“Which of these … was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?’” (Luke 10:36)
The safety of those who worship and work at Christ Church is paramount. Compassionately engaging our neighbors, housed and unhoused, is our call as Christians. As the hands and feet of God in the world, and in this particular place, we are especially called to seek the good of others (1 Corinthians 10:24) and come alongside the vulnerable (Isa. 1:12; Luke 4:18) in loving and compassionate friendship (Col 3:12).
The greatest gift we have to offer as a Christian community in this place is relationship and loving care, while ensuring the safety of all. It is the center of our call to be neighbors.
Compassion is a learned set of practices, not simply an emotion. This learning takes time, and is something we will do together. Over the course of the next year, we will create opportunities to learn and practice compassion together. We will host a series of workshops, panel discussions, and gatherings to learn from those who have experience and expertise.
The first of these is a workshop to be held in Wells Hall on Saturday, July 26 (see the flyer in this Weekly and in the narthex). We will hear from Lizbeth Adams, Co-Chair of the Bishop’s Taskforce for the Unhoused. Her workshop, Compassion & Safety, teaches how to be safe and compassionate companions to the vulnerable. Lunch will be provided afterwards.
Please join us, and bring others, as we learn how to navigate these pathways. You can register for the workshop here: https://forms.gle/1vWGVq126MfsL8nz7
