NO ROOM?
written by Danielle Steenwyk-Rowaan
“What if our imaginations have been too small?”
Was there really no room in the inn?
In my experience, people from Middle Eastern cultures tend to be a lot better at hospitality than North American ones. Uninvited visitors are welcome, and the food and tea seem to flow endlessly. This was all the more real in the Middle Eastern culture that Jesus was born into 2000+ years ago.
In the words of Arab-American poet Naomi Shihab Nye:
“The Arabs used to say,
When a stranger appears at your door,
feed him for three days
before asking who he is,
where he’s coming from,
where he’s headed.
That way, he’ll have strength
enough to answer.
Or, by then you’ll be
such good friends
you don’t care.”
So there was (and is, in many places) a culture of taking travellers, even strangers, into your home.
But here’s the thing…ALL of David’s descendants were coming back to Bethlehem, at the same time. So in all likelihood there was no room in the inn. Or your husband’s sister’s friends’ place. Hence the manger.
But in Hamilton…is there really “no room”?
I’ve seen, time and time again, newcomers to Canada open their homes, at a moment’s notice, to other newcomers from their country of origin. Even to people they didn’t know.
An Egyptian friend tells me that she used to live in an apartment building with her whole extended family, with an apartment for each nuclear family.
A Liberian friend has adopted so many different children who were orphaned by her country’s civil war that we had to add extra pages of dependents onto her permanent residency application recently.
What if, as a friend recently asked, we have a crisis of community in Hamilton? What if there IS room?
There’s no denying that housing prices are out of control, and that it is deepening the gap between the rich (who are gaining equity) and the poor (who are losing housing).
We need to take the time to lament (and protest) that reality. The biblical prophets certainly took their time with lament, and didn’t hesitate to call out oppressive systems that enriched those who were already wealthy at the expense of the poor. (Advocating for social assistance rates that actually allow people to afford housing would be a good place to start!)
And alongside lament and protest, we want to turn towards hope, like the psalmist does over and over again. What if our imaginations have been too small?
What if…the Canadian dream of a single family home for me and my nuclear family isn’t such a dream after all?
What if it is making us lonely?
What if, alongside structural factors, it is our dream itself that is making our housing more expensive and our cities more prone to sprawl?
What if there’s a better way?
What if there’s room in my backyard?
What if my prayers could bring down walls (or build them)?
What if my housing choices could put me into relationship with my neighbours?
What if there’s room for refugees in my home?
What about intergenerational housing?
What if engineers worked together to make housing blueprints more affordable?
What if we dreamed up new ways of living together?
Try some hope on for size—you may find it’s an easier fit than despair.
Maybe there is room after all.
Danielle Steenwyk-Rowaan gets excited about big ideas and hopeful creativity. Danielle works with Open Homes Hamilton and belongs to New Hope Church in the east end.
“What if, as a friend recently asked, we have a crisis of community in Hamilton? What if there IS room?”
Every story matters.
In different conversations that we have had, we have heard about some beautiful things that God is doing through His Church in this city. We know that hearing these stories can have a powerful impact on those who come across them, but it is too easy for these stories to be missed…
THat IS WHY WE ARE LAUNCHING THE TRUECITY STORYTELLING INITIATIVE.
We are on the lookout for stories of things that God has been up to in each of our congregations. We want to find these stories and feature them so that we can share them with others.
Our hope is that this project will be an encouragement and blessing as people hear about the different ways that God is at work in Hamilton. We know that it’s too easy for us to just rush on by and not take notice of the things that God is up to right where we live, so our hope is that this project will cause all of us to STOP and PAUSE long enough to TAKE NOTICE OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT GOD IS DOING IN OUR MIDST, as well as be OPEN to CONSIDER what God might be INVITING us into, as well.
What’s your story?
Do you have a story to share of something that God has been up to in your local congregation?
Have you witnessed an incredible answer to prayer?
Has there been an opportunity for you to come together with others to bless your neighbourhood?
Was there a need that your church was able to respond to?
If you have an idea of something that could possibly be featured on our website, we would love to hear from you.
TRUECITY IS A NETWORK OF CONGREGATIONS IN HAMILTON WHO'VE COME TOGETHER FOR THE GOOD OF THE CITY.
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