how could i not post about this?

so, today i had a meeting with mayor c. ray nagin of new orleans. well actually, it wasnt just a one-on-one meeting between little emily and big ray. it was a meeting organized by ACT (All Congregations Together) which is a PICO-modelled group (much like OCO in Oakland). this is a collaboration of faith leaders from throughout the city who have been working together for years and years to bring attention to various issues in the community. i was at the meeting because i and my co-worker emily ling were representing Desire Street/CURE and Carver Desire Baptist Church (the church that Pastor Willis, executive director of CURE, leads). so again, as emily said afterwards, i found myself in a position wondering how in the world did i get here?? we watched the devastation of the storm, the levee breaches, the flood with the rest of the world and stayed glued to the tv over a year ago. and now, here we are, in the mayor's office, pressing him on the issues of housing, health care, crime, education. craziness. God uses the weak to confound the strong, huh?

the work we are trying to undertake is gentrification with justice. because, you see, this city is like a developer's dream right now. all this land, barely any homeowners in sight, and so much that needs to be demolished and rebuilt. so in the land of capitalism and the free market, why not make a profit off of it? well, i'll tell you why not. because there were people who've lived here for generations and they will be shut out of the only homes they know. because profit is not more important than people. because housing with justice will create a better community than the highest-end lifestyle around every corner. i could go on.... so many of the faith communities here are trying to pursue this and it's a tough road to go down, especially since so few have had previous experience. but there are others around the country who have done this stuff and we're just trying to learn from them. each day, as we do seemingly small administrative tasks, i can catch glimpses of the bigger picture.....that afternoon 7 months from now when we're standing behind a ribbon with unrealistically large scissors, opening the door for the first family to move back in to their new home. almost gives me goosebumps. so we keep moving along...determined to not lose hope.

if you want to partner in this work of gentrification with justice and don't know how best to use your talents, please consider donating to my support fund. the money enables me to be here and contribute to the rebuilding of the beautiful Crescent City. click the link on the left that says "donate..." thanks for your prayers and encouragement!!