tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31081635.post723531024106564851..comments2023-04-06T10:30:07.575-04:00Comments on Words from Washington: No Easy AnswersDonna Claycomb Sokolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17814361844932567318noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31081635.post-70281745652456812452009-07-08T23:23:27.105-04:002009-07-08T23:23:27.105-04:00We struggle with this in our urban setting, as wel...We struggle with this in our urban setting, as well. The only way we've been able to deal with it is to try to provide some level of solution to the problem - so we're building a 40-bed enhanced shelter (transitional housing) on our property. It's the only way we know how to be appropriately hospitable.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09543611982916451671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31081635.post-37409075605208211792009-07-08T11:53:54.122-04:002009-07-08T11:53:54.122-04:00Here in Laurel, we have a quite a few homeless (un...Here in Laurel, we have a quite a few homeless (unhoused) folks in our community, too. I encounter them everyday, and do a lot of personal work and networking to help move persons off the street into something more stable. By and large, it's been one of the most frustrating realities I've ever had to face as a pastor and as a disciple of Jesus.<br /><br />There are simply no easy answers, but I do know the feeling of walking the tightrope between compassion and firm responses, both needed.<br /><br />On another related issue, just the other day, I had to go and chase off some kids who were skateboarding on our premises. I have no problem with kids skating and would love to have them here, but it creates safety and liability issues, so I had to ask them to leave. I truly despised having to do that, and apologized to them for it...<br /><br />I think part of our frustration is that as an institutional church who insists on having buildings, which subjects us to forms of regulation that know nothing of Christ-like compassion, we've limited the scope of Christ's compassion we can share. What if we were a church who literally had no walls??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com