ministries in the first
place. I yearn to see this active love lived out throughout the city, and not
only in the city, but in the suburbs and in the country. I yearn to see active
love among the rich and poor, that hands would connect and that these two
groups would be bridged in compassion. I yearn to see black and white finally
transformed and seen as colors, not race constructions and excuses for
discrimination and hate. I yearn to see gender not being abused as power that
is used to cripple another. I yearn, I yearn, I yearn.
And I truly believe
that these can be realities that are strived for in my generation and through
my generation. With the courage to be vulnerable, we can approach one another
and try to find a common ground on which we can stand. Constructs can be
knocked down through active love. People can own their strengths and give them
as gifts to one another and aid with the process of reconciliation through
active love.
Of course, this all
sounds great in theory, but my question as I finish my first week at South
Street Ministries is still this:
What conviction can
bring a generation to action?
As always, if one feels as if I have misrepresented someone in some way or if something I have said has been bothersome, please
bring it to my attention and into the light so we can talk about it together.
Much love,
Am
“Greater things have
yet to come
And greater things
are still to be done in this city
Greater things have
yet to come
And greater things
are still to be done here.”
From: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgQccYki-9Y
South Street Ministries: www.southstreetministries.org
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