The New-Old Social Pandemic, Part 3

The New-Old Social Pandemic, Part 3

  “I like to think of this problem of homelessness as a prism held up to society, and what we see refracted are the weaknesses in our health care system, our public health system, our housing system, but especially in our welfare system, our educational system, and our legal system – and our correctional system. If we’re going to fix this problem, we have to address the weaknesses of all those sectors. Dr. Jim O’Connell[1]

The social pandemic causing the increasingly invasive and pervasive crises of homelessness, marginalization, and immigration is often treated as if it originates from a number of independent causes, as opposed to a wide-spread crisis stemming from a common (but complex) cause that creates multiple manifestations of misery throughout society. Jim O’Connell, a physician who spent his professional career caring for homeless folks in the Boston area, made this point in a talk given at a charitable event and quoted in the epigraph. The social systems designed to assure at least a minimally-adequate provision of healthcare, public health, housing, welfare, education, legal standing, and correctional actions are failing to do so at an increasingly alarming rate. The deficiencies manifest as homelessness here, marginalization of various populations there, and immigration nightmares elsewhere, flaring like wheel spokes from a common hub. The hub is the deficient design and functioning of our social systems. What I refer to as the social pandemic is not the individual crises of homelessness, marginalization, and immigration; the social pandemic is the failure in system design that leads to our homelessness, marginalization, and immigration disasters. Those systems, originally intended to serve the common interests of the majority, are increasingly benefitting a priviledged minority and oppressing the growing numbers outside of it. Clearly, this is unsustainable, and the issues resulting in homelessness, marginalization, and immigration difficulties can only be adequately addressed by a major overhaul of the systems creating them. That overhaul, however, will require a significant change in the attitudes and expectations of those who benefit from the systems, meaning those who do not currently need the services.

It is difficult to identify a scapegoat for this crisis because its origins stem from countless (mostly) well-intentioned actions over many decades. It reminds me of the unclean spirit Jesus confronts in Mark 5:9. Jesus asks the demon his name, to which the spirit responds, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” Social systems form in response to needs. They establish guidelines for how a society engages and addresses issues like healthcare, housing, poverty, education, and crime. They define minimum standards that, when not met, should trigger a system response intended to bring the person(s) or condition back up to the standard. One significant problem is the increasing cost of establishing and maintaining the systems, which inevitably leads to chronic shortages in staffing and resources adequate for the need. A second issue is that many such programs rely on the sense of charitable obligation from individuals to provide for the disadvantaged through increased taxes and optional giving – a sense that diminishes in the face of other spending options. A third problem, becoming increasingly apparent, is that the systems have holes where people in need become mired in a bureaucratic morassbecause their individual situation does not fit within the system’s designed structure. In particular, those who are non-English-speaking, those with chronic mental or physical health conditions, those without reliable transportation or internet access, those with no permanent address or phone number, those with substance abuse issues or criminal records, and those without legal status, among others, are at special risk of finding themselves outside the social safety nets. Those with more than one of these conditions will almost certainly fall outside the system, and the numbers of those folks are rising.

What I wish to emphasize is that this social pandemic is exactly that – a social pandemic. It negatively impacts everyone in society, although the disadvantaged suffer in far greater ways than the rest of us. Like a black hole, however, it eventually swallows everything that comes near it. The pandemic has been caused by our collective actions, mostly unintentionally and unconsciously, in the sense that we have no conscious idea how we perpetuate the problem. Regardless, to rectify the issue will require a massive and long-term effort by individuals, organizations, and governments. Otherwise, increasing numbers will be victimized by this new/old pandemic until one day it is all of us.

This is the 3^rd 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:

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

Contemplative, Taizé-like Worship Service: Friday, February 23, 6:00 pm, First United Methodist Church, 946 Vermont, Lawrence, KS.

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.

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[1] As quoted by Tracy Kidder in Rough Sleepers, Random House, 2023, pp. 211-2.