Chain of Events

by Duane Clinker

Here's some reflection on the season. (Remember, for followers of Jesus the Christmas season ISN'T over on Dec. 25, - although thanks be to God most of the cultural madness is!)

Chain of Events # 1

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock."
-Jesus in Revelation 3:20

(After reading the Epiphany story in Matthew 2:13-18)

We celebrate Advent
No. More than that. We celebrate hope, all because
a young girl, faced insurmountable obstacles and
got a call, saw a vision;
responded with a simple "yes"

What about us?

That "yes" set up a chain of events that ends in our hope
But, "yes" is not the only chain builder
"no" does the same
in another more evil way
It plays itself out and soon troops descend on a little town
as wise men go home another way and
in the night, children are lost;
families are split

"Yes" and "no" are such powerful words
they never stand alone
Chains of events follow them like shadows
Souls are made, and also come undone
And there is always a knock at that door of
our insurmountable obstacles
an unthinkable call, a vision; a hope,
a chain of events waiting to be born

What about us?

Chain of Events # 2

Christmas - and I don’t have the spirit. I am praying about that. It is hard.

The phone rings and it is Laura (not her real name). I can immediately hear the tension in her determined, pleading voice. "I don’t know what to do. I came to the church once before and you helped us. I am disabled and sick and my husband has a medical condition that has left him unable to care for himself." Laura explains that the home health care has ended and she must care for, bathe and dress her invalid husband herself, but that she also has a serious heart and lung condition that prevents her from working or leaving the house for any length of time. They have a four year old child. "We have both always worked," she says, "but now I don’t know what to do." They live in Warwick, not too far from the church. Upon questioning, Laura says they have $884 in disability income per month. I promise that the church and Project Outreach will do something to help.

She is praying for help.

The phone rings again and this time it is Socorro. She is full of joy. One of the new small groups of the church has been trying to try to find a house for Luz who is an immigrant single mom with three kids who also now disabled and who is homeless. Like Mary and Joseph the small group members have been knocking on a lot of doors. It feels like they have gone to every potential agency in the state. They keep praying and walking. Finally, on a street in the southside they have seen a "for rent" sign. They stop, explain that they are from the Open Table of Christ and reveal the situation. The owner’s heart is open. "I will rent to you. You write up the terms of the lease and bring it to me and I’ll sign it!" The rent for this two bedroom apartment is $550 per/month.

A prayer is answered.

A few days later, after Sunday morning worship in Providence, a group from the church crowds into the newly painted and furnished apartment to pray for God’s blessing. We pray in each room. Luz’s thirteen year old son asks to speak. It was he who first approached the members of the Open Table of Christ to explain that his family was homeless. He stands straight and tall and thanks everyone in the room for being an answer to prayer for them. We pray together that this house will be an outpost of ministry in the community and that this family of three will be ministers in this place.

Before I leave, I tell the family about the phone call from Laura in Warwick. "It’s a family different from yours, but they are in need too. I will go see them next. I’ve got some food and Christmas gifts in the car, but now that you have a place, what can you give them to help?" Luz looks at me. "I will give them my oven," she says. Without hesitation she unplugs a new donated toaster oven from the wall and hand it to me. Her children run into the living room and pull three ornaments off the new Christmas tree to give too.

The prayer goes on.

I pull up at Hillsgrove in Warwick. Laura is already there. Her face is flushed red with embarassment and blood pressure. I open the trunk and pull out boxes of food and stuff for her child donated through Project Outreach. She is thankful. "Wait," I say, "there is something more." I go to the back seat and pull out the oven and the ornaments. "There’s this Latino woman in the South Side who is involved with the Open Table who has been homeless. She just got an apartment through the prayer and action of her small group. I told her about you and she and her children wanted you and your husband to have this oven and these ornaments. We are praying for you. Can you use a toaster oven?"

It is a rare moment. It is not charity, it is solidarity.

The chain of "yes" is unbroken. Advent has come and love has no boundaries.

- Duane