From prejudice to solidarity

On Wednesdays I setup appointments with people who have signed up on our church bike list. These are people who don't have cars. Some might have a bus pass, but all lack efficient mobility in a society that demands it. In 30 minute increments from 9-11:30am I visit with people every Wednesday. The people range from all ages, races, and genders (yes, all genders). Yesterday, 5 bikes were given out, 5 bibles, 2 family bags of food from our pantry, 1 pair of pants, 4 pairs of socks, and 2 laundry vouchers for a low-income mother of two. It was a good day of Christ loving people through the body of believers at FBC Norman.

It was time for my 10am appointment. This gentleman (Steve, of course), had been extremely cordial, punctual, and, honestly, a delight to interact with. I got the call from the office that he arrived, so I began walking down the hallway to meet him. Before I could even get to him, the reception ladies had put a cup of hot coffee in his hand. What follows is an example of my own subconscious stereotyping.

I saw a 56 year old white man, clean cut, wearing regular blue jeans, belt, an OU sweatshirt, wool jacket, good teeth, glasses, and an OU ball cap. I shook his hand and we introduced each other (putting faces to the voices on the phone). We went to my office and began sharing our stories with each other. My first thought when seeing this man was, "He dosen't need a bike. I better check and make sure he is really in need before giving him one." Besides the fact that my initial thought reeked of paternalism, it was in that instance I realized I have prejudices against people on both ends of the spectrum.

He told me that after working in a successful job for many years his wife got sick. She has two diseases that compounded the other's symptoms. She could not work for many years and it came to a point when Steve had to quit his job to take care of her and their daughter with down-syndrome. The bulk of the money he had was/is being spent on medical bills (of course). They foreclosed on their old home, moved to a place temporarily, and now have applied for housing assistance. His story was sprinkled with comments like, "I never thought I would be poor," and "I'm so embarrassed to ask for help in these ways." Steve is a follower of Christ and a member at a church nearby FBC, so I asked him if his thoughts about God had changed since the recent change in his lifestyle. He said, "I only know now how much God blesses us."

Amazing. When we have nothing is when we are able to see how much we really have.

My meeting with steve left me realizing how close we all are to being homeless and poor. Most of us are simply one paycheck away from being homeless. Perhaps, really, we're all just a bunch of homeless people, who happen to be living in houses.