Case Study: Building Community in my Neighborhood Part 2

In our Church in Mission class, we have been exploring what the kingdom of God looks like in churches, organizations, families, and more. Through our readings, lectures, and class discussions, I have come to understand the kingdom of God as a way of turning society on its head. Jesus was very counter-cultural during his time on earth and did not worry about if he was offending those in authority. He went out of his way to include the marginalized and to treat everyone as equals. He exemplified the peace and joy that are a part of the kingdom of God. My case study is an exploration of how to build community within the context of my neighborhood, specifically along Los Robles Avenue, in light of how Jesus modeled for us what the kingdom of God looks like. The neighborhood is very ethnically diverse and there are a number of homeless people living in the area. Since moving here in September, I’ve witnessed multiple arrests, heard search helicopters on more nights than not, awoken to the fights and yelling matches of neighbors, and heard rumors of drug houses. Local policemen have warned the women in my building not to walk down Los Robles alone or only with women, because it’s not safe. According to Officer Rickey Pickens from the Pasadena Police Gang Outreach task force, the Bloods and the Crips are active gangs in our area and were recently responsible for murders on Fair Oaks.

In contrast to the unity and reconciliation that are part of kingdom living, there is much dissention among the people living in my neighborhood. Although many races are represented on my street, there is not much interaction between them beyond an occasional greeting. Gang warfare may contribute to this separation between the races with fear keeping many from interacting with ethnic groups outside their own. Language barriers also prohibit conversation between many neighbors. There is a large Spanish-speaking population along our street, but most of the non-Hispanic people do not speak Spanish. There is also a distance caused by differing socioeconomic levels affecting how people dress, talk, and interact. The cost of living in the Pasadena area makes adequate housing impossible for many of my neighbors. Next door to one another you’ll find large families crammed into small apartments and relatively wealthy suburbanites enjoying spacious apartments with 1-2 residents. In addition, Los Robles is a very busy street, which makes it very difficult to get to know those across the street. The noisiness along the street is another factor hindering casual conversations between people as they walk past each other and most of the buildings have gates around them preventing the typical interactions of neighbors when they’re outside.

However, the kingdom of God is still present even in the midst of seemingly hopeless situations. There are many kingdom-like characteristics that I’ve witnessed particularly in the Hispanic community on our street. Hospitality is a major emphasis and regular celebrations with vibrant music, an impressive spread of food, and a large gathering of people are the norm. Unity is showcased in the strong sense of family and the importance of those relationships. The love and joy shown between family members is a powerful example of how God’s kingdom is evidenced in our neighborhood.

There are also some ministries in place that are reaching out to the marginalized people living in Pasadena. For example, Lake Avenue Church has a substantial outreach program that provides food for the homeless and mentoring for at-risk children. Harambee Ministries states their mission as providing a “safe place where children and youth can learn and develop into indigenous leaders for Northwest Pasadena and beyond.” The story of Harambee Ministries is an inspirational one when looking at transformational ministry in a neighborhood. In 20 years, they’ve radically impacted a neighborhood once called “blood corner” with high crime rates by focusing on three key areas: “relocation, reconciliation and redistribution.” Relocation refers to living among the people you’re ministering to, reconciliation would be restored relationships, and redistribution refers to a more balanced division of resources.

In thinking about how Jesus would approach my neighborhood, I envision him reaching out to the marginalized and including them. He would use the gifts and skills that he has to serve the neighborhood and would champion the rights of the underprivileged. I think the basis of a transformation within my neighborhood would be relationships. More lengthy interactions would occur between the poor and the privileged and between the races. This neighborhood could become an example of a contrast-society by mutually serving one another and working together to clean up the neighborhood. Peacemaking and reconciliation would be key components of a kingdom-like change within our neighborhood because of the level of conflict and the amount of tension that is currently present.

The relationships needed to form the basis for transformation in our neighborhood will not form overnight. The ministries that are successful in this arena are those that are committed to long-term involvement with a community. With Fuller being a more transient community, a ministry to Los Robles would necessitate partnerships with local churches and organizations that are already doing this type of work. This would ensure a continuity of service rather than a short-lived attempt. Also, we could work to meet obvious needs as a way to begin getting to know people.

In order to foster a change in this environment, a good first step would be to organize various forms of outreach. Our apartment complex recently participated in Fuller’s Day of Mercy and spent the morning picking up trash along Los Robles. This act of service kindled in us a desire to do more to impact the neighborhood. We found several bags of bottles that people had hidden behind bushes to possibly pick up a later time. It was sobering to think of empty bottles as someone’s treasure worth hiding. We also brought along bags of socks and other small necessities to give out to poor people we encountered. Last quarter, we did a swap, where everyone brought out items to the front of the building to give away to our neighbors. These ways of serving have already produced friendships with neighbors on our street. Homeless people on the street have told our community coordinator that they’ve told others to leave our buildings alone and have also warned people in my building to turn and walk the other way when there was a dangerous situation up ahead.

Other ideas would be to organize a summer Bible school for neighborhood kids, a food or blanket drive for the homeless, or a neighborhood party to get to know more people. These would promote Trinitarian values of inclusion and service. We could also be very intentional about shopping at the local grocery store, going to the public laundromat, and walking to class to provide more opportunities to start conversations and build friendships. This is not always an easy thing to do. I find that in shopping at the local grocery store I often elicit stares as one of the only white people shopping in the store. This is not to say I can understand what it feels like to be a minority. Regardless of whether or not I am one of the few whites, I am part of what society has deemed the majority culture. However, by placing myself in situations that are stretching me and opening my eyes, I think I can gain a valuable awareness of what others in my neighborhood might be facing.

The types of service I have mentioned are more relief-oriented.In Churches that Make a Difference, authors Ronald Sider, Phillip Olson, and Heidi Rolland Unruh point out that there are other types of social ministries, including individual development, community development, and structural change. Community development is already taking place as new buildings are being erected along our street and older ones are being repaired. Looking at the structural level, economic and cultural systems seem to have the biggest negative impact on our surrounding area. It would be important for us to inform ourselves on laws and policies in Southern California that are producing environments conducive to poverty and homelessness. Taking classes on cultural analysis would also be beneficial in understanding what factors are playing into the dynamics on our street.

The primary obstacle to overcome would be the fear many have of crossing over racial or socioeconomic lines and initiating contact to begin the relationship-building process. Using Jesus’ life as a model, one can see how building bonds with those who are marginalized can start a process of transformation within a community.