So I stayed in my chair
Afterward I realized the only thing I protected was my own dignity. Since then I’ve been haunted by this family. Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners magazine, says the theme of wealth and poverty is the second most prominent theme in the Bible (after idolatry). He claims that in our country there is a climate of denial about homelessness. “We must change the culture,” he says, because the issues are spiritual, not political. There are different kinds of homelessness, of course. A home is more than just somewhere to sleep, and making a home takes more than money. Some people have several houses but are never at home. Some, even the educated, are homeless by choice and spurn shelters, preferring instead to sleep on a park bench or under a bridge. Documenting the stories, poets on Skid Row in Los Angeles give voice to all the homeless, telling us they are the face of America. Street Roots (see streetroots.org) is dedicated to the idea that the poor provide vital feedback to us all. The paper is devoted to the writings of disenfranchised people on the premise that everyone, despite circumstances, has wisdom and beauty to share.
Tags: Life