Pastor Kris' Blog

Pastor Kris' Blog

Since When?

Posted by: Kris Androsky on 11/11/2010

 

I really enjoy the walk along the Fox River in Waukesha because it weaves around downtown, provides a great observation spot for the small waterfall and makes its way through Frame Park, complete with ducks and geese feeding and caring for their young. I love both the sound and the sight of the river.  Because I grew up on the shores of Lake Superior, water has always easily calmed my spirit, connected me with God, and called me to pay attention to the world around me. But yesterday, it wasn’t the river that had my attention and my spirit was certainly not calmed by my walk by water. 
 
I meet lots of people as I walk along the river. For the most part, I exchange a friendly smile, a silent nod or a quiet “hi” as we pass each other on the path. Occasionally, I’ll comment on how popular the guy with the breadcrumbs is and he’ll respond with the number of ducks or geese he has following him that day. Every once in a while, I’ll meet up with someone that I already know and we’ll talk as we walk or stop for a few brief minutes to chat about life. But yesterday, I met someone new and it unsettled my spirit. 
 
I could see the man sitting on the bench long before I could hear him. It was clear that he was carrying his possessions in the backpack he cradled in his lap. His head was bowed down, almost resting on the tattered pack and I found myself praying that there would be a place where he could get better rest than a park bench. When I walked past him I could hear that he wasn’t sleeping. He was crying. 
 
I stopped. I turned around. “Excuse me, are you okay?” The crying stopped abruptly and he looked up to slowly study me before responding. Holding up the straps of his backpack he said, “Look at this.” “Oh, it looks like the straps of your backpack are broken.” “They aren’t broken. They were cut.” I looked more closely and I could see that they did, indeed, look like they were cut. Certainly they hadn’t frayed into brokenness. 
 
“How did they get cut?” I didn’t know where this conversation was going but as I asked the question of the man on the bench another conversation flashed through the back of my mind in which an advocate for the homeless in Waukesha explained that some of the guys had had the straps of their backpacks cut by police officers as they were hustled out of the shelter of a park.  All of a sudden, my stomach began to churn and I began to dread the answer that the man on the bench would give. “LAW enforcement…what LAW is THIS?!” he asked as a stifled cry escaped and he held up the cut straps in clenched fists. 
 
I know that homelessness is a complicated, many faceted issue but since when is it acceptable for law enforcement to destroy the personal property of another person? When did preventing loitering come to include vandalism? Since when is it permissible for anyone, not to mention a civil servant, to destroy the dignity of another human being? When did it become acceptable for us to pretend that people living and dying on our streets is okay? And since when is silence our best answer? 
 
I went to the store and bought a backpack and a roll of duct tape. I cried the whole way there because I know that the broken spirit sitting on that park bench cannot be fixed with duct tape. And I know the pain of betrayal by a police officer and the city he represents cannot be shoved into a new backpack and tucked away under a bench. 
 

I drove home wondering when we began to see those without homes as those unworthy of justice. Since when are our neighbors only those who live in warm houses? And now that the waters are troubled, when will our spirits be troubled enough that we give up our silence? 

 

Yesterday, I met God on my walk as he sat on a park bench crying. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop looking for answers. 

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10 Comments

    • Nov 11 2010, 3:55 PM Evelyn Rohrer
    • An act of love, a voluntary taking on oneself of some of the pain of the world, increases the courage and love and hope of all. Kris, you are increasing my courage.
    • Nov 11 2010, 4:32 PM Alli Chase
    • I went to a seminar yesterday about bullying. I, too, wondered when did it become ok to not repsect self and others? When did it become ok to be a bystander and not speak up or try to help those being bullied?
    • Nov 11 2010, 5:06 PM Crystal Hendrick
    • Kris, I encourage you to submit this as a letter to the editor for the local paper and even forward it to the police department. Thank you for sharing Crystal (Larson) Hendrick
    • Nov 11 2010, 6:29 PM Deb Stiglitz
    • Perhaps a course teaching "respect" & how to "protect & serve" is needed in the Police Sciences. This happening on the Marine Corps Birthday & today being Veterans Day - what does this teach our youth about respect? He could have been a veteran, who knows? Bless you Pastor Kris!
    • Nov 11 2010, 9:47 PM kerry martineau
    • This is very sad but it happens every day across our country. Ron Reagan and the High court agreed.open the prisons, mental hospital ect. as its not a crime to be unable to hold a job or be unable to care for your self and it wasnt the Feds job to take care of them. And thanks for your kindness and the prayers in the loss of my Shirley, I still need them prayers. God Bless you.
    • Nov 11 2010, 10:21 PM Dan Schwerin
    • Thanks for bringing some justice to him, and challenge to us. Ask people on the street, how might one help the have-nots and they will say help at a food pantry. Donate something. Works of mercy are wonderful. However, what happened to the expectation that the commonwealth of civic, political, and law enforcement leaders would collaborate with solutions? In this economy, how many politicians had policy or strategy dealing with the poor on their list of priorities? That says something about us. I am grateful for your work of mercy--and your suggestion that the commonwealth of government participate in alleviating suffering.
    • Nov 12 2010, 12:12 AM Tina Itson
    • Kris, my heart cries out when I hear this story and it reminds me of a passage from Shane Claiborne's new book 'Follow Me to Freedom'. He says: "Too often well-intended leaders are quick to stand up to be a voice for the voiceless rather than be a voice with the voiceless. We assume that because people's voices are not being heard, they're not speaking. And the truth often is that people on the margins are weeping, wailing, and crying out from the depths of their souls, but the rest of the world has hands over their ears. Leaders are folks who can help remove the earplugs and blinders so that we can hear and see and feel the pain of others, so that the ache touches us and we cannot help but begin to carry the burdens and wipe the tears away." Thank you for continuing to work to remove the earplugs so that we all can hear the pain of those around us and work to do something about it.
    • Nov 12 2010, 11:31 AM Kris Androsky
    • FOR THOSE IN THE WAUKESHA: FIRST UNITED METHODIST COMMUNITY PLEASE PRAY AND CONSIDER ATTENDING A CONGREGATIONAL MEETING ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH AT 7PM TO DISCUSS THE ROLE THAT FUMC HAS IN ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF THE HOMELESS COMMUNITY IN WAUKESHA. WE WILL BE DISCUSSING RECENT EVENTS, THE WORK OF DOWNTOWN CHURCHES TO FORM A POSSIBLE ROTATING SHELTER AND THE ROLE OF FUMC IN BRINGING OUR FAITH TO LIFE.
    • Mar 22 2012, 10:40 PM Jeremy
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A Note From Kris

The Soul's Playground
I consider myself a seeker; someone who is always looking to find a different way of living - a way that moves into a deeper creative spirit and welcomes the things that offer a larger picture of the Holy One.  I can't help but ask a lot of questions and look for the fun and creative places in life.

In looking for something different in the world and in our lives, it seems that some days are meant for climbing trees and sitting in reflection while other days are made for playing in the sandbox with friends.

Here you will find my questions, my reflections, my greatest hopes - for our community, for the church and for the world.  Often, I'll share one of the "soul collages" made while playing in my art room as an image of where God is speaking in my life.  I hope that this space will be a place where we can share our tree-sitting reflections and our sandbox conversations.  And, I pray that through the community gathered here, our souls will find the playground they need to connect to the creative spirit of God.

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