Today is my last day working at KCB, so of course I’m in
reflection mode, and I can’t help but think back to my very first day.
I started at KCB as an Americorps volunteer, fresh out of
college and knowing absolutely nothing about community development or nonprofit
work. I thought I had come to KCB to run a teen drop-in center. As it turned
out, God had other plans.
On my first day our Executive Director, Ryan, told me about
a family who was living in the park. A young mother and her two toddler boys
had been seen sleeping overnight at Simms Park, and the park staff had called
Kingdom Causes to see what we could do. This started my “baptism by fire” into the
world of social services and broken systems.
So as a young, privileged, and out of touch 21-year-old, I
was frantically driving this mom and her kids around to various social services
agencies, getting increasingly angered at the brokenness I witnessed first hand.
Referral, after referral, after referral. Long lines, rude workers, and insensitivity
abounded. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and heartbroken. Through some
connections that Ryan had at KCB, we were able to get this young mom into a
program where she and her kids were safe. I don’t know if she remembers that day,
but in my mind it’s as clear as if it happened yesterday. I was forever
changed.
Since that day, I’ve learned so much about poverty,
community development, justice, and the role of the church in all of it. I’ve
seen incredible life change and transformation:
-The dad who spent
most of his life in prison, but committed himself to his daughter when he was
released, and was reunited with her through a stay at Margaret’s House and job
with Good Soil.
-The mom and kids who
broke down in tears when they were given the keys to their first apartment of
their own after fleeing domestic violence and suffering months of homelessness.
-The kids who began
dreaming about what their future careers would be, after being exposed for the first
time to professionals and education opportunities.
There are so many stories of life change among marginalized
populations that I could name. But
honestly, the change in me was greater than all of these. I learned that
poverty is not about a lack of material things… it’s about brokenness. And we are ALL broken. Whether emotionally, relationally, spiritually, or socially…
there are things in our lives that are in desperate need of repair, even if we
might appear more put together than the person pushing a shopping cart down the
street.
So, (not that anyone is asking) if I had to give one piece
of “wisdom” or advice after working in this field for the past seven years…
this would be it:
Stepping into
relationship with those that are “other” makes all the difference in the world.
It’s worth the risk.
At some point, a few of our “clients” became friends. As I
recognized my own brokenness and pride, I began to see the image of God in
every face and every story. I began to recognize the miracles that were
happening all around (and inside) me. This is the difference between the way
that KCB works and most other social service agencies. We recognize that reconciled
relationships are what make the lasting transformation possible.
Is it risky? Of course. Entering into a REAL relationship
with someone who is very different than you brings with it all sorts of
messiness. People will take advantage of you, steal from you, cuss you out, and
hurt you deeply. But didn’t we do the same to Jesus? Don’t we continue to take
HIM for granted every day? Yet—he continues to love us.
So, what is poverty? One of my favorite speakers named
Claudio Oliver puts it this way… “Poverty is a lack of friendship”. So, let’s end
poverty together. Let’s make a new
friend today.
-Abbey
