the meek shall inherit the earth

Today I drove in from Waco to be a part of something called “Impact Huntsville,” a gathering of youth groups from various churches in the community working on houses in need of repair. This event began as an outgrowth of Huntsville’s Promise, a non-profit organization partly funded by the city of Huntsville as an attempt to promote the well-being of youth in the community, encouraging collaborative efforts of congregations, businesses and institutions to take responsibility and action in facilitating an environment of empowerment for all youth in the community. As an “outsider” of the community, first-time participant of Impact Huntsville and not knowledgeable enough to lead construction, I was posted with 6 boys from the Elkins Lake Baptist youth group to work with 3 adults from First Christian Church of Huntsville in building a wheelchair ramp for an elderly, African-American couple.
The organizer of the wheel-chair ramp building was in a wheel-chair himself but somehow I hardly noticed, as he was by far the hardest worker of our group and most efficient. I did my best to hand tools when needed to the 6 boys and 3 men facilitating their progress and teaching them as they went along but after a while I decided to take more of a public relations role and visit with the resident of the house, Mr. Johnson. He positioned himself on the front steps of his porch so that he could recline on the railing and watch the progress going on to his right. His wife had been in a wheelchair for three months and he had been trying to get her down the steps of the porch of their dilapidated trailer home as the make-shift ramp he had attempted to build had fallen down. Our conversation began as I leaned against the same railing and asked him about his term of residence in Huntsville, which led to conversation about fishing, trying to catch rats around their trailer home and finally he commented, “You know, not everyone would come do something like this for people like us.” I asked him why he thought that was the case and he asked me to turn around and tell me what I saw. I turned around and saw an old jeep to which I answered him. “And what color is that jeep girl?” he asked, and I responded, “It is black.” He then began to tell me that although we were a church group, he was still surprised us white-folk would come help a poor black man and his wife. “We do not have the money for a wheel-chair ramp. I was so surprised you all would do this for free.”
I then began telling him about how several church youth groups were involved in these projects all over Huntsville, from Hispanic, white and African-American churches. As he asked me questions about my life, I mentioned at one point that I intended to become a minister. “Well you all in the right company, you know what the good book says, ‘the meek shall inherit the earth,’” said Mr. Johnson. After many biblical references and teachings that meant a lot to him I finally asked if he went to church anywhere in the community and he took this opportunity to teach me about power. “I don’t go to church because they only tell you you’re going to hell and they want your money.” I said that I had been to churches were I felt that way also and that perhaps if we spoke of love more often then more projects like this could happen and a community would change. He reminded me that where 2 or 3 are gathered in Jesus’ name there He is and power happens. He believed churches should work together like that. He then commented, “I believe in the Holy Spirit and that it is at work around us. I believe our job here is not to preach hell and take money but to make this earth beautiful why we are here. With the help of the Holy spirit of course.” I asked him if those of us helping out our brothers and sisters in the community today, like helping him and his wife with a wheel chair ramp, would count as making the earth beautiful. He said, “Why yes.” I said, “Well then that’s the kind of gospel and Jesus I can believe too, Mr. Johnson, we agree with you in that and that’s why woke us up this morning to come serve you.”
Mr. Johnson then proceeded to teach me about life, asking permission first, to which I gladly obliged. He taught me about power corrupting people, how you know when love is love and how the world changing all around him. I asked lots of questions as I listened and he asked me some as well. He did not know if he agreed with me being a minister since I was a woman but gave me the best compliment I could ever receive, “I can see you are different. You talk of love and see people different like you are separated from the world.”
It is sometimes the least likely people you encounter that have the most wisdom to give. During our conversation today something happened, mutuality of grace and equality was achieved as we acknowledged each other’s mishaps, judgments, failures and beliefs. At first we seemed just two completely different people by race, socio-economic class and age but soon only became only “brother and sister” in one another’s eyes. I walked away from my time spent with Mr. Johnson thinking that perhaps I should have helped more to build the ramp but then remembered two things: 1. Jesus commended Mary for sitting as His feet and being with Him 2. Jesus said (and Mr. Johnson) that the “meek shall inherit the earth.”