On a Sunny Afternoon When the Police Came

A sweatshirt made by Brian Cupp, owner of Nuwaka Fashion Design Studio in Binghamton, NY - he made this and sent it to me for AmyJo...thank you Brian!

I stopped by on a sunny afternoon just to sit and talk with AmyJo, the woman I have befriended and who is homeless here in Winter Park.  I didn't bring anything, nor was I going to give her anything or take her anywhere on that particular day.  I just wanted to talk, to be in relationship.  We chatted and eventually I asked her "Is there anything you'd like me to look up on my phone for you or to show you that you might be wondering about in the world?"  

She asked to see a picture of the Queen of England, since she has told me before that is where she is from.  So of course, I showed her.  We both chuckled over the fact we were sitting on a bench checking out headshots of Queen Elizabeth.  

Our fun ceased when two patrol officers approached the bench. 
I immediately felt a sense of alarm, especially since I had my little girl with me. 
They approached our bench looking puzzled.  
I explained...
"I stopped by to visit AmyJo and we were just talking about the Queen of England. Is there something wrong?"
"No, no, we were called to come check in on things."
Apparently someone assumed it was unsafe for me to be sitting there at the bench with her and took matters into their own hands.   I appreciated the concern, but was also slightly annoyed.
The officers began asking AmyJo questions, which I'm sure she gets
ALL THE TIME. 
As she answered their questions, I began to feel the judgement through the smiles and laughs (at her) from the officers. 
She would answer. 
They would laugh. 
Is this a game I began to wonder?
The officers awkwardly lingered and I figured it was best to just leave and so I did.  

This encounter left me with a soreness in my heart that is difficult to describe.  
I try my best, and God knows I certainly have plenty of room for improvement, but I do try to get to know a person before judging their actions.   Because sometimes the most ridiculous actions I make in my life, come out of a deep place of hurt & fear.  So maybe others are just doing the same, and I need to at least try to understand.
The officers were "doing their job," I know, but, so was I. 
It is my job, as a follower of the Jesus who spent time with dirty people, to reach out and love up on the people that our culture makes fun of, hates, abhors, ridicules, and sets apart. 
Its a weird kind of job because:
a) not a lot of people are doing it
b) it doesn't really "fit in" or look all that "cool" with a lot of typical American aspirations or daily routines
b) it gets a little dirty sometimes
c)  and my new favorite:  apparently, sometimes, you get the cops called on you (was this person secretly watching us through their blinds?)

I walked away that day, truly challenged by the question of whether or not our American society understands homelessness?  
I don't think we do. 
And honestly, I didn't either until I met AmyJo. I was really challenged by her situation.   Once I began interacting with her, having heartfelt, even funny and "regular" conversations with her, I realized I needed to better understand what might have gotten her to that bench in the first place.  
There has to be more to the story, right??  
Even if she won't tell me, or can't tell me, or can't remember how she got there.

My relationship with AmyJo called me into action - to not see another through my own eyes and expectations, but to see another as my sister in Christ - and to see the image of Christ IN HER.  In God's eyes, she and I are both loved, loved equally, and according to the Gospel, I have more roadblocks than she does into a relationship with Christ (Matthew 19:23, James 2:5).
I believe it.  My stumbling blocks are many.
Below are some interesting facts I found on homelessness that helped me better understand what may be going on below the surface...

Grace & Peace,

Annette 

Homelessness is stressful.

For those who are homeless, every new day marks the beginning of another struggle to find a place to sleep, enough food to get by on, or shelter from the elements. The pressures that they face to secure their own survival every day are unimaginable for most of us, and can be incredibly stressful. Exposure to substance abuse, crime, and domestic violence is common among the homeless community only add to the stress.

Homelessness is isolating.

Many people become homeless as a result of the loss of a loved one or a relationship breakdown. People without strong support networks can have a difficult time overcoming such traumatic events, which can then lead to a cycle of isolation, and potentially towards homelessness. Since there are few places people who are homeless can go where they are welcome, a third of them spend their entire day alone.

Homelessness is depressing.

Rates of depression and suicide among homeless people are much higher than in the general population. According to the Canadian Population Health Initiative, up to 61% of homeless adults experience suicidal thoughts. Confidence and self-esteem are inevitably diminished by homelessness. The feelings of defeat and worthlessness that so often accompany homelessness can be crippling, and can prevent people from seeking help.

Homelessness and the brain

Ella Rhodes reports from a conference at the University of Liverpool.

Recent research suggests that around 50 per cent of the homeless population report having sustained a traumatic brain injury, and the vast majority of those happened before a person became homeless. Many with unrecognised brain injury fall through the gaps of services, and as a result University of Liverpool academics and partners, including Headway, are moving towards developing an outreach NeuroTriage service in Liverpool to give neuropsychological assessment, intervention and follow-on support to those experiencing homelessness and a brain injury or neurological deficit.

The University of Liverpool hosted a conference exploring the area in more depth, including talks from service users themselves, to discuss what is missing from services that set out to help the homeless. Steph Grant, who was formerly homeless and suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in a car accident in 1985, has turned his experience into research looking at why and how some people become homeless in Sheffield.

Grant pointed out that this population face many challenges, including stigma, constant fear and a complex benefits system that is made even harder to comprehend in the face of a TBI. He wanted to find out why people with brain injury are so likely to become homeless. Grant said the complexity of people’s needs, alongside difficulties TBI sufferers have in keeping appointments, are just a handful of the challenges they face.

He found, in conversations with homeless people, that brain injuries in the homeless are often overlooked. Many people are simply marked as having challenging behaviour or being drug- or alcohol-addicted: these problems are often treated without any consideration for whether a person may have an underlying brain injury. As a result, the same people present with the same issues that may mask an underlying brain injury.

"Can you see the image of Christ in the least of your brothers and sisters? This is Jesus’ only description of the final judgment (Matthew 25). But some say, “They smell. They’re a nuisance. They’re on welfare. They are a drain on our tax money.” Can we see Christ in all people, even the so-called “nobodies” who can’t or won’t play our game of success? When we can see the image of God where we don’t want to see the image of God, then we see with eyes not our own."

-Richard Rohr