House of Charity Episode 5 Retooled 12.16.08

Truth be told, teachers that change their students' lives are few and far between, especially at the college level. Students are too good at being students by the time we hit university to run into a dynamic presence that truly breaks the mold--but we're always happy to meet the exceptions.

Fr. Steven Kuder, a Jesuit who has taught at Gonzaga for decades (not to mention being reared somewhere on the South Hill) was one for me.

His teachings strayed far and away from the proposed subject matter--and for good reason. He advocated breakfast. And sleep. He had quotes to begin each lecture, gems like "whenever I meet someone new, and they tell me their problem, I try to recognize what it is, and just how much they're willing to do to not solve it." Good stuff.

For years, he's taught an introductory religion course on both the Old and New Testament, along with a class on Christian Leadership (where, among other things, the phrase "Spiral Dynamics" first steamrolled me. The term, and the idea, are available in a book by Don Beck by the same title). One quote from the CL course before we move on: "Leadership is 10% managing the people below you, 10% the people above, and 80% managing yourself."

To help a group of privileged white kids understand the teachings of the Old Testament, he gave out a few essential rules of the desert, since that's where most of the Old Testament authors lived.

Firstly, and of paramount importance, in the desert, there's not much to go around. Sometimes there's not enough. It's a setting that may be the definition of "Privation."

This is radically different than how things are for us today. Economics studies have shown that there's really not much of an increase in felicity (happiness) when our means increase past covering the basics. These studies (and others) are available online, and are collected on another brilliant Gonzaga professor's course website.

Economist Article on the Gay Science (Economics)

http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/alfino/cfma/courses/419/economisthappiness.pdf

Chapters from relevant books are available by links on the February 20th lecture on his site (the lecture is on Money and Status)

http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/faculty/alfino/cfma/courses/419/index.cfm?semester=200720

At any rate, the articles point to the idea that at some point, the connection between how much we have and how happy we are starts to falter. But saying that quickly moves past the point that at some level there is a connection. For those living in the desert, or for those that are homeless, this is certainly the case. For those living in a culture of not having enough.

Rules of the desert are useful, then, in understanding those that are homeless, because of the similarity of circumstance. In the desert, taking care of your kin really matters. The tribe might not make it if you don't. So you stick by (and care for) your own rather than splitting your dollar up among everyone. But that's not to say that when someone lands on your doorstep you don't roll out the red carpet (think the visit to Abraham by the two angels where he had his wife prepare a feast), as a gesture. A sort of primitive golden rule, or recognizing how anyone would want to be treated if they were traveling through the inhospitable desert. Or under the boardwalk.

On the same token, there's no love lost for those that have wronged you when you're living in such conditions. Enemies need to know that you're not a group to be tangled with--or else you might not be around much longer. On the street, it's called "saving face."

But those 'sleeping out' aren't the only ones demonstrating the kind of hospitality recorded in the Old Testament. Just last weekend (specifically Saturday, 12.13.08) in the House of Charity, a family braved the frigid weather to dole out cinnamon rolls and coffee that they'd bought as they stood out front. Shortly after, a Bikers for Christ chapter came in to hand out gloves (good ones!), socks (wool!), and scripture (also good). To top all this off, a woman with her son in tow brought in around fifty blankets that she'd probably spent months collecting from around town, simply because "she remembers what it means to struggle."

This doesn't even give credit to the half-dozen or so others that emptied car-loads of blankets, or shoes, or old gloves. One lady even donated some Jello. It all helps. People like Jello.