Presentation made by Jean Rice October 13, 2007 in Princeton, New Jersey

                                                                                                                                   9-20-07

 

Draft #2

For Presentation

October 13^th Princeton, NJ

 

“The time to find your personal Theology_”

In loving memory of the late Lewis Haggins – co-founder of Picture the Homeless

 

            My sisters and brothers, I am honored to be here with you this evening, in fellowship with members of the family of the late co-founder of my organization “Picture The Homeless”; In this sanctuary that the Haggins family calls their spiritual home. I can feel Lewis Haggins spirit here with us this evening and I can envision his grin of approval.

            For the sake of those among us who have no knowledge of who “Picture the Homeless” is, and what we attempt to do; (Read Mission statement)

            Please permit me to start my presentation with some background information.

In November 1999, In New York City, a young sister was struck by a brick by some troubled young man. Mayor Rudy Guiliani demonized the entire New York City homeless population. As a result of this tragic event and massive sweeps of the streets and the shelter system took place!

            During this time my brothers the late Lewis Haggins and Anthony Williams were residents of the Belleview men’s shelter in Manhattan, where they bore witness to late night raids and the total disregard for the homeless men residing within that dwellings civil rights.

            It was this situation that caused brothers Lewis and Anthony to start to think about what they could do to fight this injustice; and to bring about the vindication of the civil and human rights of these unfortunate souls.

            It was shortly thereafter that they met sister Lynn Lewis: the director of  Picture The Homeless , and together they wrote and drafted our mission statement (read). After a great deal of pavement pounding Lynn, Lou and Anthony found allies in the person of Mr. Chino Garcia and Judson Memorial Church. Judson provided our first home and became our fiscal sponsor! 

            It was indeed a blessing from the creator of heaven and earth that the Picture the Homeless mandate fell well within the preview of the Judson Social Justice Ministry. It is indeed the profound work of God, that his true believers no longer accept human slavery, or female disenfranchisement!

            Those of us who would follow in the path of the sacred cross, will not sell our god-given souls to any – ism! Capitalism, communism, and socialism are all forms of central governmental authority. When Picture the Homeless says we demand the rights to be at the table where major decisions are made that impact upon our lives; we are demanding participatory democracy, we are demanding a more transparent form of government that evolves toward the common good for all of our heavenly father’s children. Unfortunately, sister and brothers: we are living in an era when the so- called religions right in America has embarked upon an agenda that is not in compliance with the holy scriptures; they have united with elite American Business Interest and created a so- called “American Theocracy”.

            My bible tells me that no member of the human race has been appointed to judge any of God’s children because we all have various imperfections. Morality cannot be strictly legislated. History teaches us that any attempt to completely legislate a strict moral code of conduct almost always ends up in repression; subjugation, and exploitation. Remember Paul’s message to the Romans was meant for Jews and Gentiles alike!

            There are those among the so – called American Christian Elite who advocates cutting off the flow of all of our tax dollars from our American sisters and brothers who they have demonized, marginalized, dehumanized and criminalized. This is not God’s way.

            Our personal theologies must reject a national leadership that continues to spend more on incarceration than education. That’s what Lou, would do!

            Something is truly wrong within a society that continues to spend vital funds upon illegal undeclared warfare, while not finding adequate funds to conquer famine and preventable disease!

            If through statesmanship those homo-sapiens trapped in the well of this earths bottom billion could assimilate if by maximizing the senses that our God only endowed upon us homo-sapiens these bottom billion could attain social mobility and work their way upward through our socio-economic strata-

            Then I submit to you that we could bring our boys and girls home; decrease the present military budget and spend our national domestic production on the common good! Then we could be about the business of creating jobs by rebuilding our decaying infrastructure! It is possible to create truly affordable housing while employing significant numbers of our currently unemployed. As we Americans continue to consume a disproportionate share of our earth’s energy resources we must commit to finding alternate sources of energy.

            These are the thoughts and aspirations that my brother Lewis Haggins deposited within me.