Framing the Purpose: Theological Anthropology

In Genesis we read that humanity is created in the “Imago Dei” (image of God). Yet we are also a part of the created order. The created order of animals, insects, trees, birds, oceans, mountains, sunsets, you get the idea. We are a part of that but we are also set apart by the “Imago Dei”. Over hundreds of years many Christians have speculated as to what is the “Imago Dei”, everything from reason to humor has been suggested. If anything I suppose the “Imago Dei” is everything that gives us the ability to rule over creation (Gen. 1:26). We have the ability to contemplate. We can look at a tree and see a house, which is pretty fascinating if you think about it. Dogs look at a tree and then pee on it. So we are created in the image of God and we are created beings. Ernst Becker wrote a book several years ago entitled, “The Denial of Death” in which he proposes the central controlling influence in a persons life is the fear of death, whether realized or not (a superb read, I highly recommend it). So a major observation related to theological anthropology is the fact that the created order dies but can not contemplate it; God can contemplate it but does not die; humanity on the other hand dies and has the ability to contemplate his own demise. A vexing position we are in. This ability to contemplate our own demise (something I’m told I will do when I reach my 40’s) creates within us anxiety. Anxiety creates fear. Fear creates insecurity. Thus anxiety compels us, rather than trust God for our security, we seek to become the source of our own security. This is where sin comes into play. From one perspective there are two types of sin: 1. The image of god sins and 2. The created order sins.

First the created order sins are characterized by instant gratification, giving into animalistic desires, lustful greed and impulses. This is where you get your “Jack the ripper. Then there are the image of god sins, and by that I mean we seek to become like God. Genesis 3:4-5 the serpent assures Eve that she will not die, but rather will be like God, and she grasps the opportunity to be god. Thus the appeal of money and power, knowledge, religion. Here you will find your Hitlers. See the difference? Humanity is lost is this struggle between the desire to be like God and the desire to fulfill animalistic tendencies.

In steps Jesus, “who being in very nature “God”, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” Jesus shows us what it means to be TRULY HUMAN, ultimately expressed in the Garden of Gethsemane when he says, “Not MY WILL, BUT YOURS.”

This is the predicament and the solution of all humanity. This is what I see when I see homeless people. For that matter this is what I see when I see rich people. In my opinion your theological anthropology is drastically important to flesh out when dealing with the…anybody really, because it frames how you approach them and how you proceed. Which I hope to unpack more of in my next post.

for a more indepth study I recommend:

Rienhold Niebuhr's 1. "The Nature and Destiny of Man" 2. "Moral Man and Immoral Society"

Blessings

Terry teaches me

Another week and seems that so much has happened. I have made contact with Caritas of Austin. It is a non-profit organization for the poor. I’m asking them questions and it seems like they have a lot of good answers. They definitely have a lot more time and experience than I do. I met Jo Kathleen who is head of a housing initiative for poor and homeless. She was great to talk to and very knowledgeable. She told me that they provide housing for chronic homelessness, which is anyone who has been homeless for more than a year and has a disability. That is Terry. I was so excited. I could wait to bring Terry the good news that we could get him off the street and into a warm bed. However, when I mentioned Caritas he wasn’t as excited. For whatever reason, all of them have a bad opinion about Caritas. I need to bring this up with Jo. My guys tell me that Caritas really isn’t interested in helping. Whether that is true or not (I’m inclined to think that it is partially true, I have a bad opinion of social workers myself) is not the point. The point is that for whatever reason Caritas, much like the modern church, has a bad reputation which hinders their ability to care for the poor. In my opinion the onus of responsibility is on Caritas, and the church, to push past the reputation and prove through action that they are here to help. This is what I intend to bring up with Jo tomorrow.

On another note, I took the guys a loaf of bread and some sandwich meat. Lisa and I also got Terry some thick warm socks and a new pair of shoes. Well, it turns out the shoes are too small, but he was so touched by the gesture. We began to talk about the gospel, and that was good for both of us. I was so moved by is optimism about how God continues to bless him. My guess is, I’m going to learn a lot about God from Terry. Perhaps more than I will from my books. Ha.

Lets Get Talking

Thursday,

So I decided Thursday to take “the guys” McDonalds and start asking questions. As we were sitting down I said, “Ok, I want something today…I want you to start by telling me your story.” They were hesitant obviously. I had to pry with questions like:

1. Where were you born?
2. What were your parents like?
3. What happened next?
4. Did you finish school

They were slow to reveal, and I’m confident that there is a lot more there.

Then I told them why I was here. I told that my belief in Jesus is that he would be doing the same thing. They agreed. Then I told them that there were a lot of people who were questioning me (in my work and in the church) about why I would do this saying, “They are homeless because they choose to be.” Wow…that was a hot button. Conversation became real easy after that. They have plenty of insight and opinions on the subject it was very insightful. Then I told “the guys” that I was researching homelessness in Austin and found that there are a bunch of organizations and church who have a specific goal to tend to the homeless, so my question was, “With all this money being thrown around, why are there still homeless people in Austin?” This was another BIG conversation starter which they had plenty to say about.

My goal today is to go back and clarify their perspective on the two above questions. Everything happened so fast and got a little emotional, that I really didn’t even catch it all. What is more, if they were in charge of the money, how would they spend it to help homeless people? I have a feeling that this will be great. Maybe.

Well I say maybe, because the next day, Friday, I went back to talk “the guys” and bring them Pizza but Mac “was up” and she told me that Terry Allen had caught the bus to the hospital for a staff infection. I am eager to find out today how he is doing and if he made it back or not.

Bursting with Questions

I believe it was Oscar Romero who said, “When I feed the poor they call me a saint, when I ask why the poor are poor they call me a communist.” I don’t know if I got that quote exactly right but it is close. That is my question. Why are the poor poor? I took McDonalds to “the guys” (from now on “the guys” will be a reference to the homeless people I visit) yesterday. After watching the documentary “Super Size-Me” I think I probably shouldn’t have but it’s cheap and it’s close. Shy walked with me to get the food, she told me about her hip, her sister who works for an insurance company in Dallas, and… wait… you have family? (I thought to myself). How is that possible? I was overwhelmed with curiosity. What is your story Shy?... I didn’t actually ask the question but I’m dying to know.

I have so many assumptions about why they are in the position they are in, that I fear to ask them any questions.

You are homeless because you choose this.

You are homeless because you are a crack head.

You are homeless because of bad decisions.

The list goes on, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has assumed such things.

At the same time, I am researching all the different ministries and non-profit organizations and government aide that are focused on homelessness in Austin TX. There are a bunch, more than I expected. Why then with all this money, and all these people and all these resources are there still homeless people in Austin? My quest for the next month is to make contact with every group or organization that is involved in this effort and get informed.

I have questions (if anyone else has a question I haven’t thought about please let me know).

1. What is your budget?

2. Where does that come from?

3. Who do you partner with?

4. What are your goals for 2008?

5. Why with all these other groups involved in the same effort are there still homeless people in Austin?

My guess is I’m going to get radically different answers, especially to question 5. It is a place to start. From there I can assess where to go next I suppose.

Back to “the guys”, they were so gracious for the food. We sat at a picnic table outside HEB and talked about the Cowboys. They talked about leaving this area. Suprising to me, I assumed with the congestion here at the Y in Oak Hill this was a prime location for getting hand outs. I was wrong. “the guys” say that most everyone jammed up in traffic are trying to get home or where ever they are going and are ticked off that traffic is so bad (and let me tell you it is bad, sometimes it takes me 10 minutes just to get out of the parking lot). So the last thing anyone wants to see or care about is someone at the corner asking for help. Funny I thought. “the guys” see you/me all ticked off in the car, and they know, “there goes my lunch!” Well…that’s not so funny…but…well…that’s all I got.

Dont know what I'm doing

It is a funny thing to leave your empire of comfort and indifference and strike out on a course to be a light, to deliver a message to a broken world. By that I mean leaving my world of comfort and indifference to be with, love, and minister to (no doubt be ministered by) the homeless. Why do I feel called to such a mission? I don’t know, perhaps it has to do with proximity, or my own obsession with success and wealth. Perhaps it is because I’m the guy who looks the other way at the stop light, or because I’m the guy who says, “Get your act together and get a job!” Whatever the reason, it is probably the least thing I want to do while at the same time being the thing that I feel will make the most difference in my life. Not that I’m doing it for selfish ambition, I hope you understand.

So last Friday after work, I took some Jason’s Deli over to a group of homeless people who were finding some rest in the afternoon. Terry, James, Mack, and Shy. The first thing Shy says to me as I am being introduced is, “This is my girlfriend, Shy.” Ha. There was a lot of trepidation building up to the decision to go through with this plan to be a minister to homeless. What would I say? What would they say? What would they do or think? Would they yell at me, hurt me, rob me, or abuse me? I’m a big guy, but quite the coward it seems.

Of course there was the curious apprehension in their eyes as I walked up and offered my Jason’s Deli meal. “Sorry I only brought one” I said. But they were welcoming, polite hospitable as we sat on the curb of a closed Double Daves. While they were smoking cigarettes and drinking beer (not unlike some of my ministry friends) I struck up a conversation about UT Football. That really broke the ice and got them talking as if they had been dying to tell someone about what they thought about the situation the BCS was in (thank God for the universal language of Football).

I asked them about where they were from and what brought them to Austin. I suppose my theory is to keep it superficial. Build trust. I suppose I need them to know that I am here because of the love of Jesus which I intend to embody in their presence. And…that is about as far as I have gotten on that one. That is my only plan. I am interested to hear if anyone who has some experience here can help me think of something that I’m missing.

I am dying to ask two questions that I feel at this moment need to wait. First: How did you get in this situation? Second: Do you want to get out?

The first question will take some time, but has to do with their story. The second is the more pressing question for me, but really at no consequence. Do you want to leave this? If they say yes, which my guess is they will say yes even if they really don’t mean it; by that I mean it is not as simple as, “I’m a bum? Well, lets change that!!!”, but there are years and years of engrained behavior, experience, and worldview which has produced their current predicament (or so I think) which one could easily say, yes I want to change that with out realizing the extant to which that means. If they say yes I want to change then, boom, I’m in action motivated to empower them and myself to do something about this, which in fact is what I hope will happen…It would be so glorious. However, if they say No, I suppose what I will have to do is love them all the same. Continue to pursue them as God pursues me. Continue to pour out love, patience, faithfulness until hopefully they do decide to be rescued. I could be completely seeing this the wrong way, and I am completely open to being enlightened to that fact. But it is what I’m currently thinking about the ministry.

The last paragraph is packed full of a lot of theological anthropology, worldview, belief and possibly a million other things that I am not even aware of. It certainly needs some unpacking in the near future.

The Beginning

This is the first posting of a blog about my experience, my working through the theology, my efforts to follow God’s calling to hear the cry of the oppressed in my world. This began when I first listen to Rob Bell’s, “The New Exodus” series. This is a compelling, life changing reading of the Old Testament which echoes profoundly in the new. Ultimately, Rob characterizes God as the God who hears the cry of the oppressed.

Over the course of this blog I want to do two things. I want to continue to flesh out what it means to hear the cry of the oppressed. I want to explore what it means to follow the Jesus who prays, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done ON EARTH as it is in heaven.” Secondly, I want to share my experience as I try to live this out by ministering to homeless people who live near the office where I work.

What is driving me is the belief that the church should not be just concerned with oppressed peoples spiritual needs, but their physical needs as well. Things like dignity, shelter, food, clothes, love, education, are basic things that every person needs but not every person gets. It seems that no matter what, my brother was going to succeed. In many ways, it is just who he is. But I on the other hand struggled to find my place in this world, if that makes any sense. If it were not for some great men who reached out and guided me, I could easily be in some bad places. And regardless, I always knew that no matter how bad I messed up, my family would always be there to help me get back on my feet. A lot of people don’t have that kind of support. In my opinion, for those who don’t… the church should be Jesus for them. No matter how long it takes, no matter how many times they mess up, the body of Christ ought to be there to love them, serve them, and support them.

It is my intention to be that for 6 or so homeless people in live and beg out side the doors of my office is south Austin. I would love to hear from anyone who is doing something similar. Most of all I need your prayers. I haven’t the slightest idea, how to begin.