6/13
Down to downtown and back to talk with a lawyer. Trip and fall case. Been going on 5 years now. First attorneys hired by the insurance company never asked the right questions, filed the right motion. Then the insurance company went bankrupt. And it goes on. And on. Our attorney says to theirs you have no case. She says yes we do. He says church has no money. She says we’ll take the property. Attorneys and real estate agents. Some great people. As persons. I don’t understand those worlds. At all.
Stop to talk with RL. About an old book he loaned me to read. Mr. Blue, by Myles Connolly. An old catholic inspirational book from the late twenties. The anti-Gatsby as it were. It amazes me that this was once considered an endorsed Catholic spiritual book. Even with it's old school language it’s got an anarcho-existentialist-mystic quality that appeals to me. The scenes of living on top of sky scraper are truly classic. Blue and all his balloons.
Catherine Feeny's Mr. Blue...at first seems just a random connection...but then, all those balloons......
To the extent that RL sees something of Blue in me I am complimented. Blue being purer, more of the moment, more totally free, from stress, anxiety, longing. Yet RL has pointed the way to something real, or worth pursuing here. In the end, it’s not about doctrine or theology or even theosophy as he calls it. It’s about being. I too would love to start my own Spies of God.... like Mr.Blue
Sad. RL says Myles Connolly never hit that note again, Couldn't rise above pedestrian religious insprational writing. At least he did it once.
Jeff from next door sees me on the street. We have this ongoing discussion of sound and the church. The space between the church and his building creates an amplified echo chamber. So we look at the window that is above the alley. He's thinking piano blankets could help. Well, I'm game if he is. Could work.
Dzieci is gathering. Their time will be short tonight because Jeremy and the Sanctuary choir are coming in to rehearse for their concert tomorrow night.
I continue to have my doubts about the growing leaderless gang on the steps. Reachout for sure.
Dan arrives home from Philadelphia. Down to the Gate for dinner and a walk back up Amsterdam.
consider the people in front of your church as part of the church...minister to them. not just on sunday at spsa but directly listen to these homeless people and find out what their histories are and what the want with their lives and connect them with outreach workers--cucs or project help or bowery rescue or the other place on tuesday am when the housing outreach from other supportive housing orgs show up or to stay at the other place during the day to catch activities and indoor meals and activities and being connected and engaged in the world. invite them to services, why not. help them get hooked up with temporary shelter--94th street or detox if necessary and to get a medical check up to prepare for supportive housing applicattions tb check and cardiovascular. refer them to unitas or other psychotherapy center where they also help with ny ny and psychosocial reports adn applicatons and whatnot. hire a social worker or setup an internship with hunter or someother good graduate school to do church step triage for them. write a grant to pay for such. doh or other such.feed them turkey sandwhiches and choclate bars. offer melatonin? idle hands idle minds not good. invite 1000 homeless people to church step in to all the churches in fancy and safer neighborhoods than parks or city shelters. there is a reason people take sanctuary in front of churches. post a sign--if you sleep here do so at your own risk and be off the steps by 7 am and clean up after yourself and leave the place cleaner than when you arrived and put your cardboard near the garbage can offa the steps already. um. like that. and don't spill you pee bottle on the steps. 1-800-lifenet has operation help or people in crisis. people on steps are not wholly other but perhaps holy other. Jesus could be lurking amongst them--beware. a metal jam of 1000 homeless people city wide at every church steps in fancy neighborhoods might make rich people realize they are not so separate and entitled after all and they might get off their duffs and help out and help others.
ReplyDeleteor not. and so it goes. it will get worse before it gets better and any solution that seeks to be like a final solution--well, misery trickles up and genocide spreads like a barrel of oil cast upon the waters.