PJ’s Page –
One of my favorite back to school items is a pink eraser. This is followed by #2 pencils (Ticonderoga is my preferred brand) and Crayola crayons. These days, I don’t have any children at home to buy school supplies for, but I still like to go to the store and purchase a few for myself. It’s a reminder to keep learning.
I’ve been thinking about the families who will live in Broadview Commons when it opens early next year. I wonder how they are managing the back to school preparation. Do they have a way to get to the store? Can they afford the long list of school supplies? How do they manage all that this season holds while dealing with housing instability?
I’m reminded that as the building looks more and more like apartments (there are now windows!) this time next year may look very different for those families. Preparing for back to school will surely be an easier task when families have secure, stable, permanent housing.
One of the unexpected things that occurs regularly as a result of our partnership with Compass Housing Alliance is that other congregations, Lutheran and not, reach out regularly to ask: How did your congregation do this? I’m always pleased to sit down with them and tell the story, answer their questions, and then take them for a mini-tour of the outside of Broadview Commons and the inside of our building.
Supporting affordable housing is the right thing to do. In our case, though, we do it because of what Jesus taught. That we care for the poor, that we care for those who struggle, that we do unto others as we would have done to us. God stands squarely on the side of the oppressed, the poor, and the marginalized. If we are not on their side, we are against them and against God’s call.
I hope you have the chance to tell the story of how Broadview Commons came to be. It’s a story of struggle and discernment and loss, to be sure, but it is a story of great faithfulness, courage, and boldness. YOU are the faithful, courageous, bold witnesses to the risen Christ!
Won’t you join me in praying for those families who will soon be our neighbors? Will you also join me in holding in prayer students, teachers, staff, and families as they ready for a new school year?
Faithfully,
Pastor Julie+
Please see elsewhere in this newsletter for information about how you can support Broadview Thomsen School as they prepare to return for another academic year.