The New/Old Social Pandemic

The New-Old Social Pandemic

“’Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘…just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’” . Matthew 25:44-45 (NRSV)

The church my wife and I attend is housed in a large, 100+-year-old stone building in downtown Lawrence, Kansas, a midwestern town of about 100,000 people. Like most mainline churches, membership and participation numbers have decreased dramatically in the recent past. Except for a few hours on Sunday mornings, the building is largely empty of traditional church-related activities. Because it is located downtown, there are a number of marginalized people – homeless, hungry, mentally ill, alcoholics and other addicts – in the area. Our church, like many others, has responded admirably to the needs of its community. We offer a free, hot breakfast two mornings each week to all comers, as we have for 30 years. We provide weekly meeting space for numerous 12-Step groups. On cold winter nights, our church opens its doors as an emergency winter shelter, providing a warm place to sleep until other indoor options open the following morning. We have a used-clothing area and help stock a local food bank. All of these mission-ministries and more are coordinated and staffed by volunteers. An admirable response to the challenges faced by our marginalized populations, yes, but woefully inadequate for the need.

On another front and scrolling non-stop on news channels are the challenges of masses of foreigners trying to enter the United States – some seeking refuge from violence at home, others seeking employment, and still others desiring freedom from oppression and/or a fresh start. Many travel tremendous distances at great effort, expense, and risk. The refuge crisis, at least for those of us in the middle states, used to be concentrated in the southern border areas. Not anymore. Migrants have overwhelmed the resources of border communities and spread into all parts of the nation.

Homelessness, marginalization, and migration are not new problems. They probably began when the human population exceeded 2. The magnitude of the problems, however, has exploded in recent years, reaching the threshold of a social pandemic, in my opinion. Pandemic is a term usually reserved for wide-spread disease issues, but I feel the term is appropriate for these challenges because, as I will address in the coming weeks, they are societal diseases – as in dis-ease or discomfort – impacting the larger society as a whole and not just the individuals experiencing them.

The causes of homelessness, marginalization, and immigration, at least in the West, are largely issues of the inadequate and inequitable distribution of basic resources like food, shelter, legal protections, and healthcare (mental and physical). Yes, population numbers are at historically high levels, but so are available resources. Unfortunately, we are witnessing an increasingly widening gap between the resources possessed by and accruing to the haves and the resources accessible to the have-nots, both in terms of quality and quantity. Put differently, the foundational problem is not of insufficient resources, but that resources needed by the marginalized strata are being hoarded or otherwise unnecessarily suppressed by the upper classes, though not necessarily intentionally so. In addition, the middle class in America, which used to be the largest socio-economic group, has been shrinking toward oblivion for several decades now. Arguably, the fastest growing group of homeless folks today come from those who were once part of the middle class themselves, either as children or younger adults. Many of these people are well-educated, skilled, and often militarily trained. They know what they have lost, and they have the motivation and where-with-all to try to regain it.

It is incumbent on any organization claiming to follow the life and teachings of Jesus to help care for the marginalized. But it is seldom easy, inexpensive, comfortable, rewarding, or convenient. Raising funds and finding volunteers to provide even the current level of services our church offers for the marginalized is increasingly difficult. To expand those services to more adequately meet the growing needs can seem like an impossible dream, even for people of faith. Regardless, it is what Jesus commanded.

More next week…

This is the first in a series about The New-Old Social Pandemic. The opinions expressed here are mine. To engage with me or to explore contemplative spiritual direction, contact me at ghildenbrand@sunflower.com.

Contemplative Events, free and open to all:

Ash Wednesday Indoor Labyrinth, Wednesday February 14, Come and go between 8:30am and 10:30, then again between 4:00pm and 6pm, Peace Mennonite Church, 615 Lincoln St., Lawrence, KS

Conversations on Death and Dying, Discussions about using death as an advisor, 8 week course beginning on February 8, Thursday evenings, 7:00pm, First United Methodist Church, 946 Vermont, Lawrence, KS, contact ghildenbrand@sunflower.com for information.

A Morning with John Dear, author and peace activist, discussing his new book, The Gospel of Peace. Saturday, March 2, 2024 at St. Therese Little Flower Parish, 5814 Euclid Ave, Kansas City, MO. Event is free, but must register at www.contemporaryspirituality.net.