A LIFESTYLE OF SERVING
After reading the module 6 overview and reflecting on Martha and Mary’s examples, I feel my orientation is closer to doing. I often find that I must be intentional in engaging with the poor and serving others in most times. This has been an asset for me because I have learned to be consistent and efficient in executing different projects over time. Over time, I have honed my skills in organizing and managing projects which have been critical in implementing outreach programs, coordinating resources, and timely execution. It has also been a liability because I often feel that doing orientation can be mistaken for a responsibility, not a practice, from genuine concern and empathy. Unlike the being orientation, the doing orientation comes with a challenge in forming deeper connections.
Chris Anade shares and displays several examples of being orientation. One example can be seen on how he prefers to go to McDonalds rather than visiting community centers and politicians. Anade emphasizes that he often wandered and walked without a clear goal but to meet the people and let them guide him. Another example can be seen when he started to make trips, spending nights in dive bars and bonding with strangers. Anade writes that he would often find people who were struggling the most during these trips, and if they seemed desperate or asked, he would buy them meals or a packet of cigarettes or sometimes give them money under ten dollars to avoid helping them buy drugs. Another example can be drawn from the case of Shelly, a transgender woman he accompanies to her mother. She takes him around the town, including the diner where she first worked and the police station where she first got in trouble. The latter is the example I would easily emulate. This is because I am, by nature, a social person, and when I spend enough time with someone, I can manage to connect to them on a deeper level without trying hard. In this example, Anade has integrated himself into Shelly’s life, and they seem to be more like friends.
In my community, the church can emulate an example shown by Pastor Allele, who went to minister in struggling favelas, as recounted by Prof. Barbara. In this project, the church can support the creation of a church in the struggling part of the community where the people can minister together. Apart from ministering, the underserved communities can meet with eligible members of our church. The church can raise money to support education, healthcare, clothing, and other basic needs for this community. Most importantly, this program would allow people to integrate with underserved communities and serve them as we were called to do. Those in influential positions can nurture children from underserved communities giving them an opportunity for a better life. This would be more of a lifestyle than a project.
Bibliography
Arnade, Chris. Dignity: Seeking Respect in Back Row America. Penguin, 2019.
Work, Theology Of. “We Are Called to Serve as Christ’s Ambassadors | Theology of Work.” Theology of Work. Last modified February 25, 2023. https://www.theologyofwork.org/key-topics/evangelism-sharing-the-gospel-at-work-overview/we-are-called-to-serve-as-christs-ambassadors/.