20110929

Homelessness - comments on and prayer for Empathy

I offered comments and an invocation at a meeting on homelessness and the associated trauma of abuse at a meeting with Bob DeSousa who is the State Director for Senator Toomey of Pennsylvania. The hearing included Lisa and Walter who had overcome homelessness through the Northwest Philadelphia Interfaith Hospitality Network and Project HOME respectively. Also present were representatives from the People's Emergency Center, Women Against Abuse, Catholic Social Services, Impact Services, the Salvation Army and the Altman Management Company. My comments and prayer were as follows:

"I am a pastor. Years ago when I ministered in the Kensington section of Philadelphia, when a family fell on hard times the neighbor across the street would bring over a pie. I think this is an expression of empathy. When we have experienced hard times ourselves it makes us better at empathizing with others when they hurt. If there is an upside to the downside the country has been experiencing, it may be our increase in empathy.
  
"One place this empathy continues is in the Church. At Saint Paul's in Chestnut hill we reach out to help the needy, especially those without homes who live with us for a time through the Interfaith Hospitality Network. There are many other partnerships you will hear about as well. Empathy is more than bringing comfort it is also a quality of leadership and action that attempt to heal or excise the cause of hardship. You will find a lot of us collaborating in this effort.

"We touch the hurt. We are on the ground. We ask government to join hands with us to create the conditions where families and individuals can move from homelessness to stability and health so that they in turn can empathize with others the way they first experienced empathy themselves (2Corinthians 1: 3-7).

"Let us pray -
Almighty and most merciful God, we remember before you all poor, all without homes, those who are broken. May we who know something of suffering ourselves, in small ways or large, lead in turning their sorrow into joy. We praise you and bless you for the gift of empathy that stirs us to action that we may be instruments of your peace and sources of well being to the glory of your Name. Amen."