Tiny Houses for Homeless Persons

 

 

Read about how Madison, WI and several other communities are creatively providing housing for homeless persons here. And vsit the website of inovative home builders and activests Occupy Madson here

 

Be inspired.

 

Pray.

 

Build homes for those who don't have them.

 

Amen.

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Overheard this morning: “Yes, I have a job. I support myself and my four children on $8.45 an hour….” If the poor are always with us, it simply cannot be so that we harden our hearts blocking out their presence and pain while tending to the things of Jesus (Matthew 26:11). My hunch and prayer is that the poor, the least among us, anyone longing for justice and mercy, dwell in our midst the Word made flesh. In tending to them, we now tend to Jesus.

They whisper to us from deep within, the still small voice of compassion’s prayer; uttering not loudly nor in the market place, “Thank you God for all that I have, there but for the grace of God go I!” Rather, calling us to hearts of no doubt hard come, nut nonetheless tender humility, praying carefully behind the closed doors of our fleshy heart’s room, “Here I am, my sister, my brother. Dear Father, how would you send me?” (Matthew 6:1-4 and Luke 18:11-14).

I was at the PADS Lake Co Day Shelter earlier today. Last year, on any given Saturday there were about 5 or 6 children in the children’s room. That means that they and their parent/s were living on the street, not in a women’s and children’s shelter or in any of the few family shelters. Today, there were 17 children in the children’s room. Conversation with staff has me understanding that every day of the week there are about that number—17—children who come there because they have nowhere to live. Tonight, they will sleep in a different place from last night…

I want to extend my Birthday: Please, pray and act for an end to the social insanity that allows this. The Hebrew Bible reading for tomorrow is: “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more” (Jeremiah 31:33-34).

Which leave me who was born 57 years ago to an unwed 16 year old and who lived my first 6 months in a “foundling home,” to wonder how will these children “know the Lord” who is all compassion and grace, if they cannot know safety and continuity, respect and equanimity? How will they learn ot be just if they know no justice?