MLK Day of Service

On the West Side of Buffalo I can see hints of Dr. King's dream.  Looking around the neighborhood you'll find white families that have been here since European immigrants built the neighborhood; African-Americans that have populated the area since the days of the Underground Railroad (W. Ferry St. led down to the ferry to freedom across the Niagara River to Canada); Hispanics that flooded into the neighborhood during the final decades of the 20th century; refugees from the war-torn conflict areas of the last decade (Iraq, Somalia, Congo, Rwanda, Burma).  Whether all these groups will really look past their differences and truly judge each other by the content of their character, still remains to be seen.  But there is tremendous opportunity for racial reconciliation to take place here, and that's why it so exciting to be moving our family into this place!  Dr. King's dream for his children is still the same dream we have for our children today.

How fitting then, that we began our work on what will become our house, on the weekend we celebrate Dr. King's birthday.  With AmeriCorps, West Side Ministries, and their volunteers we worked Saturday and Monday demolishing the bathrooms, ripping up flooring to expose hardwoods that will be refinished, and we even started some of the electric wiring.  Below are some shots of crew in action, including a short video of our progress...

The clean-up crew

The ladies exposing those beautiful hardwoods!

Demo in the kitchen and bathrooms

The kids having some winter fun in the backyard

"Green" Code

The city of Buffalo is currently going though it's first rewrite of it's zoning code in 60 years.  It has titled the new code it's developing, the "Green Code".  However, as we've gone through the process of its development, I've been left wondering what color this code really is...

Is it Mayor Brown's "Brown" Code, because of it's failure to really include innovative opportunities for greening a city filled with brown fields?

Or is it the "White" Code, because it is being shaped primarily by input from affluent white folks (in a minority majority city, nonetheless)?

Either way we want to let city hall know that they have to work harder to address these issues.  Last week we sent out a flyer to folks throughout the community to make sure the land use plan for the West Side neighborhood took into consideration the unique people of the West Side, and the unique opportunities the neighborhood represents.  We called for three basic things:

• Food Production: In cities where many of the West Side's immigrants came from, food production is an integral part of the "urban fabric".  Also many of these immigrants are looking to supplement their income by selling food, so safe commercial production of produce, poultry, and fish needs to be allowed.
• Pocket Parks: Parents lament over and over about the lack of playgrounds on the West Side (not one exists on the Upper West Side - not even at schools!)  Kids play in the streets, and we need the city to identify vacant lots (that it already owns!) to build safe play spaces for people to stay active in.
• Air & Water Quality: The smells from the sewage treatment plant, and diesel fumes from I-190 & the Peace Bridge are something the neighbors are sick off, literally (45% of West Side residents suffer from asthma).  Environmental buffers to prevent sewage from reaching our waterways and clean the air around our highways need to be established.

Many responded to the flyer and flooded the inboxes of city planners!  So far city hall has been responsive.  The lead planner for the West Side has promised to include these economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable initiatives in their plan, and the city's senior planner has contacted our church about getting more input from the community. 

The reason for the lack of input from refugees, the poor, and disenfranchised on the West Side are many and complex.  But we feel called, as people who do have the ear of city hall, to advocate for those that don't.  Our neighbors contribute so much to the West Side neighborhood that makes it a unique and exciting place to live, the least we can contribute is our voice and efforts to protect that.  

May we all contribute what we can to make our communities places worth protecting!

"Community" Garden

El jardinero (the gardener) is what the neighbors around the church know me as, and working in the community garden has given me fun opportunities to begin building relationships with them.

The neighborhood kids that worked hard helping us create the garden are now enjoying the fruits of the harvest. I've gotten Hector (the young guy on the left) hooked on pesto, but only after double-dog daring him to try it for the first time! The little veggie stand we put out at weekly BBQ's offers neighbors healthy local food choices. A real need in a neighborhood where a good deal of grocery shopping takes place at corner stores - not usually known for having extensive produce sections.

Another real need in the neighborhood is jobs, and training in job skills for the youth. A dream of mine would be to employ a few neighborhood teens by helping them run a small farm stand, or microbusiness selling produce to local restaurants. Today we took a small step towards that goal, as teens employed by the city's summer youth employment program, most of them from refugee families, worked harvesting veggies and turning the compost pile.

The garden project is also adding a splash of beauty to the neighborhood. Kids in the after school program created a mural with the help of local mural artist, Cornelia Dohse-Peck. Then last week, a youth group from Rochester helped install a native-plant garden in front of the church building. Small things like this can send a powerful message about the value of our urban neighborhoods.

I still have a lot to understand about the real needs of our community, and even more to learn about what it takes to meet those needs. But it has been a blessing to see the garden project begin to bless others in the neighborhood.

May we all be blessed with a chance to grow relationships that cause us to grow.

Nyumbani Mnunuzi Klabu

(Swahili for: Home Buyer's Club)

As mentioned last month, part of our participation in the coming of God's realm here in Buffalo has taken the form of facilitating Homebuyer's Clubs. These clubs help people introduce hope into seemingly hopeless financial situations, and help them work toward financial freedom and home ownership.

One of the clubs that we lead is done in conjunction with Jericho Road Ministries, a refugee resettlement ministry on Buffalo's Westside. JRM's City Roots program provides translators who contact the many families in their community to present them with the opportunity to pursue homeownership.

Coming from years (or even decades) of life in a refugee camp, many of these families have lower expectations of what constitutes being "well housed". Some landlords take advantage of the situation, not offering heat or access to water utilities in their homes. Often these homes also have other flagrant housing code violations.

However, many of these new immigrants are very hard working and resourceful. Many have jobs, and though the income may be limited, they are used to living on very little and can often save significant amounts of money each month. Their hard working nature, steady income, frugal budget, and significant savings make them good candidates for homeownership. The Homebuyer's Club then provide language services and connections to the many incentive programs offered by local housing agencies to first-time homebuyers.

Our club has been meeting with people from the Burmese, African, and Middle Eastern refugee communities since October, and it has been very encouraging to see the families making real progress towards being able to provide sustainable housing for their families here on the Westside. In a neighborhood whose intial rise to prominence was the result of the hard work and resourcefulness of the Italian immigrants that settled here, it is especially inspiring to see this community on the rise again because of the new energy and vitality brought by this newest wave of immigrants.

Anyone interested in assisting with the Jericho Road Ministries City Roots Homebuyer's Club can contact me (kauffman.m@gmail.com) and join us at the Loretto Ministry Center, 301 14th St., on the third Thursday of the month at 6:30pm.

Homebuyer's Clubs

The Jewish prophets spoke of a future reality, a kingdom or realm, where everyone would have a place to dwell in peace.

"Each man will sit under his own shade tree, each woman in safety will tend her own garden. God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so..."
-The Prophet Micah

Jesus came to proclaim that this realm, or kingdom, was at hand; it is close by and even breaking forth into our present reality through the Spirit that is at work in Him and His followers.

Today, as His followers, we are given the gift of participating in the work of this realm or kingdom. Part of our Kingdom work here in Buffalo has taken the shape of running Homebuyer's Clubs, where we work toward ensuring that each person has a place of peace they can call home.

The Westside has lots of affordable housing, but most of the owners are from outside of the community. While there are some good landlords, most are disinvested at best, and opressive at worst. Many of the tenants here are also weighed down under a heavy debt load. Often folks feel there is little hope for their financial situation to change.

The Homebuyer's Clubs challenge people to take charge of their financial situation. We help folks work on credit issues along with providing them the resources and encouragement they need to experience financial freedom. Once in this position, home ownership provides an opportunity to get out from under opressive landlords. Besides, on the Westside you can often pay less for a monthly mortgage payment than you would for a month's rent.

So, every second Thursday of the month we meet to share a dinner, a time of learning with local housing experts, and we set financial goals. People recieve assitance connecting to housing programs like Habitat for Humanity, or enrolling in matching savings plans that give you $4 for every $1 you save.

In the process justice and redemption are introduced into the oppressive situations people find themselves in. People start to experience financial freedom, grab on to hope, and find a place of peace to dwell in.

Anyone interested in joining us, is invited to meet at 175 Potomac at 6pm on the second Thursday of the month. Call me at 716.803.9241 or email kauffman.m@gmail.com if interested.

All Saints Day

A lady asked me tonight, "I thought only Catholics believed in saints?"

Well, we are a part of a catholic (universal / true) church, and our history is a full of stories of lives lived fully for God, often in service to those in need around them, even when it cost them everything. We sure do believe in them!

On the second most commercial holiday in America, one also filled with symbols of darkness, looking back and celebrating lives lived like that provides a refreshing altnerative.

Tonight we threw a Halloween - All Hallow's Eve - Party for the neighborhood around the church building. Just before sunset, many of the neighborhood kids were assembling, getting ready to head out to, as one teen put it, "Go to the rich neighborhoods, where the candy's at!" A group of them wandered over to the church. We had a scavenger hunt through the "Cemetery of Saints" outside and many games, crafts, and goodies inside. They admitted at first they just wanted to grab some candy and get going. But after engaging with the people and activities they were hooked. Many stayed for almost two hours!

This couldn't have happened if there weren't many saints helping to serve the neighborhood tonight. It cost them money, time, and effort to bless their neighbors. But what a blessing it was to see kids and families, who thought they had to go to someone else's neighborhood to find good things, be pleasantly surprised to find something good right on their block!

So thanks to all the saints, whose inspiring lives reflect the grace of God, our Master and Messiah, Jesus. May we never stop believing in or celebrating these lives!

Tabernacles

What an outdated religious word - tabernacles. THE Tabernacle was literally a tent, God's temporary dwelling place among His people while they were camped out in the wilderness.

God camped out in a tent in the wilderness.

So each fall for the past five years we have too. It's our family's way of remembering the biblical festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles). The Hebrew people were called to camp out for a week each year, to remember what God did for them during the Exodus, especially how He provided for them in the wilderness. Its main themes are very similar to those celebrated by Americans during Thanksgiving.

Some in America see Thanksgiving as a time to be "home for the holidays," celebrating with family and friends. Others see it as a time to reach out to those with material needs and include them in the celebration. This same dichotomy exists in the Sukkot celebration.

A common parable told during Sukkot, is one of three poor sojourners. They came upon the sukkah (camp) of a rich family. The sukkah was decked out with expensive decorations, decadent foods, the finest produce of the season, and those celebrating inside wearing the finest fashions. They wanted nothing to do with these filthy poor panhandlers.

So on the three travelers went, until they came upon a modest sukkah. The decorations and food sparse, but the hospitality of those celebrating inside abundant. As they were welcomed to table it was revealed that these three strangers were none other than Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! It is said that each year God sends the patriarchs in this way, to remind His people of what the celebration is all about.

It reminds me of the writer of Hebrews (whoever she is) saying: "Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." Or Jesus saying: "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Last year during our Tabernacles retreat, along with our friend Japhet we welcomed his new friend Alexi, who had been in America just weeks. As we ate and celebrated with them around the campfire we learned one was an ethnic Hutu, and the other Tutsi. One had been a refugee his entire life because of the violence of the Tutsi, and the other had is family killed by the Hutu. Yet here at this table of celebration there was forgiveness and friendship. Often when we include those that seem to be without, it is revealed that they actually have so much to offer us.

So, may we entertain strangers and include them in our celebrations, and may we see that they are indeed the most esteemed at our table.

Food Justice

I open the frig, look in, pick through three shelves of food looking for just the right thing; you know that comfort food that will hit the spot. Not finding it, I call out to my wife, "Hey, there's nothing to eat in here!"

I speak often to people about the America systems that hoard resources in affluent communities, and about abusive corporations that hoard wealth and influence. But I have to be honest about my own hoarding. Is the abundance in my cupboards ethical in a world where my Haitian neighbors, and thousands of others around the world are starving to death each day?

Jessica and I have started to ask ourselves hard questions about how we relate to our food. Should we eat food that exploits workers, the environment, and our animals? How can we afford to eat ethically produced foods? What is the role of food in our life, survival or something more?

Last night at Baltimore Woods Nature Center, where I work, there was a community gathering where about a half dozen local farmers and their families came to share with us how they look to produce food ethically, and about the challenges they face in doing this. We watched the documentary "Fresh", which looks at creative ways people are overcoming challenges to producing food sustainably.

Can we partner with local farmers in new and creative ways to get ethically produced food? Can we start our own urban agriculture experiment? Can we save resources by eating less meat and being creative with the bounty of other foods available to us? Can we eat less overall, saving money that can be spent on ethically produced food, or shared with the hungry?

I would encourage us all, just as the farmers we talked with last night did, to ask hard questions about our food and how we relate to it.

The Haitian Earthquake - Personal Responses

What will our response to this tragedy look like? Will it go beyond check books and donation boxes?

The love and life of the Holy Spirit spreads through breath, through touch, through sharing the same space with others. We believe in a God that hears the cry of those who are suffering, that is present in all human experiences, that brings redemption into broken places.

I've been encouraged to see people making the effort to go beyond just giving money, and risking to stand with our suffering Haitian neighbors. Some are responding by adopting, and welcoming into their lives those orphaned by this disaster. Some are responding by supporting those who adopt finacially, emotionally, spiritually. Some are responding by getting ready to go to Haiti, some are responding by supporting those who go. Some are fasting and praying, standing in solidarity with their suffering neighbors, and crying out to the God that hears.

Give money, thats good. Give donations, they are needed. But lets consider how to spread the love of Christ in deeply personal ways, ways that will inevitably cost us so much more than money.

The worshiping community of Sojourn is a part of a larger community called the Free Methodists. Members of this community are organizing trips to Haiti and have been called to a day of prayer and fasting on Wednesday January 27. Click here for more information.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love? Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice or for the extension of justice? In that dramatic scene on Calvary's hill three men were crucified. We must never forget that all three were crucified for the same crime--the crime of extremism. Two were extremists for immorality, and thus fell below their environment. The other, Jesus Christ, was an extremist for love, truth and goodness, and thereby rose above his environment. Perhaps [upstate NY], the nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists.

I had hoped that the white moderate would see this need. Perhaps I was too optimistic; perhaps I expected too much. I suppose I should have realized that few members of the oppressor race can understand the deep groans and passionate yearnings of the oppressed race, and still fewer have the vision to see that injustice must be rooted out by strong, persistent and determined action. I am thankful, however, that some of our white brothers in [upstate NY] have grasped the meaning of this social revolution and committed themselves to it. They are still all too few in quantity, but they are big in quality... Unlike so many of their moderate brothers and sisters, they have recognized the urgency of the moment and sensed the need for powerful "action" antidotes to combat the disease of segregation. Let me take note of my other major disappointment. I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership. Of course, there are some notable exceptions...

But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen.

When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of [a ministry] in [Syracuse], a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church. I felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of [Syracuse] would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows.

In spite of my shattered dreams, I came to [Syracuse] with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed.

I have heard numerous southern religious leaders admonish their worshipers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers declare: "Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother." In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: "Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern." And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, un-Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular...

In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? I am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great grandson of [ministers]. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists.

There was a time when the church was very powerful--in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators."' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests. Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent--and often even vocal--sanction of things as they are.

But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the [current] century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust.

Perhaps I have once again been too optimistic. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Perhaps I must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ekklesia and the hope of the world. But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom. They have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of [Syracuse] with us... Some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. Their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times. They have carved a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment. I hope the church as a whole will meet the challenge of this decisive hour. But even if the church does not come to the aid of justice, I have no despair about the future. I have no fear about the outcome of our struggle in [Syracuse], even if our motives are at present misunderstood. We will reach the goal of freedom in [upstate NY] and all over the nation..."

Excerpts from "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" written by Dr. King on April 16, 1963

Witnesses to the Light

"There was a man sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning the light... The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world."

Today is Epiphany, the day that Christians, since ancient times, have celebrated the coming of the Light. Those of us who have met Christ, the Light, like John have been called to be witnesses testifying to the light. John came with a very specific message, and he went to a very specific place, and in a very interesting way delivered that message.

Jess and I believe God has given us a specific message and called us to a specific place to deliver it. We are in the final stages (hopefully) of obtaining a house in the northside neighborhood of Syracuse. This is one of the more ethnically diverse neighborhoods of Syracuse, with one in every six of our neighbors being foreign born. Yet it is quite homogenous when it comes to socioeconomic class; one in three live below the poverty line, and the per capita income is near $13,000 (half the per capita income of the suburban town I grew up in).

Most of us would agree that racial segregation is wrong. However, the socioeconomic segregation that we participate in today is still racial segregation. People of poorer minorities are abaondoned to impoverished neighborhoods with decaying infastructure and educational systems, while the rich (and white) majority retreats to the suburbs to build their safe neighborhoods with first rate schools.

Our churches mirror this segregation. It was nearly 50 years ago that Martin Luther King Jr. commented on how Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America, but still today less than 7% of churches are considered ethnically diverse (check out this article from this week's TIME magazine). There is a darkness, or as my favorite author Richard Foster puts it, evil principalities and powers that divide us.

My family wants to be a light in this darkness. A light to our suburban church, a church that before God brought 40 African refugees to our doorstep was completely white. But also a light to the northside neighborhood in Syracuse. So often desegregation looks like minorities joining the majority, or the have-nots joining hte haves, however, Jesus modeled something different for us:

"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich."

This is what we have been called to be witnesses to, the good news that the light has come to all people, no matter what your race or socioeconomic status.

As we seek to be living witnesses to this it may seem strange to some; that we would sell our nice home in a safe neighborhood to make this move. Many people from both communities may misunderstand us, and look at us as extreme. But then again, was it not the same for John, a fellow witness to the Light?

Christmas Eve - He's Coming

Growing up, my cousins would often bring along a cousin from the other side of the family to our holiday gatherings. Tony was mentally disabled, and whenever he came, he would enter the gathering and come up to each one of us and enthusiastically proclaim, "Ho Ho comin'!" He was half looking for our affirmation of this statement and half wanting to make sure no one was ignorant of this. You couldn't help but nod and assure him that Ho Ho was indeed coming.

I wonder what reaction the shepherds got as they enthusiastically went around proclaiming that the Messiah was coming.

Everyone had missed it. The very Master of the universe had come to Earth, but He came to their small village in an occupied country on the fringe of the Empire. Both the religous system and the government, symbolic leaders of God's people, had missed it. Only a couple of kids who were supposed to be out doing their chores were clued in. So they ran up to everybody making sure they knew, "Messiah coming!"

Did their hearers patronizingly nod and affirm them, not wanting to be the kill-joy that exposed the myth?

It seems that today so many still miss the Messiah each Christmas, and I'm not talking about the secularists or pluralists, but our church culture today, and a government that still clings to a Christian facade. Jesus never told us that we would find Him in elaborate buildings, decadent feasts, and holiday rituals (the prophets actually tell us God even hates those things). Instead He said we would find Him in those who are hungry, prisoners, sick, homeless.

So let's proclaim enthusiastically, "He's coming!" All who have missed Him by looking in cantatas, candles, and cookies, look over here - this is no myth! He's with those who are hungry, prisoners, sick, homeless. To all those whom our culture, including our church culture, has labeled as far from God, let's proclaim this good news, "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty." Most people who've missed it will just smile and nod affirmingly, all the while discounting us as over optimistic idealists. But let's never stop proclaiming:

Joy to the world, the LORD is come.

Skiddy Park Tree Lighting

Bringing light to a dark place! This evening it was amazing to see swarms of kids braving cold blustery winds to decorate and light the Christmas tree in Skiddy Park, a park known more for the crimes committed there than community celebrations.

It was great to see so many investing in this truly community event: my old friends from Sunnycrest Park Association organized the event, Syracuse Parks and Rec powered the lights, carolers came from St. Lucy's church, hot cocoa and dounuts from the Red Cross, the S.A.L.T. District artists donating two Christmas trees complete with lights and decorations for two families in the community, and then myself from Baltimore Woods Nature Center bringing wildlife friendly tree decorations.

Vincent House and P.E.A.C.E. Inc. brought tons of kids, some of whom recognized me from the visits I make to their classrooms with the nature center's "Nature in the City" program. They freely shared stories of how they remember exploring nature with me. It was great to see hope coming to these kids and into the communities of Syracuse!

Advent Conspiracy

Give as God did this Christmas; give presence. Share gifts that set us free and present others with hope.