Relationships, Not Charity
Last week I was blessed to be part of a team that spent the morning at Lucy Craft Laney School on Penn and 33rd in North Minneapolis. Representatives from Sanctuary CDC, World Vision, and Wooddale Church came together to experience our partnership with this school in a very tangible way. Sure, it was fun and it was encouraging, but it was not charity.
I used to think it was fun to do charity. I could feel good, believing I was helping someone else, and then go back to the security of my world feeling wonderful and appreciated. Classic charity is about those WITH helping those WITHOUT. Charity in this common and negative way is more about reminding people of their needs rather than encouraging them in their strengths.
At the school we were giving away backpacks and school supplies, but we were not there to remind those children of what they did not have. We were there to encourage them to see their abilities and actualize their potential. We were not there to do drive-by charity, but to establish a baseline for relationship that will not vanish in the rear view mirror. The Sanctuary CDC School Partnership with Lucy Laney is just beginning and we are equipping a team who will join the dedicated staff of this school to stand beside, cheer on, and coach these young people as they move forward to their future place in our beloved community.
As we helped the students pick out their favorite color of bag we were also seeking opportunity to call them to excellence in their studies. We’d ask about their classes and their teachers. We’d challenge them to study hard and listen well. We’d remind them to behave, yet our message was always, “We believe in you.” By the smiles on their faces and the glimmer in their eyes they assured us the messages were being heard.
So many times when people think of North Minneapolis Schools they think of failure, violence, and hopelessness. With this perspective they may want to do charity, but are hesitant to enter a lasting relationship. But relationships, not charity are what these students and schools most need. As I looked into the eyes of the students, I saw hope. In the teachers we saw dedication and passion. The administrators modeled great compassion and leadership. I know there is great reason for hope. I left excited that change is on the way in a new kind of school partnership.
I will be talking with Mr. David Branch to see how and where I can best be used in the school on a regular basis. Charity would let me write a check, make a donation, and walk away. Relationships planted by the exchange of backpacks, smiles, and kind words will grow in to an elaborate vine that will join our lies on the arbor of beloved community. Such relationships keep us planted and interdependent as God desires for his people to express and communicate his life and love. Please consider joining God in the work he is doing with his community, his people, and his school. Go beyond charity, become a participant in the Beloved Community.
Donate Now to the Sanctuary CDC
