When we first moved into Barberry in 2008, we naturally made a connection with our neighbors who lived right underneath us. An inter-generational family of grandma, mom, and young daughter who were very open and excited to meet friendly neighbors who they could trust and spend time with. The young daughter would come to the children's events, participate in many crafts and activities with much eagerness to learn. She was nearing 5 years old when the family ended up moving. We were sad to see them move, especially since the relationship was leading towards more discussions of faith, life, and purpose, but unfortunately moving is in deed a fact of life. We said our goodbyes, not expecting to ever see each other again.

Come February 2010, on a typical Monday, Josh finds a note on his door as he returns from work. This note wasn't one we ever expected. It was a note from the family. Written on pink paper, the note said the family remembers and misses us, and would like to reconnect. They left their phone number and request to re-unite contact.

I called and was blessed to hear how the family is doing. Mom was very proud of her daughter, who is attending school and is one of the top readers in her first grade class. The family is closely connected and feels very fondly about the school. Mom said her daughter thinks about us and would like to visit us soon.

We were absolutely thrilled to hear that this family has kept us in their hearts, even as we were apart for over a year. We invited them to come to the next community meal and will be connected regarding upcoming children's events.

It is just amazing seeing how God reunites people according to His will. No doubt that God has a reason for them contacting us - so far its been a clear blessing and encouragement to us, but I have a feeling there is more to it than just that. Please pray that God will continue leading this relationship in His purposeful direction.

Last post we looked at Affiliation and Belonging as the authors first 2 marks of real compassion.... "no brainers" when it comes to expressions of compassion to our neighbors.  It makes sense that keeping people at arms length doesn't allow for the full blossom of compassion.

Now the author suggests the next two marks of compassion: Categorization and Discernment.

By the time I got to this point in the book I found myself falling in line without question.  Yes we need to categorize and we need more discernment in how and who we help.  But I started to ask that question....what does God say about this?

The author says categorization is a mark of health compassion because this is how it was employed in the 19th century.  "Charities did not treat everyone equally....Instead, charity organization societies considered "worthy of relief" only those who were poor through no fault of their own and unable to change their situation quickly."   Orphans, the aged, the incurably...etc.

All two of you who have been following this dialogue (maybe more of a monologue), the book is making a shift.....enough critique now time to layout some practical thoughts for moving forward.

The next couple blog posts will go through the Seven Marks of Compassion two or three at a time.  The author lists the seven qualities as:

1. Affiliation
2. Bonding
3. Categorization
4. Discernment
5. Employment
6. Freedom
7. God

Kit Burn's Rat Pit......sounds like a great family friendly establishment...right?  Probably not at the top of your list of weekend activities...especially in the late 1800s.  The
Rat Pit was a center gathering place for the Water Street district in New York.  A district which was known as the epicenter of addicts, prostitution, and crime.  It was the worst of the worst when it came to rough neighborhoods.

The Rat Pit is not named for some kind of creative metaphor...it was a Rat Pit.  People came to bet for or against dogs who would fight rats.  As I mentioned earlier it wasn't a family friendly event. 

Kit was a typical American business man....money talks.  So when some bold clergymen approached him in 1868 to rent his stage to they could preach to the sinful masses.  Kit gladly allowed them their one hour each month for $150 and quickly rushed them out when their time was up...so that business could continue as normal.

If you look into the history books there is something called a "Water Street Revival"  Do you think that the revival had anything to do with those preachers who rented out the space and preached at the crowds?

In the late 1800s a sad and awfully logical sounding philosophy was taking center stage in the realm of compassion: Social Darwinism.

Wikipedia: ideologies whose main ideal is social evolution through artificial selection or deliberate conflict between individuals, groups, nations, and ideas.

Basically people started looking to the bigger mechanistic picture as opposed to the individuals.  Suddenly the poor were socially unadaptable...and therefore "survivial of the fittest" demanded that they be left alone to wallow in their lesser evolved state.

It is an incredibly demeaning theory that even led to the creation of "Planned Parenthood" (see Margaret Sanger "eugenics and euthanasia")

Nevertheless....how did it come to be?  Why would it grow and even thrive in the United States (for the most part a morally centered country)? 

In 1854 there was legislation being pushed in Congress by a passionate leader, Dorothea Dix.  It would initiate a government run system to build and manage hospitals for the mentally insane. 

It seems like an honorable cause....right?  The bill passed both houses....then it reached the President's desk.  Mr. Pierce, the 14th President of the U.S., took his pen and vetoed the bill.  It died there on his desk.

I've discovered a cutting edge leader in the fight against poverty in New York in 1850's.  His name was Charles Loring Brace.  He was the founder of Childrens Aid Society.  I thought I would stretch google a little bit on old obscure social justice workers...and wouldn't you know I was suprised to find out the Childrens Aid Society is thriving and well today! (minus the seemingly missing Christ-centered piece...but that is another blog post to come)

Brace was cutting edge in terms of fighting against government campaigns to just hand out resources and create numbers out of people with their large bureacratic systems. He suggested that instead of big government they look for big hearts:  families in the countryside who could take in troubled youth to teach them skills, discipline, bible, and love.  It was the "Orphan Train Movement."  

So I must admit...and I hope many others can admit..."There is nothing new under the sun"

I have been part of a movement in Portland to help churches get outside their doors and truly engage our neighbors who have been left without dignity and basic necessities.  In the process we have discovered a problem:  That programs usually pop up because needs are so huge, and when that happens relationships are often dilutted.  So we wrestle with creative ways to get people engaged on a heart level so that Christ compelled acts of service don't become cold social services.

This is an exerpt from 1844 Mcguffey's Reader ( a text book for school children) It is a pretend dialogue between Mr. Fantom and Mr. Goodman.

Mr. Fantom: I despise a narrow field. O for the reign of universal benevelonce! I want to make all mankind good and happy.

Mr. Goodman: Dear me! Sure that must be a wholesale sort of a job: had you note better try your hand at a town or neighborhood first?

Mr. Fantom: Sir, I have a plant in my head for relieving the miseries of the whole world....

Mr. Goodman: The utmost extent of my ambition at present is, to redress the wrongs of a poor apprentice, who has been cruelly used by his master....

Mr. Fantom: You must not apply to me for the redress of such petty greivances...It is provinces, empires, continents, that the beneveolence of the philosopher embraces; every one can do a little paltry good to his neighbor.

Mr. Goodman: Every one CAN but I do not see that everyone DOES...You have such a noble zeal for the millions, yet feel so little compassion for the units.

In the context of the book "the trajedy of american compassion" this primary document is used to help argue against large scale governmental welfare, but for me I find it hiting upon a much more important cord.

Everyone can do something but not everyone does.  How true is this?  We hear statements like "I'm just doing my part" or "If everyone would just do their part this world would be...."

This is a great song to go with my post "You live there!? Why?"