Missing the Mark

Have we missed the mark?

Mistreated. When working with my students, I try to teach the forgotten in our society deserve human dignity. Elderly, refugees, homeless, disabilities, at-risk youth, they all deserve the best of us and our giving. In Atlanta, it was challenging to be asked to cut off moldy bread and serve it to the clients at a food shelter. It was challenging to see human beings treated like cattle as they come through the line for their food. I felt sick. I felt like someone had gut punched me. I kept asking myself was I teaching my students this was o.k.? How can a reconcile this during reflection time? Individuals having no choices as to what was put on their plate, when they have little other choices in life. Do not get me wrong, I understand the system is messed up and the concept beggars can't be chooser when shelters are given second best. However, I cringe when I see a lack of human dignity being extended. Human dignity can involve choice. Human dignity involves if it isn't good enough for us, it isn't good enough for them. An individual can maintain their choice over what they eat by simply being looked in the eye and asked "Here are the options for today what would you like on your tray?" An individual can be seated at a clean table. A table clean enough, I would let my daughter sit at and eat. When was the last time, we went out and bought brand new clothes for a homeless shelter? When was the last time, we baked fresh goodies for them to eat? When was the last time, we said TODAY YOU DESERVE THE BEST not SLOPPY SECONDS. Cattle lines and moldy bread...we have accepted others being mistreated. We have missed the mark.

Misdirected. Waiting for "Superman" is an interesting documentary on the state of education. I watched it late Saturday night. I struggle sometimes to explain quality education is a privilege not a right in our society. It is hard to explain to my students why a parent would choose to work three jobs or live in a homeless shelter before taking their child out of private education, but when you watch the film you get it. A good education in our society is a privilege. Oh how we like to think everyone has a right to an education (myself included), but it simply is not true. We have missed the mark on this one. I have began to ask my students a couple of questions. I am open to others if you have them. How do you know to go to college? How do you even know to take the right classes to get into college? Did you go to an elementary school and middle school where most of your peers are scoring at your grade level in reading? Did 70% or more of your class graduate from high school? Their luck and my luck did not come down to a lottery system. A number being pulled. A quality education should never be withheld from our youth. Parents should not have to base their hopes of a quality education on a luck of the draw card to get into a good school. We have become misdirected in thinking everyone has access to an education. We have missed the mark.

From seeing how the poor of society are treated in Atlanta to understanding the depth of educational depravity we have in our schools, I am still asking myself have we missed the mark?

A few weeks ago, I was reading an article on the Christian response to immigration and the author referenced the book of James. I dug a little deeper the past few weeks into the book of James. Its contribution to the Bible was to call for obedience to God's moral law. It is sometimes referenced as God's "Law of Freedom." It applies to all people and obligates us to treat others equally. I find it interesting James writes about being hears of the Word not doers (Chapter 1) and the very next passage is about what? The Sin of Favoritism (Chatper 2). You got it. The example: the poor. The passage proceeds to discuss rich being favored over the poor. A reference to "love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 19:19). Rich person you get to sit here and get the nice place. Poor person you get to sit here on the floor below me and get sloppy seconds (vs. 1-5). James answer "you are dead wrong (vs.6-11). "His challenge: "Speak and act as those who will be judged by the law of freedom. For judgment is without mercy to the one who hasn't shown mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment." The gut check at the shelter was confirmed by these verses. My soul was shouting ALARM. Something is wrong! Something must change!

So how can we change our misguided aim? How can we become people who extend human dignity (mercy) and walk as individuals who are judge by the law of freedom? How can we teach our students, children, and others about extending honor to poor in our society with out degrading them? How can we extend our best selves to those who never receive the best? How do we demand the best for all children even those outside of our school districts? How do we say enough is enough lets hit the mark and stop missing it?!