Men can only be equal on the Day we are all Equal,

"the truth is not always Beautiful, nor beautiful Words the truth"

Lao Tzu

“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.”

Albert Pine

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Remember God Doesn’t Make No Junk!

Until You have Lived under a Bridge, with a Vietnam vet who was A holder of the congressional Medal Of Honor and watch as He died 6 miles from a Veterans Hospital who refused to help Him unless He stopped drinking first, Or camped a mile outside of town because that was as close as you dare get because People didn’t want you in the town, only to come back to your Camp only to find the Man you learned to love as a Brother Has Killed Himself because He could No longer face the indignity of what He had Become. You can Not Nor do I expect anyone to understand, at best You can lend to me The Empathy You have for anyone who suffers or has suffered. And that is Fine and for me a step in the right direction.
I have often been accused of being a Hater, of Having an agenda, and of being full of vitriol.  (and I freely admit I do, sorry If My agenda steps on some toe’s.)   Also I can only assume they Meant that I was bitter and abusive and not full of sulfuric acid. I can tell you this for sure If in these comments It was Intended to insult me for Having great passion towards homelessness than I accept that. I do not accept however That I am what others have said I am simply because I openly and freely speak out against Organizations who are in the business of profiting from homelessness.
I started Blogging a Little Over one year ago, and I was confronted with the fact that another of My homeless friends Had died,alone and on the streets of one of the richest communities on the west coast. His Name Was Robert Bunch and He was found dead On 12/1/2010 To me He will always Be Bobby. He died In my opinion because He did not want to be fixed. There was No grand epitaph nor did droves of people attend his burial. what there was and still is a small band of brothers and sisters who called him friend, I being only One. I received This e-mail shortly after I had began to blog saying I thought You would want to know Bobby Died. The Local Santa Barbara  News Ran a small byline explaining He had died of exposure possible linked  to alcohol. Anyone having Known Bobby would have not seen this as a stretch.
I felt He deserved More. so I posted this Blog.  This not so Homeless Life: For Bobby - http://goo.gl/EUJLG
I think I had at that Time Made Up My Mind To never Again Remain Silent As to the truth of The Homeless services industry, ( I cringe Calling it that But it is as the Industry Demands) I call them The profiteers of Homelessness, Because I have gone to great length’s To Look at these Organizations and can tell You there are few Non Profit Org’s That Are truly Non Profit. Because When You have Boards Of directors Executive Directors and Administrators entrenched in these Org’s that for years have brought Home six digit salaries while People they Help or claim to Help struggle to Come up with The 90$ a week program fee and the rest of the industry exist simply to Give referrals to these agencies so that at each point in the persons struggle to go from the streets to a house,there is always another referral to someone else who’ waiting to skim more of the cream from the top. Something is seriously wrong!
And The Song remains the same, And The only Job these agencies are beholden to is that at the next annual fund allocation there is still a need for them. No One in this industry is actively trying to work themselves out of a Job and herein lies the problem.The saddest thing is that it has become both a secular and non-secular Agenda.
Even faith based Initiatives have instituted policies which for the past 2 decades that I am aware of Do Not work. And they go on singing each others praises attacking and doing everything in their power to silence any voice of decent.
My best recommendation is simply this If indeed You want to help a homeless person get together with your friends your church your family, and try to impact the life of one individual, not the homeless society as a whole Ask that one person what they need don’t try to fix them educate them or turn them into a productive Member of society remembering always society itself has become unproductive. We don’t need fixed. We need friendship Love and compassion just like anyone else.
Because I can almost Guarantee you one thing If devoid of your Family and friends If every one Church Body Decided They where going to help one Homeless person Before Long instead of fighting over doctorial differences  they would before you know it be fighting over who’s going to help the next person needing it.
You see Homelessness is not going to be solved By Some Org or some government grant, or private sector donations. it going to be solved By people Who Just want to Help and Have no Need for the person to be changed First.

3 comments:

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  2. Ok so as a person who genuinely wants to help and as a Pastor who does help more than one person who is homeless. One who opens his doors for food, hygiene and rest. One who endures with people probably much further than most addictions, mental illnesses etc. So much so that individuals would rather come here 1st than the local shelter, I am challenged by the idea that no requirement of change is the answer.

    Within the context that human nature is the same across the board the tendency to TAKE ADVANTAGE also exists among those who live outside. Of course as a Pastor it if my belief that everything good in life comes out of a healthy spirit and that can only be achieved through a deep and intimate relationship with God. Ultimately my belief surrounding this idea is that that as a result of having that relationship CHANGE is inevitable.

    Granted there are going to be those who are indeed unemployable and may not ever get the chance to have a place of their own or live indoors again in their lifetime. So I am faced with the challenge of speaking hope to hopeless situations. My belief is that there is always hope, that there is still value in the lives of those who seemingly have lost it all. However getting those affected by homelessness to believe that themselve as well requires them to CHANGE their mindset and perspectives of and about their situation.

    I am willing to walk through things with those who live outdoors but being one person I can only walk so far and I can't walk with you if you are not willing to walk yourself.

    I can offer you food, a place to rest and wash your tail but if you turn down the spiritual food and insight that can really change your life I can only assume that you really don't want life to be better. Now thats not to say that those individuals deserve any less love but I have to ask at this point now who is taking advantage of who?

    When oppotunities are being provided the least one could do is clean up after themselves for the next person. I have encountered men who have been on the streets for 30 years or more who are well rounded, have a pleasant outlook on life and who contribute to the environments that also serve them and the only difference that I've been able to note between these individuals and others who just take everything they can get is that these individuals have been profoundly impacted and Changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

    So please help me in any way you can to better understand how to serve the homeless. Been at it about 6 years now, I don't think we are doing a bad job but I am always striving to do better. Google Atmosphere of Praise Ministries to learn more.

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    Replies
    1. Pastor Bryon, I like yourself believe there is always Hope.Having now been homeless for over 20 years I also understand that there are many That do not want anything but to take advantage.and for some of those it is from having acquired that guttural instinct to servive and it became a part of them. I am Glad you were challenged by The Idea of not having to Change but am sorry because In writing this It was my hope to get the message across that we can not change men,Or expect Change from them. we can only do what is right and needed Loving them along the way and through that Love that Christ has given us, If change is necessary He will make those changes in Men.
      My only advise To anyone ever helping the Homeless Is do so on an individual basses and do not say this is the help I offer but rather what help Do you need. In doing this alone you make them,Us,see our future ahead And not some future that was laid out for us.
      So if one is willing to walk with you and you with them let them have their own path just be their when they falter to dust them off instead of telling them their path is the wrong one.
      And as a Christian I ask myself often How many times did I reject Gods Spiritual Food and Insight that could Have changed My Life Yet I am Comforted That He still Has Me right where He wants Me so don't take it to personal Preach When Men reject Your offerings of Guidance It may not be that they don't want to change It May be that You were Just the seed Planter and God has A someone to water on the way.
      and may you and your ministry be blessed

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