- Where Jacob wrestled with God and survived -
TEMENOS CATHOLIC WORKER
Fr. River Sims
1550 California Street, No. 6-320
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-305-2124 punkpriest@yahoo.com
JOURNAL OF AN ALIEN STREET PRIEST
December 2000
Recently, someone was trying to explain to me why some people see me as "different." She said: "Well, with your clothes, your piercings, your outlook...I don't know, you're just kind of a clean-cut, nice-looking punk." That made me chuckle a bit. Then, later that same day, I saw the first of a series of articles in a Portland newspaper about case of clerical child abuse. On the front page was a large picture of the priest in question with the caption "Pedophile Priest." After overhearing the conversations of several people in a local restaurant about the article, I was glad to be a "clean-cut punk" and not wearing clericals that day.
Labels, stereotypes...all formed by our fears. Rather than risk looking at individuals, we create labels. Stereotypes based on the acts of a small group of people: one priest is a child abuser, so all priests are suspect; one black steals, so all blacks steal; one Middle Easterner is a terrorist, so all Middle Easterners are dangerous; one gay man comes on to a straight man, so the only thing any gay man is ever after is sex; two seventeen year old boys bring violence to school, so all seventeen year boys are potential mass murderers. The list goes on and on. We wind up building high walls around us, solid as stone. We isolate ourselves in ever-narrowing communities of people who look the way we do, think the way we do, live the way we do.
Jesus faced the same things. It's reported a number of times in the Gospels that he was labeled a "drunkard and a glutton" by his enemies because he hung out with the wrong kind of people, even went to their parties. He was called insane because he dared to be different in his spirituality. He was labeled a rebel and a blasphemer because he challenged the religious authorities of his day. And today it's not much different, although the pendulum has swung to the other side of the spectrum: now people, in particular young people, reject Jesus because those who claim to be his followers model other labels...Jesus the racist, Jesus the homophobe, Jesus the supporter of the comfortable bourgeois status quo. But against all these false labels, the Jesus of the Gospels is the One who reaches out to everyone in all-inclusive, non-judgmental love regardless of race, sex, gender or sexual orientation.
The message of the Gospels is "Fear not! I bring you tidings of great joy..." Joy because the real God, the God who stands beyond all labels, is One who is with us in human flesh in Jesus, calling us to let go of our fears and the stereotypes that grow from them, let go and begin to see each human being for who he or she truly is - a living icon of God.
This Advent, may we see God present in others rather than falling back on protective labels and stereotypes. May we see God in the seventeen year old, not a potential killer; may we see God in the homeless person, not someone who will try to use or rob us; may we see God in the rich and powerful person, not just someone we write off as greedy and selfish. Christ is truly God-With-Us. This Advent, may we see the presence of God in each individual we encounter, rather than letting our fears create labels that shut us off from others. Amen and Amen.
WEEKLY PEACE ACTION
Again we offer four weekly suggestions that you might consider in your own journey for social justice and peace.
Week 1: Organize a caroling party for a homeless shelter or a nursing home.
For the past three years, Temenos Board member Mary Monihan has headed up this project. If you're interested in donating a gift (or making a financial contribution to this project), please contact Mary at 1080 Drake Circle, San Carlos, CA 94070; 650/591-2496 (pager); 415/207-8504 (work).
Week 2: Take one homeless person, or a person who has no family, into your home for Christmas dinner.
Week 3: Give a homeless person a wrapped Christmas gift (it doesn't matter if you know that person).
Week 4: Read the Christmas story and the Epistle of James and reflect on how the Word in these passages intersects with your life and what it is it calls you to in the New Year.
ART PROJECT
Our street artist, Matt Pope, along with Nancy and Bo from the University of San Francisco, is busy working with street kids on art projects and planning a show of street art scheduled for December 7° at the University.
CHRISTMAS EVE MASS & GIFTS
As has been our tradition now for seven years, Temenos will celebrate the incarnation of God-With-Us with a Christmas Eve mass in Hemlock Alley, commencing at 6:30 p.m., followed by a gift distribution to our friends on the street. We have found much joy in providing individual gifts to our kids.
WE ARE BEGGARS
As we approach Christmas and the New Year, we are grateful for your thoughtfulness in prayer and financial support this past year. This year has not been quite the struggle previous years were due to your generosity last Christmas and our careful stewardship of your gifts. These gifts provided warmth and food, as well as a presence of inclusive love, to 3,500 people this year. With us, by your support, you have been the presence of Christ to the poorest of the poor.
THANK YOU!
After careful consideration, we have decided we will no longer include the names of financial supporters in each month's newsletter. The reason is protection of the privacy of our donors. Our newsletter finds its way to many places and several of our supporters have received phone solicitations as a result of having their names published in Peniel.
YEAR-END BUDGET REPORT 2000
Our year-end budget report will be available January 30, 2001, upon request.