It’s been about a little over 3 weeks since the Red Cross shelter closed and two week since about 50 people had no other choice but to move onto the property in Antioch generously offered by Lee Beaman. Make no mistake about it this was not how it was supposed to happen…
From the day after the flood there was no doubt that a need would exist for another emergency and transitional living arrangement to take the place of Tent City. Those most familiar with the homeless situation in Nashville saw the “opportunity” afforded by the flood to change the model of Tent City while some saw it as a chance to eliminate that particular rung altogether.
So while meetings were going on during the time in the shelter the focus was on long term housing solutions, namely Section 8 vouchers. Make no mistake about this either – eventually having 70 vouchers allocated to help homeless people displaced by the flood is a great thing. But it has not and will not eliminate the need for the rung on the ladder to housing that was filled by an emergency and transitional arrangement. Rationalizing that the Mission or the Campus can fill that rung is just not the truth. Both of those organizations fill an important role but they admit themselves that they are not structured to be an emergency and transitional housing model like that envisioned by the “new Tent City”.
Everyone associated with the old Tent City knows that model was not working as well as it could. There was both a perceived and real image problem – alcohol, drugs, violence and lack of respect for law and order. And so when the people of Antioch heard that Tent City was being relocated to their community they screamed. No one ever thought to call the Red Cross shelter that had been in the middle of Green Hills by the name of Tent City. It was an emergency shelter and folks were OK with that. There were rules and security that had to be enforced. Yes people could come and go, they could walk down the streets around David Lipscomb and yet there was no neighborhood outcry. There were no community meetings to debate the merits of opening the shelter. It was an emergency and that’s just what people do.
If there was a failure on the part of Metro and the faith-based groups trying to work behind the scenes as the shelter was closing perhaps it was a failure to communicate that an emergency still existed and there was a real need for another kind of shelter. What was set up in Antioch is NOT Tent City. There are rules and registration and security. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. And neither was the arrangement at Lipscomb or the prior arrangement on the Cumberland River called Tent City.
What really happened was that politics got ahead of love for our neighbors. The folks flooded out of Tent City are not taxpayers or voters (although most would love to be). When faced with disasters in residential, commercial, entertainment and business areas all on the heels of the CMA, it makes perfect sense that the priority would be on those areas. No one argues that. But prioritizing and intentionally ignoring are very different. No one is going to step up and say who made the decision to ignore the impending disaster when the shelter closed and there was no place for the folks to go. The response by the faith community to step up and not let it be swept away has brought it to light and the powers that were in control are pretty frustrated with us. (That’s not speculation – I’ve been told that to my face). What’s interesting to me is why the frustration is with us. Just because we didn’t walk away? Did they really think that people of God would do that? Does that say more about the faith groups or the power groups?
Listen to the words by Derek Webb from his song Love is Not Against the Law:
Politics or love can make you blind or make you see
Make you a slave or make you free
And only one does it all
And it’s giving up your life
For the ones you hate the most
It’s giving them your gown when they’ve taken your clothes
It’s learning to admit when you’ve had a hand in setting them up
And knocking them down
Because love is not against the love
Are we defending life when we just pick and choose
Lives acceptable to lose and which ones to defend
Because you cannot choose your friends
But you choose your enemies
And what if they were one and the same
Could you find a way to love them both the same
To give them your name because
Love is not against the law
But that’s all water under the bridge (sorry for the pun). There are solutions to the issue at hand. Antioch can rest easy to know their image is back in their hands. The emergency shelter on the Beaman property will be gone by July 5. But just like the powers in control, that doesn’t mean the issue is going away. There still is a need for this rung in the ladder and it’s not going away. Perhaps we’ve come to place that we can all sit down together and come to short-term and long-term solution.
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About Me
- Doug
- After 27 years in the business world I was blessed to be “called” into ministry and even more blessed to be able to serve at Otter Creek church. I spend part of my days working in roles that support the “institution” and our congregation. I spend the other part of my time working as a “street” minister – reaching out to those in poverty, single moms, people struggling with addictions, homelessness, in jail, etc (see Matt. 25). My calling is to blend these 2 areas of work so that I can lead and walk with others who want to experience serving Christ in a real and tangible way. I believe I must walk the walk before I can talk the talk. The path I’m trying to blaze for our church looks a little different than most. It seeks to connect the desire to serve Jesus with real life ways to be His hands and feet that make a difference in people’s lives. I’m convinced that those of us serving are more significantly affected than those we serve.
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Doug,
ReplyDeleteYou are wrong if you think the people of Antioch chose politics over good works. Our people and our churches provided, and are still providing, aid to flood victims throughout the Nashville area. We are aware that the Otter Creek Church of Christ has been doing the same thing, including helping our neighbors in Antioch, and we appreciate that.
I realize you have ministered to the residents of Tent City and have sought a permanent housing solution for them for some time. I applaud your efforts and trust you will be successful.
When you moved Tent City residents to Antioch, you violated zoning ordinances. Davidson County has zoning laws as does Williamson County. When the people of Antioch learned of this development, they took the only course of action they had available; they complained to their city Councilmen. That's where politics became involved. In no way does that mean that the people of Antioch are uncaring or heartless. The involvement of politicians is a result of your actions.
Sometimes, in our zeal to help those less fortunate than we, we inadvertently do harm to others. Antioch does have an image problem. The residents of Antioch believe they know the source of the image problem. They hear constant bad news about Antioch from the media. They hear the bad-mouthing of Antioch from residents of other communities. I know from personal experience that real estate agents were putting Antioch down thirty-five years ago.
It should be no surprise to anyone that, when residents heard that a church which describes itself as "being a large, wealthy, suburban church in one of the wealthiest counties in the country", had taken the lead in moving Tent City to their neighborhood, some of them directed their ire toward that church. They saw Brentwood dumping on Antioch, not an act of charity.
I hope you will put Antioch to the test again. Get people and churches in Antioch involved in your efforts to help the homeless. Only then will you see where our hearts really are. I suspect the permanent solution you seek will require you to deal with politicians frequently. Let's marshal our courage for that task and let's involve everyone who is willing to work toward that end.