Summertime,
and the living is easy. The sun is shining warm and bright, people are
walking out on the streets, the parks are busy, the days are long and the
energy is high. My calendar is full of barbeques that my friends are hosting.
Winter's gloom has indeed broken my heart sometimes, but I love summers in
Puget Sound. But the summers do hold another concern.
Some of you may not know, but there has been
increasing drug-related graffiti on the church building. It began in April,
and it's getting so bad now that we clean it up just to find new graffiti
the very next day. It's my one major concern with the summers: teens and
young adults are hanging around with too little to do with their days.
Neighbors report that young people hang out on our grounds and in the parking
lot, transacting business of which we would not approve. When I saw the
latest marks on our Southside addition, my eyes welled up with tears. I have
been upset and tempted to call the police to seek increased patrols and
eventually, arresting the drug graffiti vandals. But I have not done so. Why?
Because in my heart of hearts, I know that won't solve the problem in the
long run.
Unfortunately, there is always a segment of
society that retreats into drug use to "have fun" or to escape the pain of
living. Social researchers on substance abuse in the Puget Sound region
report that of all the people who have a drug or alcohol problem, 80% have a
coexisting mental illness. This was no surprise to me as a social worker and
counselor-I saw it daily in my practice. So many people are mentally
escaping the pain of physical and sexual abuse, parental neglect, depression,
anxiety, and psychoses with illegal drugs. So, instead of calling the police,
I've been searching my heart. As we talked about it at the last deacon's
board meeting,
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I called the board to see this as a ministry
opportunity. Our church is still here, in the heart of
Mountlake Terrace, and though many of us live elsewhere, we have kept our
Christian fellowship here. That means addressing not only our own needs, but
also the needs and concerns of families, children, single adults, and city
officials of Mountlake Terrace, Washington, a little town with big city
problems.
I was inspired after having three days at the
Empowering Church conference to "sit at the feet" of the Reverend J. Alfred
Smith, learning about outreach ministries that make a real difference in the
lives of urban and suburban communities. In the long history of Rev. Smith's
church, they have offered training programs for job seekers, parenting
programs, and economic empowerment programs to the poor and middle class of
Oakland, CA. What will we do, Saints of God, to bring the love of God and
new hope and healing to this neighborhood of families functioning both
poorly and well? What will we do, Body of Christ, to work with the local
government and other agencies, neighbors, and churches to meet the deep
needs of our community? I am an optimist and an idealist, one who cares
about people no matter what. I credit Jesus Christ with that perspective-it
did not originate with me. But now that I see the graffiti as a cry for
help, I challenge us all not to give in to anger, despair, or seeing
ourselves as "better than." Let us pray and talk with others we know about
the problems and needs, and trust that the Holy Spirit will lead us. We are
called to this neighborhood for such a time as this. How will we respond?
In Christ's Service,
--Angela
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