intercultural

Racial-ethnic leaders want expanded leadership pool

February 4, 2014 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Anna Groff, The Mennonite (reposted by permission)

Forty-five participants gathered in Leesburg, Va., Jan. 30-Feb. 2, for the third installment of Hope for the Future.

Hope for the Future is a gathering for Mennonite leaders of color and other Mennonite leaders to work on finding solutions for culturally appropriate leadership development.

The first meeting was held Jan. 9-11, 2011, in Tampa, Fla., and the second was held Jan. 25-27, 2013, also in Leesburg.

The first two meetings were open only to members of under-represented racial/ethnic groups (Africans, African Americans, Asians, Hispanics and Native Americans).

This year was the first time members of the dominant culture were invited to join for part of the meeting. About 10 white leaders joined the gathering.

On the final day, the participants named three areas of focus that came out of the previous day’s work.

The three areas include more networking opportunities, expanding the pool of leaders and intentionality by “credible” leaders to ensure access to resources for leaders of color.

Regarding the need to expand the pool of leaders, Ertell Whigham, executive minister of Franconia Mennonite Conference, said, “There’s a small pool of people that get overexposed.”

Several participants mentioned concrete ways to expand this pool—especially for leaders of color.

These ideas include cultivating leaders as young as high school age, keeping in touch with leaders as they transition to college and throughout their life, being sensitive to gender issues and offering networking opportunities for young people of color.

Another theme that emerged throughout the gathering was access to the “invisible playbook”—the unwritten rules in a culture that those new to the dominant culture feel pressure to learn.

Mentors and credible leaders of the dominant culture must offer insights into this playbook to minority leaders.

Iris De León-Hartshorn, director of transformative peacemaking, also pointed out the significance of “being in relationship.”

She said she hears agencies ask, “Why don’t these [minority groups] come to our events or use our material?”

De León-Hartshorn challenged the agency representatives to visit the communities and gatherings of people of color first.

“Relationships have to be intentional,” she said.

She provided several upcoming opportunities this year: the Native Assembly in Winnipeg July 28-31 and the Iglesia Menonite Hispana and African-American Mennonite Associate conferences in August.

On Feb. 1, Luke Hartman called on the members of the dominant culture to move beyond acting as allies or advocates. The term ally, in particular is “overutilized, played out, tired,” he said.

Allies demonstrate support to those in the minority group, and advocates voice their responsibility to bring social change, said Hartman, who is vice president for enrollment at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va.

However, he asked the white leaders present to work as “agents of change” that have the “power to act to create change.”

“It’s more than a social relationship,” he said. “[Agents] engage in strategic action designed to bring about ongoing organizational improvement.”

The gathering also included times of worship led by Moniqua Acosta. Isaac Villagas, pastor of Chapel Hill (N.C.) Mennonite Fellowship, and Stanley Green, executive director of Mennonite Mission Network, offered the messages.

Villegas spoke about recognizing God in the strangers among us as well the power in Communion.

“Jesus turns the table on ‘host’ and ‘guest’ in Communion and reminds us we are guests in God’s house,” he said on Feb. 2.

On Feb. 1, Green—referring to Acts 13—said that the cosmopolitan and diverse nature of the church in Antioch demonstrates God’s “design for the church.”

The next Hope for the Future gathering is scheduled for Jan. 22-25, 2015, with the location to be decided.

Norristown congregation celebrates new life

January 17, 2014 by Emily Ralph Servant

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by Emily Ralph, associate director of communication

On the day that their meetinghouse and office building, New Life Plaza, was scheduled to be sold at sheriff’s sale, members and friends of Nueva Vida Norristown (Pa.) New Life gathered for a celebration. Instead of an impending foreclosure, the congregation experienced God’s miraculous intervention and, on the evening of December 18^th, they met to worship, pray, testify, and burn the sheriff sale signs.

Nueva Vida Norristown New Life (NVNNL) is a multilingual and multiethnic congregation in Franconia Conference that provides over a quarter-million-dollars’ worth of social services for its community including a child care center, youth center, internet café, photo ID application services, and a discipleship housing ministry. The congregation formed in 1990 with the merger of three Mennonite congregations: one Latino, one African American, and one Anglo and African American. Their vision for racial reconciliation and justice has led to ongoing witness in their community and within the regional and national Mennonite church.

NVNNL bought New Life Plaza in 2007 as part of their “Enlarging Our Place in God’s World” campaign. The office building, located next door to their church facilities, provided space for new and growing ministries as well as offices that could be leased to generate income for the congregation’s vision of ministry and outreach. Soon after, however, the United States entered a recession and New Life Plaza slowly lost tenants until it was nearly empty.

Interest rates on the Plaza’s mortgage remained high and the mortgage payments became impossible to pay. By summer of 2013, the bank had decided to foreclose.

NVNNL, whose vision is to be a “house of prayer for all people,” continued to bring their need to God. As they fervently prayed, “God moved people to get involved in ways and for reasons they didn’t understand,” said Jim Williams, chair of the stewardship ministry team. “A group slowly came together who said, ‘We can’t allow this foreclosure to happen.’”

Congregational leaders and business people from Franconia Conference began meeting in the summer of 2013 to discern what the next steps might be. All agreed that the ministry and witness of NVNNL was too important in the life of the conference to lose.

“People appreciate the mission that NVNNL has in their community, the way they serve the folks in their neighborhood,” said John Goshow, Franconia Conference moderator and one of the leaders who initiated the gathering. “There’s also a historical connection here—folks had been hearing about Norristown for a long time and affirmed the vital role that the congregation has played in Franconia Conference over the years.”

One leader in the group was Paul Lederach, a former bishop from Franconia Conference who, born and raised in the Norristown mission church, continued to advocate on the community’s behalf until his death on January 6, 2014. He was 88.

The conference partners began negotiating with the bank and gathering pledges; by that fall, they had collected nearly $350,000 from congregations and individuals in gifts and loans. In December, they bought out the mortgage on New Life Plaza, settling on December 30th. NVNNL will have three years interest-free on part of the mortgage and five years interest-free on the rest, with the understanding that the mortgage must be paid off by the end of that time. Two loans with the bank also remain, with more manageable payments.

Nueva Vida Norristown New Life — NVNNL gathered to worship in the parking lot of the New Life Plaza to celebrate the congregation’s 20th anniversary in 2010. Photo by Tim Moyer.

“The new partnership in ministry between some Franconia Conference people and churches and NVNNL is what we have envisioned for several years,” said Adamino Ortiz, NVNNL council chair. “It is a great opportunity for everyone involved to know each other better, to share talents, ideas, and resources [that will] develop the vision and mission of the church for years to come. It is an opportunity to continue the vision and legacy of Brother Paul Lederach and others who ministered in Norristown before us.”

Moving into 2014, the future looks brighter, with the possibility of new tenants and a slowly improving economy in Norristown. “The ministry that started here in 1918 will continue,” Williams said, “and everything we have done to gain a more stable financial situation will benefit future generations.” In the immediate future, the congregation will begin raising funds to pay off the loans, work on renovations in the Plaza, meetinghouse, and youth center, and continue to expand and grow deeper in their intercultural ministry.

“We have renewed energy to continue the hopes and plans that we had,” said Yvonne Platts, a member of the steering team for Enlarging Our Place in God’s World. “We have a bigger story to tell–who we are, who God has called us to be, living into the vision of having a larger presence in God’s world.”

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Congregación en Norristown Celebra Nueva Vida

por Emily Ralph, Franconia Mennonite Conference; traducido por Julio Castillo, NVNNL

El día en que estaba prevista para ser vendidos en la venta del alguacil su centro de reuniones y edificio de oficinas de Plaza Nueva Vida, miembros y amigos de Nueva Vida Norristown ( PA) se reunieron en una celebración. En lugar de una ejecución hipotecaria inminente, la congregación experimentó la intervención milagrosa de Dios y, en la tarde del 18 de diciembre, se reunieron para adorar, orar, testificar, y quemar las muestras de la venta del sheriff.

Nueva Vida Nueva Vida Norristown ( NVNNL ) es una congregación multilingüe y multiétnica, en la conferencia de Franconia que proporciona un poco más de un cuarto de millon de dolares en servicios sociales para la comunidad, incluyendo un centro de cuidado infantil, centro juvenil, internet café, las fotos de los servicios de aplicaciones de identificación, y un ministerio de vivienda de discipulado. La congregación se formó en 1990 con la fusión de tres congregaciones menonitas: una latina, una afroamericana, y una anglo. Su visión de la reconciliación racial y la justicia ha llevado a testimonio continuo en su comunidad y en la Iglesia Menonita regional y nacional.

NVNNL compró Vida Nueva Plaza en 2007 como parte de la campaña “Ampliando Nuestro lugar en el mundo de Dios.” El edificio de oficinas, situado al lado de sus instalaciones de la iglesia, con la condición de espacio para los ministerios nuevos y en crecimiento, así como oficinas que podrían ser alquilados para generar ingresos para la visión de la congregación del ministerio y la divulgación. Poco después, sin embargo, los Estados Unidos entró en recesión y Nueva Vida Plaza perdió lentamente inquilinos hasta que estaba casi vacío.

Las tasas de interés sobre la hipoteca de la Plaza se mantuvieron altos y los pagos de la hipoteca se hicieron imposibles de pagar. Para el verano del 2013, el banco había decidido ejecutar la hipoteca.

NVNNL, cuya visión es ser una “casa de oración para todas las personas”, continuó trayendo su necesidad a Dios. Mientras oraban fervientemente, “Dios movió a la gente a involucrarse en formas y por razones que no se entendían”, dijo Jim Williams, presidente del Equipo del ministerio de Administración. “Un grupo se acercó lentamente a nosotros que dijo, ‘No podemos permitir que esto suceda’’’.

Líderes congregacionales y empresarios de la Conferencia de Franconia comenzaron a reunirse en el verano del 2013 para discernir cuáles podrían ser los próximos pasos. Todos estuvieron de acuerdo que el ministerio y el testimonio de NVNNL era demasiado importante en la vida de la conferencia para dejar perderse.

“La gente aprecia la misión que NVNNL tiene en su comunidad, la manera en que sirven a la gente en su barrio”, dijo John Goshow, moderador de la Conferencia de Franconia y uno de los líderes que iniciaron la reunión. “También hay una conexión histórica aquí—la gente oía constantemente acerca de Norristown durante mucho tiempo y afirmó el papel vital que la congregación ha desempeñado en la Conferencia de Franconia en estos años”. Uno de los líderes en el grupo era Paul Lederach, un ex obispo de la Conferencia de Franconia que, nacido y criado en la iglesia de la misión Norristown, continuó abogando en nombre de la comunidad hasta su muerte el 6 de enero de 2014. Tenía 88 años.

Los socios de la conferencia comenzaron a negociar con los compromisos bancarios y las promesas; durante el otoño, se habían recaudado casi $ 350,000 de las congregaciones e individuos en los regalos y préstamos. En diciembre, compraron la hipoteca sobre New Life Plaza, estableciéndose el 30 de diciembre. NVNNL tendrá tres años, sin intereses por parte de la hipoteca a cinco años sin intereses sobre el resto, en el entendimiento de que la hipoteca debe ser pagada por el final de ese tiempo. Dos préstamos con el banco también se mantienen, con pagos más manejables.

“La nueva asociación en el ministerio entre algunas personas e iglesias de la Conferencia de Franconia y NVNNL es lo que hemos imaginado durante varios años”, dijo Adamino Ortiz, presidente del concilio de NVNNL. “Es una gran oportunidad para todos los involucrados a conocernos mejor, de compartir talentos, ideas y recursos [que será] el desarrollo de la visión y misión de la iglesia en los años venideros. Es una oportunidad para continuar con la visión y el legado del Hermano Paul Lederach y otros que servían en Norristown ante nosotros”.

Entrando en el 2014, el futuro parece más brillante, con la posibilidad de nuevos inquilinos y una economía que mejora lentamente en Norristown.

“El ministerio que comenzó aquí en 1918 continuará”, dijo Williams, “y todo lo que hemos hecho para tener una situación financiera más estable beneficiará a las generaciones futuras”. En el futuro inmediato, la congregación iniciará la recaudación de fondos para pagar los préstamos, trabajar en las renovaciones en la Plaza, centro de reuniones y un centro de la juventud, y continuará expandiéndose y profundizándose en su ministerio intercultural.

“Hemos renovado la energía para continuar con las esperanzas y los planes que teníamos”, dijo Yvonne Platts, un miembro del equipo directivo de Ampliando Nuestro lugar en el mundo de Dios. “Tenemos una gran historia que contar—lo que somos, y que Dios nos ha llamado a ser, viviendo en la visión de tener una mayor presencia en el mundo de Dios”.

On Becoming a Church Invested in Racial Justice

January 16, 2014 by Emily Ralph Servant

Ewuare Osayande, anti-oppression coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee, joined us Thursday for a pastors breakfast entitled “Proactive Pastorship: On Becoming a Church Invested in Racial Justice.”

Ewuare challenged congregational leaders to understand the concept of “race:” a social construct emerging out of colonialism and slavery. Once congregations understand race, they can begin to have a conversation about racism and the impact racism has had on all people.

Ewuare also encouraged pastors to study the way that race has impacted the development of the Mennonite church in the United States and the communities that Mennonite immigration displaced. Mennonites have their own history of suffering but somewhere along the way, they became the “Quiet in the Land.” When they came to the “New World,” the Quiet in the Land were silent in the face of injustice and benefited from it. “This is also a part of your history,” he said.

Hear Ewuare’s entire presentation, his suggestions on steps congregations can take to invest in racial justice, and an insightful question and answer time:

[podcast]http://www.mosaicmennonites.org/media-uploads/mp3/Racial Justice.mp3[/podcast]

Read Ewuare’s blog and register for the upcoming MCC webinar on Renisha McBride, race, and gender: http://mccantioppression.wordpress.com/

Ewuare suggests that white pastors and congregations read A Testament of Hope as a way to begin understanding African American thought and theology.

Reflections from Impact: Holy Land conference

January 15, 2014 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Josh Meyer, Franconia congregation

I tend to be fairly cautious about most Christian conferences. At the risk of sounding overly-skeptical, I’m not thoroughly convinced of the long-term benefit of such events, and wonder if they don’t play into a kind of consumerism within the Christian sub-culture of the West: lots of marketing, lots of money, lots of “celebrity Christians,” lots of glossy pamphlets and slick websites. They’re not all bad, of course, but I generally feel uncomfortable with many aspects of “the big conference machine.”

However, I must admit when I received an invitation to attend the Impact: Holy Land conference, I was intrigued. If you’re going to have a conference, I thought, there aren’t many issues other than the situation in the Middle East that are worthy of special time and attention. And so, with a bit of hesitation, I registered for and attended the event. I’m so glad I did.

It was a richly challenging and deeply hopeful three days of relationship-building and peace-building, of learning and growing. The speakers and participants were comprised of a diverse group of individuals, with varied theological and political backgrounds and beliefs, but who were united by a love for Jesus. We listened to stories, wrestled with difficult topics, asked pointed questions, studied the Bible, tried to disagree agreeably, and worshiped together throughout the entire event.

There’s not room in one short blog post to capture all of the wisdom and grace and hope that was shared during our time together, but here’s a brief sampling of some of the thoughts that struck me and continue to shape my thinking about the Way of Jesus in general and the Holy Land in particular:

“The greatest tool to fight injustice is actively seeking peace and reconciliation with those who are persecuting us.”
“The most deadly weapon in conflict is dehumanization. When we dehumanize the other and buy into an ‘us vs. them’ mentality, it’s a breakdown of the image of God in other people.”
“If your theology is not a blessing to and good news for your enemy, then it’s not a Christian theology.”
“Part of loving your enemy means listening to their story, learning their history, and getting to know their narrative.”
“You cannot have justice without reconciliation.”
“Whenever people ask if I’m for a one-state solution or a two-state solution, I always reply that I’m for an 11 million-individual solution. Every single person living in the Holy Land needs to be transformed and needs to be part of the solution.”
“As Mother Theresa teaches us, if we have no peace it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
“We Christians do not have exclusive control over the Holy Spirit. Sometimes God works through those who believe differently than we do.”
“Dr. West reminds us that justice is what love looks like in public.”
“Love cannot be legislated, but as our hearts are transformed by the love of God we will necessarily change our policies.”
“Politics is about policies that impact people. If there are policies in place that are hurting people, then challenging those policies is the right and loving thing to do. So yes, there are times when love is political.”
“We must expose injustice to the point that it becomes so uncomfortable that people have no choice but to do something about it.”
“We need to exchange weapons for worship, conquest for community, and the pursuit of power for the pursuit of peace.”

I attended this conference with a desire to learn about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. And while I did learn more about the situation, I also learned about much more than simply the religious and socio-political struggle in the Holy Land.

I learned about God’s deep love for all people. I learned about conflict and reconciliation and justice. I learned about the power of story, the power of forgiveness, and the power of God using ordinary people to do small things with great love. I learned about my own distorted ways of dealing with conflict and relating to those who disagree with me. I learned about social justice and the fierce urgency of now. I learned about the imperative call to express our faith not merely in belief but through concrete, tangible, loving action. And most importantly, I learned once again that the good news of Jesus is for all people: saints and sinners, skeptics and dreamers, Arabs and Americans, Israelis and Palestinians.

Walking together while speaking different languages

November 21, 2013 by Emily Ralph Servant

MWC Program Oversight Committee — Marius van Hoogstraten takes notes as the Program Oversight Committee plans Assembly 2015’s subthemes. Photo by Emily Ralph.

by Emily Ralph, for Mennonite World Conference

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – “Isn’t English your first language?” Marius van Hoogstraten (The Netherlands) asked Don McNiven (USA), after a laughter-filled conversation about the proper spelling of the English word “future.”

Both men are members of Mennonite World Conference’s Program Oversight Committee, which met in October to further plan the upcoming Assembly at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on July 21-26, 2015.

The committee members represent churches from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North and South America and each speak at least two languages. In order to communicate for their planning sessions, they use the one language they have in common: English.

While all committee members speak English fluently, they discovered that translating their conversation into the languages of their homelands was not always as easy.

“When looking for a theme we had wanted to use the word ‘story’ in the title,” reflected Liesa Unger (Germany), Chief International Events Officer for Mennonite World Conference. What they discovered, however, was that the English word “story” would translate into “history” in many languages and the idea of “history” was not what the team was trying to say. So they settled instead on the theme of “Walking with God.”

One of the committee’s tasks during their October visit to Pennsylvania was to plan the subthemes for each day of Assembly. This task was more difficult than it seemed: how would they find simple, memorable words to describe the theme of each day that mean the same thing in all of Mennonite World Conference’s worshiping languages?

They encountered their first problem in deciding on a word to use to describe the work of evangelism and social justice: words that translated well into Ndbele, the language spoken by committee member Thobekile Ncube (Zimbabwe), or French and Spanish didn’t have direct translations into modern German, for instance. Other words described only speaking the good news of Jesus without including caring for the poor or working for justice as part of evangelism.

Why so much effort for clear communication? Because communication is an essential value for Mennonite World Conference, said César García, Mennonite World Conference General Secretary, in a recent article. “Communication has the same root as other important words in Mennonite World Conference’s mission and vision: communion and community. It is not possible to have real communion with those with whom we do not communicate.”

And so the work for clear communication continues for an event that will include as many as 10,000 people from 85 different countries. Fiona Neufeld (Paraguay), one of Assembly 2015’s interpretation coordinators, joined the Program Oversight Committee to plan translation for the event, which will be available for all worship services in Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

Yet the Assembly planners are also aware of a challenging reality: for many of those traveling to the United States in 2015, these “common languages” are still not their first language. The team plans to honor and celebrate this diversity by using other languages as part of the morning and evening worship services.

Mennonite World Conference’s diversity of language and culture will also be celebrated through the Global Village, which, under the direction of Vikal Rao (India), will provide space for congregations from each continent to share their culture, food, worship practices, and way of life with the global church. The Global Village will include a stage for performances of music and dance from around the world.

“You get to know other cultures and worldviews through their language, which allows you to get to know other people and their realities,” reflected Egon Sawatsky (Paraguay), youth program coordinator. “Getting to know these people from around the world and their stories shows how great God is, and how diverse his creation is. Sometimes we think we [alone] have the image of God, but then we realize that his ways and his thoughts are way higher than ours.”

Franconia Conference is partnering with Mennonite World Conference to provide communication support in preparation for the Global Assembly in Harrisburg, Pa, in 2015. To find out more about joining the volunteer team, head to Mennonite World Conference’s website: http://www.mwc-cmm.org/.

MCC International Volunteers: Impacting the World

November 20, 2013 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Millie Penner, Mennonite Central Committee East Coast

“We eat together, sing together in both English and Chichewa, go on our nightly walks together, and laugh together like a family of hyenas,” says Eric Bishop of his family’s relationship with Madalitso Kaputa. Eric and Linda Bishop, Souderton congregation, have opened their home to Madalitso, a participant in the International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP). IVEP is a program of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) that brings young adults from other countries to live and work in Canada and the United States for a year. Madalitso is far from his home in Malawi, Africa this year, yet clearly he also has found a family with the Bishops.

During the day Madalitso volunteers at the Dock Woods and Dock Meadows campuses (Lansdale, Pa.) of the Living Branches retirement community. It is clear to his host family and both his supervisors that this work is far more than a short term volunteer assignment. For Madalitso, this work is a part of the calling God has on his life, a calling he works to fulfill with joy and passion. He says, “When I first arrived in the United States, the food, the time change and the people were all new to my life, and I wondered if I would be able to hold on to my sense of mission. But after a month, I feel like I’m at home as my wonderful host family has helped me to remember my mission goal. Through my work at Dock Woods and Dock Meadows, I have come to understand the great call that the church has in taking care of people, especially the elderly. Indeed, this is now the time that the church should be inviting and welcoming all the elderly into her caring and protective service as the salt and light of the world.”

Gerry Moore, who supervises Madalitso at Dock Meadows, agrees that he is focused and effective. “He is eager to visit with each resident and learn their stories. He wants them to know they have a life time of experience to share, a wealth of wisdom and much he can learn from them.”

Dock Meadows and Dock Woods have hosted IVEPers for several years and have seen good fruit from the cross-cultural exchanges that happen through this program. Eileen Burks of Dock Woods says, “A resident just received an email from one of our past IVEPers from Indonesia. They have been in contact for over seven years, and this clearly is one of many great bonds that were formed through this program. Another way that we are enriched is when the IVEPer brings the world to our residents through a cultural class, sharing about their country … family, faith, foods and languages.”

Madalitso will take many gifts with him when he leaves the IVEP program, not the least of which is a better sense of the world community. Linda Bishop, his host mother, says that he already refers to the world as his home, not just Malawi, since he is willing to go wherever God sends him.

And Madalitso will leave just as many gifts with those whose lives he touches here in Pennsylvania. Living Branches residents, his supervisors and his host family will have formed many good memories, relationships and connections that will last a lifetime.

Introducing Towamencin Mennonite Church

November 14, 2013 by Emily Ralph Servant

Towamencin Mennonite Church is located on Sumneytown Pike in Kulpsville, adjacent to the Lansdale exit of the PA Turnpike. The church has been around since 1713.

Towamencin can be described as a family-friendly, traditional, Anabaptist congregation that is evolving in its diversity and mission. Families from Ethiopia, Kenya, India, and Ghana now call Towamencin their home and we are struggling together to embrace our missional identity. Our mission statement calls us to extend God’s healing, hope, and forgiveness to all through the power of the Holy Spirit, yet we are finding that in practice, this can be a difficult task. So with God’s help, we are on a journey of learning.

Our leadership structure includes a team of four elders, a deacon, and two deaconesses along with our pastor. We also have a church council which gives a voice to persons in the pews.

The location of the church affords us opportunities for ministry. In fact, thousands of commuters drive by our building each day. Our inspirational sign with weekly thought-provoking messages provides both words of encouragement and challenge to these commuters. Some of the commuters use our parking lot for carpooling. We serve breakfast cake and coffee to these folks several days a year in attempt to get to know them better.

Twice a year, we hold a yard sale which brings many persons to the church. We have found that many of these folks are in need of prayer and a listening ear. Our prayer tent has been a great tool for ministering to these folks. One of our largest ministries at Towamencin is Vacation Bible School. Each year, 80% of the kids that come to VBS are from the community. This has provided a way for us to connect in direct ways with persons from the community.

From there to here: a story of community

November 13, 2013 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Jenny Duskey, Ambler congregation

I came back from Mennonite Church USA Convention in July feeling challenged and uncomfortable, the kind of feeling that means I need to do something. In Phoenix, I’d prayed about how to respond to a drone center coming to our area. I went to the next protest. Still, I remained uncomfortable.

Then I experienced what turned out to be a blessing, though it didn’t seem so at first. My car was damaged in a parking lot, and the body shop needed it for a few days. My husband and I, both retired, volunteer regularly at different places, all too far to reach on foot. In the Philadelphia area, senior citizens ride trains for eighty-five cents and buses free. I could get where I needed to go without renting a car.

My habit had been to drive anywhere too far to walk, using public transportation only when I couldn’t drive. What an irrational routine: a two-mile exercise walk, a quick stop at home, and a drive to my destination, spewing pollutants into the atmosphere. No wonder I’d felt uncomfortable! When my car returned, I found I couldn’t go back to my old ways. The Holy Spirit has turned my thinking upside down; I now use public transportation whenever possible.

When I drove, my car isolated me. Now, no longer isolated, I relate to others. I’m reducing pollution only a little, but my sense of community is growing a lot. Here are a few illustrations.

After church, I walked to the train. Two teen-aged boys, acting silly, as teens do at times, passed me. At the station I noticed an elderly man with a cane. I began to check email on my phone. A voice said, “Hey, old man, give me all your money, or I’ll beat you up!” I hid my phone away and looked up. Standing by the old man was one of the teens I’d seen. I got my phone out again, thinking of calling 911. Should I try to talk the boy out of it or would that make it worse?

Then the old man spoke, “Where are you going?” The boy answered. The old man said, “Man, you’d better get out of here and cross the tracks.”

“I’ve got time,” the boy laughed. “How’ve you been?”

My heart started beating again; they knew each other. The boy had been joking; as I returned home, I pondered my reactions and assumptions.

Often there are not enough conductors on the trains to punch all the tickets. I don’t want to cheat, so I try to find a conductor on the platform to take my ticket. Once, he refused, saying, “Use it another day.” I responded that with his permission, I guessed I would.

Once, the conductor shortage was potentially more serious. At my stop there was no conductor in sight as I stepped down toward the platform. A blind woman with a dog started up the same stairs. I knew I couldn’t move back in time, so I called out, “I’m coming down.” She backed up. As I walked past her, I said, “It’s clear now.”

A conductor stood motioning for her to move to the next door. She kept walking toward the stairs. “She’s blind,” I told him, “she can’t see you.” He kept gesturing. I called to the woman, “The conductor wants you to move to the next door.” She moved, but not far enough, stopping right in front of the opening between two cars. She lifted her foot to climb onto the first step, but her foot was over the track, which lay a few feet below. Knowing it’s not acceptable to touch a blind person, but afraid she’d fall, I put my hand on her arm. She turned toward me immediately to tell me loudly to stop. My emotions were a jumble. I reacted as I usually do when yelled at, hurting inside, but also felt immensely relieved that she had turned back. Her dog steered her back to the stairs. The conductor no longer gestured as she stepped up. I shed tears of relief as I walked home.

When I was driving most places, I rarely related to anyone on the way. My car isolated me. Now, the trains, the stations, and the buses bring me closer to the people who share this place in which I live. No longer isolated, I see them as the human beings they are, and they see me the same way, picking up my ticket when I’d dropped it, getting up to let me sit down on the bus, and, in one case, asking me if an umbrella on the shelf above me was mine, and when I said it wasn’t, exchanging sympathy for whoever had lost it.

One day, an excited little boy asked his father one question after another about the train, where it went, when it would come, how it stayed on the tracks, what made it move, and so on. He and his family wore Phillies hats or shirts. Someone asked him if he was going to the ball game. He grinned, nodded, and asked if we were going to the game, too. Soon each of us knew the others’ destinations and we all wished each other a safe journey. I expect I was not the only one to board the train with a warm feeling of commonality and a little extra joy.

intercultural

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