Spiritual Sisters
Spiritual Healing Serene Salad
Spiritual Voices Creativity Bakery
There is Beauty in the Inner City Deb and I are among the people who have left the suburbs and moved to the inner city. Neither of us made a conscious decision to make this move, but both of us have had a gigantic attitude change since we've made the move. I arrived here after a commitment to "help" my son by temporarily moving into a duplex he wanted to renovate but had concerns about leaving materials and tools on site unless he had a guard on duty. I first saw the place on a bitter cold January day, the roads were icy and the snow cover was dirty gray from the coal soot deposited by the nearby gas and coke plant. The two houses to my north were abandoned except for a large cat population which had taken up residence in one of the houses. Inside the duplex, my spirits sank even further for it was worse than what I'd seen outside. The smell of urine was overwhelming and I was sick at my stomach desperately wanting to tell Dan I'd changed my mind. Dan saw my expression and he read correctly so we talked and he offered to release me from the promise, but a mom just doesn't break a promise. He reassured me he'd have the smell out of the side which was in better condition prior to my moving in and that he'd not hold me longer than the three months previously agreed upon. I moved in on another icy, snowy day. I met my neighbor as I was moving in--we had too many vehicles there and were partially blocking her space and we needed to do something about it. The young man across the street came to say "hi" and suggested I NOT lock my doors or my car. The next neighbor I met came over to tell me not to mess with her kids. I had never lived in the city and I am not street smart, oh, my! The dog had to be walked twice a day. We would walk the block and then walk through the small roadside park at the end of the block. Gradually snow changed to budding trees and blooming wildflowers. We began to encounter others residing on the block and were so grateful to be greeted by smiling faces and tail-wagging doggies. The youngsters playing basketball in the park were very serious about improving their skills. The dog and I would watch them as they were working at their game and we noticed they were thirsty for sideline coaching. It was enjoyable to listen as older men paused long enough to give the young people instructions. By the time spring had changed to summer, I'd met a lot of the people living here and had discovered for every house under constant police surveillance there were at least two where God's angels were in residence. Most of the houses are around 100 years old so older residents have many stories about the "ghosts" residing in their houses with whom they have long-term, friendly relationships. By the time summer was winding down, the two houses to my north had been renovated and I felt a rush of pride as I saw the improvements on MY street--I had fallen in love! Deb has now joined me. She has also lived in some of the most beautiful parts of the United States and is new to the inner city. The first impact upon my spirit when I came here was how real life in the ghetto can be. I had no idea how plastic the suburbs are since I never really knew my neighbors beyond polite smiles and superficial greetings. Here, in the city amongst all the lying and cheating, I have also encountered real honesty and true goodness. Jesus speaks of the widow who gives her last portion to a stranger. I have found her--and her sisters--living on my street. I now have an additional passion in my life. It is to tell everyone how necessary it is for a few suburbanites in all our cities to return to the inner city--not to preach or teach--but to simply live their lives, openly exhibiting their problem-solving capabilities and the resulting stability in their lives. "Without the power of hope, faith can lose its own nerve and turn back into despair. We are not born with the passion of hope, but it can be acquired...." --Ray S. Anderson
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