Network is chugging along through this time of uncertainty. We continue to welcome folks to our back door for coffee and access to a bathroom, which is a vital resource even during the best of times. Our Tuesday Shift Director, Robin, has been organizing lunches and the community has answered the call. You can sign up too, if you feel so inclined. We distribute 60-80 lunches per day to our homeless friends, Monday through Saturday.
We have taken this time at Network to take a deep breath, take a look around the place, and take stock of what opportunities present themselves for a little TLC inside the house. The basement needed some attention so we set ourselves to it. Gary and Reggie have thrown themselves into the work along with Ryan, and the basement is looking better than it has in years. It looks like a real professional operation down there!
We have also taken this time to mourn the lack of resources the homeless have as well as take stock of the abundance that surrounds us. We grieve that the condition of our homeless friends has only been highlighted by the COVID-19 crisis. While the city of Denver has taken measures to shelter some people, the needs of others are ignored or they are actively disrupted in sweeps. Still, we are encouraged by the outpouring of support our community has shown for our Network guests in providing lunches and coffee and a smiling face at least once a day. And we're inspired by the way our guests turn to each other and take care of one another when it's needed.
Which leads me to a question: during this time as well as during ordinary times, what do we owe to each other? It's a question that keeps cropping up for me. As people, as part of the human family, as followers of Christ, what do we owe to each other? If it wasn't obvious before, it should be now, that we owe each other more than an exchange of goods, more than a meal or a few bucks now and then. We owe each other love and everything that comes with that: belonging, presence, patience, forgiveness, grace, and a chance to be heard and known. Our capacity to do this at Network has been diminished by the realities of the virus we all face together. And yet, we also find ourselves in an increased solidarity with each other. We find that the opportunities to live up to the task of loving one another have increased.
Ultimately this is the abundance we seek: the time and opportunity to love our neighbor. Opportunities to love, even in this confusing time, are all around.
Peace,
Logan – Monday night Shift Director
