Serving Atlanta - Sort of

I joined a couple of hundred Dunwoodians that went out Saturday morning to various mission projects throughout the city. I was part of a group that went to Jars Of Clay, a homeless shelter of sorts that doesn't like to refer to itself as a shelter or its participants as homeless. I must admit that I was really blown away by what amounted to three women going all out 7x24 to make sure that about hundred people (at any one time) have an opportunity to turn their fortunes around. Need food? A place to sleep? A phone? A bath? An education? Jars of Clay was ready to help at any time of the day, and they would treat a person down on their luck with the same respect they treated me with. That is to say that I was as likely to get in trouble for not cleaning up behind myself, or wasting toilet paper as any of the "residents" were.

My particular job was helping to resussitate computers, and I quickly realized that I was a bit over my head. I guess I imagined almost functional computers that just needed a new Windows image and some software loaded. There was nothing "almost" functional about these relics.This made me realize what a colossal waste the entire computer revolution has been in terms of hardware (metal and plastic). Stuff that use to cost thousands upon thousands of dollars... now essentially junk. Does anything depreciate faster than a computer? Anyway, we got a couple of PCs working, even though we were aiming for five or six. I felt like I didn't really accomplish anything (I wasn't the one who salvaged the working PCs), other than exposing myself to this wonderful ministry.

I have felt this way many times before whenver I participate in these kinds of half day projects. It's like I spend just enough time in a needy enviornment to remind myself that such needs really do exist, and then I return to the safety of my predictable, well funded life. Once back in the comfort of familiar things I just forget. I forget because if I didn't I might have to do more than come around four hours on one Saturday a year, and that would be inconvenient.

I think things like Serving Atlanta are a great first step in exposing us to people and places we could easily not be concerned about because we could just claim ignorance. But it is only that- a first step. Our church (meaning us) must encourage a more invasive commitment to these sorts of ministries. DBC is adminstratively committed to all of these Serving Atlanta projects on an on-going basis (thanks to Barb Newman), but we the people shouldn't confuse DBC administrative commitment with personal commitment.

-Michael