Advent III

Third Sunday of Advent - December 11, 2011
Reflection by Kim Ziyavo

Readings:
Isaiah 61:1-4,8-11
Psalm 126
1 Thessalonians 5:16-24
John 1: 6-8, 19-28

The scriptures for the third Sunday of Advent offer both encouragement and a profound challenge. These are the words of prophetic communities living in the midst of dark and oppressive socio-political systems. The reading from Isaiah proclaims hope, freedom and good news for all who are suffering, oppressed and without hope – an announcement that it is time for a new world order and that now is the time to rise up out of the ashes of grief and suffering, to embrace the new beginning and shake off the despair. The challenge comes at the end:

They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.

It is the oppressed, hopeless and despairing ones who must rise up to become the rebuilders, restorers and renewers of all that has been devastated by generations of injustice and domination. They are faced with a monumental task and the work and sacrifice required will be fueled by the proclamation of the “year of the Lord’s favor” and the hope and determination that flows from that vision of justice. The reading from Psalm 126 continues to celebrate the challenge of this transformation of a hopeless and despairing people into a prophetic community rising up and participating in the restoration of a just society, a renewed world where those who once suffered are able to find joy.

The reading from Thessalonians offers spiritual guidance to the community, most importantly to embrace the prophetic vision, holding on to what is good, even if it seems like a distant dream. It is a call to reject what is unjust and any negative influences that attempt to quench the spirit. The reading from the Gospel of John initiates a new time of preparation, witnessing to and preparing for the light that is to come, the Messiah who will bring the prophetic vision into its fullness.

As we fast forward 2000+ years, the world continues to be enmeshed in systems of domination and oppression. As the gap between rich and poor grows ever wider, one must wonder if anything at all has changed and more importantly, is the prophetic vision even possible? On the streets of Chicago, we see more and more people in need every year while at the same time, services like shelters and health care continue to be cut.

The people who visit The Night Ministry bus come seeking support and a means to survive: some are homeless while others are marginally housed and struggling because of low wages; some struggle with addictions to alcohol or drugs and few options for the kind of long term treatment needed, especially when they lack health insurance; others find themselves on the streets with mental health issues, developmental disabilities and other kinds of trauma; some of the people we see are undocumented, having left their families behind because their own countries’ resources have been depleted and coming here to find work was their last hope for a dignified life and to help improve their families’ lives; and, of course, others come simply to ease loneliness and to seek a sense of community.

At The Night Ministry bus, many services are provided. We have a meal to offer as frequently as possible, people can receive health care and referrals as well as HIV testing and sometimes we have extras like hygiene kits, winter clothing or socks on a rainy night. However, underneath all of these services and tangible items, the most important thing is the sense of welcome and community that we are all building together – we all (staff, volunteers, food groups and the community being served) participate equally in bringing about that safe space where all are welcome. We don’t need research to tell us that a sense of belonging is important for a person to grow and thrive and reach his/her full potential or to heal from past traumas.

Community is as vital to life as food, water and shelter and over time, we see some of the most isolated people beginning to cluster together with a group of friends at the bus and people spending time together before or after they come to the bus (or even following the bus from stop to stop the whole night so they can visit the other communities we reach). A few years back, one of our regular visitors had been homeless for over 10 years and resisted every referral to go to a case manager to help him get details in order. One day, it was one of his friends whom he met at the bus who invited him to come along to see his own case manager and that was the moment his life started changing and he was able to get into housing quickly and on his own terms. Just last week, this same person who had been helped by a friend when he was scared to go on his own for the first time, became the one to accompany someone else to see a case manager.

Community is very much about keeping hope and spirit alive among people who don’t always fit the structures of the dominant society – each person brings not only their issues and growing edges to the community, but also their own unique personality and gifts that adds to who we are collectively when we’re all together. That means each place we visit has its own special character, from quiet conversations, to loud discussion of sports, to lots of laughter and joking and even an occasional wild snowball fight. These are the ways we solidify the bonds and relationships we have and this is what makes our work different from the traditional social service model. This is about reconnecting people with their own sense of dignity and humanity, a safe space to belong and celebrate life, to dream and find hope.

Isaiah’s community would very much understand the meaning of what happens by the bus and the importance of being together in the face of the domination system that destroys lives and provides little assistance or dignity to those who don’t fit its ideals. John’s Gospel reminds us to stay ready and continue preparing and so we continue to work to keep the spirit of community alive and strong, trusting that the time is near when those who don’t fit the systems of domination will be full participants in bringing about justice and rebuilding, restoring and renewing what has been destroyed.