Trash Pickup

As a ministry located at a very busy intersection in the city, we find a lot of crazy things on our campus. This morning, on my daily litter patrol, I found poop in a corner, a coffee cup in a bush, and a broken sideview mirror. On Tuesday, a gentleman stopped by the office, screaming, crying, wailing that he was in danger and could I please let him inside.

Sometimes, these moments can be discouraging - What would move a person to poop on a church's grounds? Why would someone haphazardly toss a coffee cup into a bush? How do I help this terrified stranger, while protecting myself and the children? - but then I remember that we have a gift to share. We have the gift of the only green lawn for at least a mile in either direction on Camelback. We are stewards of a holy place where all are welcome to rest. This land is a place where people know they can find refuge.

We ask that our neighbors please avoid pooping in our yard, but we hope that was a heavenly poop for whoever left it. Perhaps there is a way that we can mitigate this problem, like opening our bathrooms to the public. This morning, I simply found myself wondering, as I lamented the hundreds of cigarette butts that litter the lawn of Faith Place, how to make this place feel less like a dumping ground and more like a home.