Thoughts from Downtown Detroit

So much good and so much evil all intermingled in life…

In the last six months I have seen and heard some pretty different and exciting things. What I am most aware of here is the intermingling of good and evil in the life of the community and its members.

I see constantly how we can become so focused on the stuff we have to offer that we fail to take the time to see the person we are trying to serve. I see how rather than the stuff being used as a means to open the entrance to someone’s life, it becomes the mechanism to hide behind so that we do not have to do the hard work of relationship. While the stuff is good and important, it can be an evil influence at the same time.

I have seen how we can focus on the past and not try to live in the present or expect anything different in the future. I have heard about so many past hurts, insults, demeaning words having been spoken that they are now a hindrance to the ability to forgive and work together for the good of the community. Relationships are hard but they are always worth the work. If we cannot build relationships with each other than what do we have to offer others that appears to make any sense or is seen as being valuable?

Life comes with good and bad. Trying to walk the line and not get caught in the evil is hard work. Without our eyes being fixed on Jesus, the journey becomes precarious. We can get caught up in a cult of personality or the desire to be the focus of the work rather than the servant. We can try to be so good for all the wrong reasons.

I was reminded recently of why I want to do the work of relationship in downtown Detroit. Fifteen years ago I met a man at the outreach center. He was a tall strapping strong man who had some drug and mental health issues. At times he seemed angry and frightened some people. Occasionally, he would be banded from the center because of disruptive behaviors. He always seemed to be nice to me and never really gave me any difficulty. When we would see each other, we would smile and point at each other. It was some kind of sign of friendship we developed over the years. About three months ago, I was out with the afternoon street ministers and I saw the man step out of a bus shelter on Woodward Avenue. Our eyes met and we smiled and pointed at each other. He yelled out, “I know you!” and I said in return, “I know you!” He grabbed my hand and we spoke about how the center had closed and that we were now on the streets trying to meet some of the needs of the homeless. Before I knew it, he had me in one of his huge bear hugs and was yelling at the people on the street corner. “See these people. They are the good people from St Al’s. They take care of me. They feed me and give me clothes when I need them. They are true Christians. They love me and I love them.” He finally let me go and he took a pair of gloves from us. As we parted, I said to him, “Let’s keep an eye out for each other on the street.” He pointed at me and smiled.

I found out a week before Christmas break the police had found him dead curled up behind a dumpster in an alley off Woodward Ave. His brother told me the Medical Examiner thought it was most likely a drug overdose that killed him. I was not able to attend his Memorial Service at Sts. Peter and Paul Jesuit parish in downtown Detroit. I know he was among good friends there.

When all is said and done what I believe we are called to do on the streets of the inner city is to build loving relationships so that we can point to each other and say, “I know you!” Perhaps in the knowing we will grow to be friends, brothers and sisters to each other. I will miss my friend but I know that the Lord will introduce me to someone tomorrow who I will point to eventually on the street and say, “I know you. How are you today?” Each day we struggle to get through the petty and unseemly things of life-the good and the bad-so that we can find the freedom to do what Jesus calls us all to do, “Love one another as I have loved you.” If you would like to come and join us in this wonderful journey please call me at 313-309-1270 and step into an unbelievable journey with God and His people.