compassion and justice fleshed out

I am so honored to be friends with so many amazing people in my life who are living out real life stories of compassion and justice.

I've been walking beside a situation in which a young mom with a tough past recently had her two children removed from the home due to a situation that involved violence and alcohol/drugs. This mom, however, has made strong strides forward over the past two years, has kept steady employment, and has become known by and a friend of a group of my friends. When this young mom found herself reeling from being stabbed and facing legal troubles, this group of friends did more than come alongside her to offer her comfort and encouragement. They did more than offer compassion to her. They showed up at court hearings. Because of her previous record and patterns in her life, the family court system, with their full load of cases, was ready to write her off. The court appointed attorney was not willing to look at the full story and changes made in the past few years, and the decisions of the judge in a few of the early hearings did not looking very promising.

But this group wrote letters. This group pooled money for a respected private attorney. This group made phone calls. At the first family meeting hosted by the Dept. of Human Services, not only did some from this group show up, but the children's school counselor came and offered to take the children into her home for a matter of months to be their primary caregiver during this period. Who does that?! And in the course of the next weeks before the second family meeting, a friend arranged respite periods for the counselor; offering help with the kids from this cluster of friends. The cluster also applied to be able to help DHS workers supervise during the supervised visits that the mom could have with her children. At the second family meeting, DHS said that they have never seen such a support system come alongside not only the mom and kids, but also DHS. Isn't this the Church at her best? A community of faith-filled friends offering the love and grace of Jesus together so as to help this mom shoulder her burdens and grow. A group of friends who show the love of Christ by their actions of love and service and sacrifice. A group who is working to offer life to this family.

The children's father, who is currently incarcerated for another year, has been at the family meetings via phone. Some from the cluster of friends have volunteered to transport the children the two hours to the prison for visits. The father has even asked if there might be a member from church who might be willing to mentor him as he prepares to enter back into the society in a year.

This whole situation for me bears witness to what we talk about when we talk about development vs. charity. When we talk about wholistic outreach. When we talk about Christian community. When we talk about compassion and justice. And because relationships and friendships are deepening with those involved, there is a growing presence of truth and accountability. There is an opening up into the deeper layers of life, and a possibility for healing and new life that has only come through these trusting relationships. There is also opportunity to verify the Word of God through deeds, and clarify the deeds through the Word of God.

Just recently, the young mother was told that the children may be back into the home before school starts in late August. This is one of the fastest moving cases seen due to the network of friendship and support found alongside this family. I'm so grateful and moved to be a part of Church that looks and loves like this.