Letter: Brighter Days offers helping hand, not problems

Businesswoman hand working with new modern computer and writing

From: John Brooks

Columbus

I responded to a letter about a year ago when I had started volunteering at Brighter Days. It was a letter about all the problems that were caused by resident guests at Brighter Days. Now it’s about a year later and I am still volunteering, and I keep hearing the same complaints.

In the letter dated July 4, entitled “Brighter Days shelter still presents problems,” the gentlemen wrote that he has trouble explaining to his 8-year-old about the realities of the world we live in. Perhaps I can offer a few words that will help.

He could tell his 8-year-old that, sadly, we have people in our community who have problems with substances such as drugs and alcohol, and that we have organizations that can help them manage their lives. He could tell his 8-year-old that, sadly, we have people in our community who do not have a place to sleep at night, and that we have organizations such as Brighter Days that have a bed for them. He could tell his 8-year-old that, sadly, we have people in our community who do not get a hot meal every day, and that we have an organization of churches that offer a free, hot meal every night. He could tell his 8-year-old that, sadly, we have people in our community who do not have food in their houses to eat, and that we have organizations such as Love Chapel and the Salvation Army who will give them food. He could his your 8-year-old that, sadly, we have people in our community who do not have enough clothes to wear, and that we have organizations such as Sans Souci that will help them get clothes.

But better than just telling his 8-year-old these things, maybe he could spend a couple of hours with his 8-year-old volunteering at one of the many organizations that are in desperate need of help. Teaching his 8-year-old a life lesson about the meaning of community by helping those in need.

Joan Chittister in her book “A Spirituality For the 21st Century” tells a story about an old master and his student. The old master says that God loves sinners. The student replies, “How can that be?” The old master says that God in heaven holds each of us by a string. When we sin, we cut the string. God gathers the ends and ties a knot, bringing us a little closer. Sin by sin God knots the string, drawing us closer to him. It’s a great teaching about our ever-loving and forgiving God that wants us to be close to him. It’s also a great teaching about relationships and community. Each time we open our eyes and hearts to reach out to those in need, each time we listen with our hearts and each time we greet those we meet with a smile and a friendly word, we knot the string that connects us and we are drawn closer and closer and our community is stronger.