Walk with Me and Be My Friend

The Missional Imperatives mentioned earlier are written large on the wall of the pantry lobby. We discuss one every pantry day with the volunteers, trying to infuse them with the way we want to operate. Let’s look at the imperatives a little deeper.

Walk Alongside creates the space where the imperatives above happen. Not a “hand up.” Next to. With. Seeing a neighbor’s brokenness and letting them see ours. Because in that brokenness, healing happens. We call this “mutuality”, and we see it often. The way one person is broken heals the way another is broken. As simple as having a spare battery for a device or being able to translate. Someone living in the woods offering a spare pair of shoes to another wearing torn ones. Without concern of repayment. Neighbor helping neighbor just because they are neighbors.

One day, just before closing time for the pantry, a man came in who had been experiencing homelessness and needed food. It was his first time seeing us, and we took him through the process, ending with packing a bag of food for him. As he was leaving right at closing time, a family came in—parents with two small children. None of them spoke English and we didn’t have any bi-lingual volunteers. The man we’d just helped turned to us and said, “I grew up in Puerto Rico. Can I help?” He then proceeded to walk through the entire process he just went through, translating everything from English to Spanish. By the time they were done, our volunteers had left so he asked if he could pack their food. After he had done, as they family was leaving, he asked for a piece of paper. He wrote down his cell phone number, handed it to them, and said, “If you need any help with translation, call me.” Then they all left.

Not only Walking Alongside but also Loving A Neighbor as One’s Self, Liberating Potential, and Reflecting our community. All our imperatives wrapped up in one neighbor interaction.

Come see how we are living out these imperatives as we strive to help our neighbor.