Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Cherith Brook
KANSAS CITY MO
Kansas City, MO 64127
(816) 241-8047
cherithbrookkcmo@yahoo.com Catholic Worker
www.cherithbrookkc.blogspot.com
Christ is Born! hood that was full of crime and discussed ized that this man had just pulled the action
struggle together for God’s call of love, mercy, peace
their situations. lever back on a handgun. He was yelling (continued on pg 5)
and justice.
PAGE 2 The War Against the Poor by Nick Pickrell House Notes by Sarah Cool PAGE 11
House Needs
There are many who live in the outside the ghettos. The poor can’t afford to run for As we enter this time of Advent, ers, coffee, conversation, or a meal four
Northeast who experience hundreds of The buses don’t run out to where the jobs political office. this time of patient waiting for the birth ofmornings a week. They share their joys
lose-lose situations that our laws, poli- are. The poor can’t afford to lobby. Christ, I have become more aware that the and concerns with us. They feel like our
cies, and cultural practices help create The poor can’t find work. The poor can’t afford to be shareholders. better we get to know our friends, the family now. Our Thursday night commu- Sandwich Meat (no bologna)
and maintain. I recently read a letter that The poor live at the mercy of others. smaller the gap seems between us and nity meals have grown to hosting as many
Mother Teresa wrote urging both The poor lose their homes when property Then the poor are told to pull themselves up them. The more we patiently listen to and as 60 or more some weeks! We had our Sandwich Bags
George Bush Sr. and Saddam Hussein taxes rise. by their bootstraps. understand their joys and concerns, the largest garden yet this summer with so
to consider their poor and the ill effects The poor move deeper into the ghettos. more we see that they are really just like usmuch produce that we almost couldn’t
Mayonnaise
The poor in our neighborhood end up being
war would have on them if violence The poor search for homes. treated like unwanted animals. Thankfully, when you boil it all down. And what dif- keep up with it. We’ve had a steady stream Sliced Cheese
were to ensue. She talked of all the poor The poor sneak into abandoned homes to Christ told the poor they would be first in the ferences there are actually make getting to of guests stay with us, volunteers coming
having no place to go, all the displaced get out of the cold. kingdom of heaven. That is a reason to know them all the more exciting and inter- to learn about our way of life here and to Peanut Butter & Jelly
persons being rendered poor, and all the hope. esting. help out with the Bananas & Oranges
soldier’s families being torn apart by The poor are told they can’t sleep in parks. Therefore, could- never ending list of
violence. The poor are told they can’t sleep in The rich are told to give to the poor. chores and work Coffee, Sugar, Creamer
n’t we translate this
This simple letter gave me pause. My abandoned houses. The rich are also poor.
concept to any two projects, family and Vinegar (gallon size for cleaning)
mind then turned to those I call sister, The poor are told they can’t sleep in the groups of people? friends stopping in
brother, and friend. I thought of all of woods. Poor because of riches. Not just to us and for quick visits and Baking Soda
Poor because of greed. some for longer
the people in our neighborhood caught The poor are told they can’t socialize on our friends who visit Dish Soap
in an endless cycle of catch 22’s and sidewalks. Poor because of loneliness. us for showers and stays. We’ve added a
how we, the privileged class, have The poor are told they can’t ask for money. Poor because of strategic relationships. meals? How about seventh full-time Toilet Paper
played a part in it. After a year of ac- Poor because of aggressive competition. us and people of community member,
Josh Armfield, Milk, Eggs, Butter
companying our guests as they go to Poor because of isolation. another race or
court, rehab, ER, or to city hall it has Poor because of rugged individualism. creed? Or us and the which takes our total Black Beans
become clear to me that there is much Poor because of performance evaluation. undocumented im- to 10 including our
children. Josh is in Salt & Pepper Shakers
work to be done to break the yoke that Poor because of busyness. migrant? Or even us
enslaves the poor of our city. Poor because of fear. and the Taliban or his last of eight years Folding Tables
Poor because of hoarding. Al Qaeda? that he committed to
Below are a few simple reflections on the Army, choosing (standard rectangular size)
the hardships our friends and guests Poor because of materialism. I would predict, based on our at this time to take the status of Inactive Clear Plastic Restaurant Cups
endure on a daily basis, as well as some Then the rich are told to pull themselves up “experiment” here at Cherith Brook that Ready Reserve. In that status he no longer
of the ways the privileged class experi- by their bootstraps. this phenomenon would hold true regard- has any regular military responsibilities, Water Pitchers
ence the “deep poverty” Mother Teresa -------- less of the two groups. Now, figuring out a although he could be deployed if needed.
speaks of often in her writings. way to make this theory a reality in the Having already done one tour in Iraq we
Hand Held Mixer
Jesus says something astounding in his
-------- Sermon on the Plain—that the kingdom larger world seems much harder than what pray that all war will cease immediately, Industrial Refrigerator
The poor receive our leftovers—our clothes, of God belongs to the poor. Not only we’ve done here. Or is it? This and are confident that if Josh is called back
our food, our work, our shelter. that, but repeatedly Jesus calls the rich “experiment” hasn’t been easy. God had to to duty he will use it as an opportunity to
When possible, please call us at least a
into a life of giving and service to the connect the right group of supporters with practice nonviolent resistance.
The poor are concentrated in the ghettos. day ahead of time to schedule the best
poor in our midst. As Cherith Brook the right group of folks who could live this
The ghettos are dilapidated. As always, we all continue to try to be time to make your delivery of donations.
CW struggles to break free from the life. God had to provide the right location
The poor are treated as sub-human. faithful to the mandates of Matthew 25. Thank you!
pursuit of wealth, the scramble for secu- with the right mission. Then God had to
Ade Bethune
coordinate all of the people and resources We feed the hungry, give drink to the
The poor do manual labor for work. rity and our obsession with individual- thirsty, invite the stranger to share in
ism, something new bursts forth. When to create what has sprung up here, and it
The poor get arrested.
The poor work and sometimes don’t receive
we learn to share more radically, serve has taken time and patience. And then God what we have, clothe the naked, take
money. The poor can’t afford to pay fines.
more humbly and love more completely had to send God’s children to be fed by the care of the sick, and visit the prisoner.
The poor panhandle and sometimes receive The poor serve jail time. Brook called Cherith, as we read in 1 Sure, we actually DO lots more than
money. The poor get felonies. we are always taken aback by how much just those things, but those are the
we end up receiving. A simple thanks, a Kings: 17. This didn’t happen overnight,
The poor become unemployed when but over more than three years. basics. From these, we spring forward
The poor with felonies can’t receive shower curtain, a box of oranges, food into many other areas of interest and
economies crash.
food stamps.
salvaged from a dumpster, moonflower A friend recently reminded me that real concern and need, all the while feeling
seeds, a couple of dollars for our water change, things that really make a differ- God’s hand directing it all. And know-
The poor experience daily violence. The poor with felonies can’t get work.
bill, a hug. When we begin taking con- ence, takes time and patience. We see that ing that each new friendship we make
The poor are robbed. The poor with felonies can’t get housing.
crete steps to break through the eco- every day in our friends, and for some, all here at Cherith Brook draws us closer
The poor are beaten. The poor with felonies spend more time
nomic and social barriers that exist in they have is time. For us who live here, to God and to closing the gap between
The poor are raped. in jail.
our society, we will surprisingly dis- we’re becoming more and more comfort- us and them. Our prayer is that our
The poor are exploited. cover the chains of oppression being able with giving things time and being
The poor are killed or displaced in times world at large finds a way to do the
The poor are criminalized. broken. Not only that, but we will also patient. And, oh how it’s paid off! Izabelle Cool-Abbey, Diana Garbison and
of war.
same, and that you too will find a way
find ourselves calling our “enemies” We have an abundance of friends, some- to close the gaps wherever you are, Taryn Summers prepared fresh salsa with
The jobs move away from the ghettos. The poor die due to inability to pay for friends and discovering the beauty and tomatillos from our abundant garden!
times 40 or so, coming by for showers over time and with patience.
The poor don’t have cars to get to work health care. brokenness within all of us.
PAGE 10 PAGE 3