Our thoughts on Christians doing something for the homeless of western cities:
Who is going to do it? Well, let's apply some of the things we have been saying in this website. The bivalent approach is out. This means we don't think in terms of housed or not-housed. We use housed and not-housed as the end points of the continuum, merismus style, and take some time filling in the in-between parts of the continuum. To do this we will need to discuss concepts of housing and community with homeless people. Then, we use the fuzzy approach in recruiting Christians to assist. We won't set up a strictly-defined organization so that Christians feel they are involved or not-involved. We will recruit as many Christians as possible and ensure that they all understand that their personal involvement will be fuzzy, that is, varying in function and intensity over time.
Next, we will, as part of the recruitment process, explain that Luke 14:13 is not optional for anyone who participates. Their participation must be incarnational. And in terms of structure, we will insist that the committee that steers the enterprise will follow in its constituency the spectrums of the constitution of Christianity in Acts 2:17, 18. This can be reviewed in Christian Structure.
So, to recap: We will have a steering committee after the manner of Acts 2:17, 18. We will listen to the homeless people to understand the continuum of types of housing and community we will strive to achieve. We will incorporate the fuzzy approach in the participation of Christians who are involved. We will expect all participating Christians to apply Luke 14:13.
Finally, because we understand strange attractors (yes?) we will not attempt a close definition of where we are going. Instead, we will be confident that as we establish a system on biblical principles what we do will approach the attractor. And we will recruit a bright spark who can figure out a way to chart the attractor for us.
In getting to know homeless people we will have our eyes opened. The homeless form a continuum all of their own. Unlike stray puppies who flash their big brown eyes at us and then lick our hands when we give them food, people living on the street are not puppies. Many of them have some form of mental disability and so behave unpredictably or outside our experience. We will have to do some changing of our own here. Many of them, particularly the young, will have come from homes where they were abused. No puppy dog eyes here. Trust will have to be earned over time.
We can, however, learn some lessons from human/animal interaction. Fairly recent changes in horse training have shown remarkable results. The old method was to approach the horse head on with eye contact and then work to force the horse to do the trainer's will. This remains the approach most prisons have with prisoners. The new approach fits better with horse behaviour. The trainer approaches the horse sideways, with no eye contact (which horses interpret as challenge) and with body language patterned after horse body language. With this non-threatening method, the horse soon approaches the trainer and makes friends on the horse's terms.
Therefore, it is worth while learning how to approach the homeless and establish our credibility on their terms. As this is learned it will be important to teach it to new participants.
The steering committee should have in its membership one or two Christians of wealth who can underwrite the beginnings. Very important here is that the wealthy Christians on the committee should invite the homeless into their homes. And, if you will pardon the sexist illustration, that will separate the men from the boys! Sadly, not many Christians of substance will risk their beloved homes and possessions. This is a good time to review the Luke 14 passage and perhaps steel yourselves for some disappointment. You will find there are wealthy Christians who will lend their presence to the committee and lend their financial expertise but few will share their lives. Don't weaken. Start thinking of Plan B.
One approach we had thought of is to look at the government assistance that might be available. Here in the UK a person cannot receive housing benefit without first having an address. A catch 22 situation. So, someone might research the possibility of the wealthy Christians on the committee purchasing a property, preferably a property in need of renovation but still legally inhabitable, and providing an immediate address for a few homeless persons. Then, a retired Christian builder would move in with the homeless and help them renovate their new home. This would be a fragile period and the homeless would need much understanding. They would also need a lot of nutritional support, preferably using a nutritional therapist as a consultant. It takes a fair amount of time to overcome the effects of poor nutrition. Some problems such as teeth may not be overcome.
Other participants would be involved and this would certainly include the wealthy Christians inviting the recently housed into their own homes. (Boy, this really is sounding more and more like fiction, isn't it?!)
In time it would be possible to self-finance the accumulation of a property bank that would permit a through-put of a significant number of homeless people. But where would they graduate to?
Perhaps a property renovation company might be established. Here in the UK there is a dearth of construction companies that will provide renovation work on time and on budget. Builders have a reputation of taking a deposit, starting a job then disappearing while they start other jobs and do continuing work on jobs in progress.
This provides an opportunity. Under the care and supervision of a Christian builder, the homeless could learn construction skills and customer service. With thought, jobs might also be fuzzy, accommodating the varying abilities to work differing hours. Our suggestion is that all workers are paid not by the hour but as shareholders at the end of the job. Some sort of draw against pay could be worked out.
However, with a deadline and a budget understood by all the work would still be done on time and without cost overruns. An incentive could be built in. If the job runs past the deadline then the customer pays less. On the other hand, if the job can be finished ahead of schedule then the workers still earn the same amount and they get to begin the next job and thereby earn at an increased rate.
This is an idea for a type of business that could provide the homeless with qualifications and advanced business practices. Some, of course, would not stay in the business but their homeless past would be laundered from their curriculum vitaes (resumes, for North Americans) and enable them to find work or start their own business.
Perhaps some Christian colleges might see a Master's thesis or two somewhere in here?
A final thought on the renovations providing housing for the homeless. Perhaps the strongest factor in generating despair is lack of community. We cannot overemphasize the importance of having communal rooms in the homes. Just bedrooms, kitchen and bathrooms is not good enough. People need to meet together in a living room. We say this because of the horrid practice of converting homes to bedsits which eliminates community. Bedsits are not part of the Christian portfolio.
Here in London, we would like seriously to see if this kind of approach to homelessness could be tried. So, we are looking for a few good Christians to work with the homeless in London, England. Retired Christian builders do not have to be British in order to help. And experience in England would be readily transferable to other countries. We would like to invite:
E-mail us at intelligentchristian@cwcom.net
Published by Lion, ISBN 0 7459 4054 4
Clare Nonhebel is a Christian and a member of British Mensa.
After a few years spending evenings in central London, taking food to homeless people and listening to them, the author began writing down some of their comments on life for her own benefit and the idea for a book evolved. Originally intended as a platform for homeless people to express their views, it soon extended beyond the obvious homeless - the street-dwellers - to the 'homeless-at-heart.
Word for word interviews introduce the reader to people such as Chrissie, survivor of alcoholism, schizophrenia and a broken home: 'People on the streets tend to be innocent. Even though they're involved in a lot of things - drugs, prostitution, shoplifting, whatever it is - they only do it as a way of surviving. But we're all addicts - everyone, not only the homeless - even if it's only caffeine or TV.'
The homeless-at-heart may be successful and wealthy, but still far from being at home with themselves and their lives: Francis, living in an empty house after his wife left; Daniella, eating compulsively to sweeten a bitter childhood; Deb, hard-working and prudent, yet left penniless by her addiction to an uncaring husband who refused to work for a living.
The author invites readers to place themselves on this scale of nearness to spiritual 'home'. None of us has arrived yet; we are all still journeying. And on our journey home, the homeless people who speak through this book may have some help to offer us, from their difficult but inspiring experience.