Time Donors and Challenging Entitlement

There probably was some angst when the students enrolled in BIB 300B read the syllabus and saw that they were to complete a community service project and write a reflection paper on it. Angst, not because they didn't want to do it, but, just the angst that comes with adult learners trying to juggle a fast-track degree completion program, jobs, family, church and other life responsibilities. But, they do it--and today in their final class, I benefit from hearing about their service. Sorting and screening books to give to prisoners, packing food bags, making meals for the homeless, working in a food-packing house to prepare food for needy families, gleaning, working in a daycare, serving a meal to families, coaching kids: a long list of tasks that would ordinarily costs thousands. The investment of time that these adult students have made is impressive, and the learning that comes from the service can never really be estimated. I asked them "tell me what you did," and then I asked, "what did you REALLY do?" the second question gave the more revealing responses. They used the phrase "I donated my time... or, I gave my time.." and the emphasis was on the donation of time. They talked about being fulfilled, being touched, being humbled, learning, being challenged, feeling good--and doing the right thing. They talked about serving those with no voice, and we discussed the truly voiceless in our community: who cannot speak for themselves? who needs the voice of the vocal, the articulate, the educated, the privileged? This led to a discussion about "standing in the gap" for those who are disenfranchised in our community.
I was reminded of the small town in Wisconsin that was beset with a wave of "new nazism." There were nazi marches, nazie protests, a new nazi presence. The Jewish families in the town were scared and intimidated. Some of them defiantly posted the star of David in their window, and suffered graffitti, taunts, insults and vandalism--even some violence. The travesty continued for weeks, until some Christians in the town decided to stand in solidarity with their Jewish neighbors and the Christians also posted the Star of David in their windows. Soon, most of the town (with the exception of the new nazis) posted the Jewish symbol proudly in their window. Following the murder of Matthew Shephard in Laramie, some citizens there purchased gay flags and hung them in their shops and at their homes, though not gay, they stood in solidarity with their gay neighbors who were also scared and intimidated.
I thought about how these students today, in the same way, had "raised their flag" with homeless people, with prisoners, with widows and orphans, with the disenfranchised. With their service, they stood in "solidarity" with the poor, and by doing so, they became enriched.
I read recently where a local evangelical minister was asked to give the benediction at a city event for the mayor. A close friend of the outgoing mayor, the minister apparenlty failed to remember that this was a "civic" prayer, and would be voicing a prayer for people of many faiths and non-faiths. From the report in the newspaper, his prayer was less than "multi-faith." Another missed opportunity to display the Christian virtue (fruit of the Spirit) of humility--since christianity (little c) is the dominant faith tradition in this country--and especially in this city, it would have been appropriate to YIELD the language and voice of the prayer to one that was not a part of the dominant faith, race and language. This was a CIVIC prayer, not an invocation in an evangelical church--and civic prayers, though heartfelt and sincere, should also recognize the privilege that they are voiced publically--and, if the prayers of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Bahai' and other minority religions are silenced: then, ALL of our prayers are silenced. (I've never held to the notion of a christian nation: I believe in the notion of CHRISTIANS who live in a given nation, because a "geography" cannot be christian any more than a bookstore, radio station, tshirt or bumper sticker: it's a denotation for PEOPLE, not a mass of land.) I'm willing to stand up for prayer in schools when we can establish prayer in HOMES first. But, I digress.....
IMHO, we must challenge the attitude of "entitlement," whether it's an entitlement to a voice in prayer, entitlement to political access, entitlement to gov't funding, entitlement to "peace and quiet," or entitlement to power and position. As I understand Romans 3:23, all that we are entitled to is death: the rest is a gift from God. If we do not stand in solidarity with those who are hated, disenfranchised, taunted, libeled, the odd, the unlucky, the outcasts: we set ourselves up to an attitude of entitlement: and thats the tragedy.
I witnessed the stories of student time donors today: and, because of that, I want to stand in solidarity with those who serve and those who yield.