Just 25 miles north of the affluent city of Madison is this home in rural Camden, the site of our home visit on Tuesday. This ramshackle house is home to Annie Lee, her mentally handicapped son, at least one daughter and her 3 children and any other family member who might need a place to stay. Despite broken windows, walls & floors with gaping holes, only one air-conditioned room, no shower, tub or sink in the bathroom and very little food in the pantry, this home was clean, neat and flowing with love and pride. As I took photos and Karen chatted with Annie Lee and Keith, her 10 year old grandson we heard no complaints or special requests for assistance despite the triple digit heat and very little food in their pantry. Well, that's not totally true--she did fuss a little about the snake that was eating her chickens' eggs the previous day. Even then, Annie Lee's sweet spirit and beauty shone through her exasperation and the sweat dripping from her brow. As we began to walk away from Annie Lee's dilapidated front porch, something red protruding from a gap in the corner wall caught my eye. It was the remnants of a small Bible whose crumpled pages helped to fill some of the empty space in the house's wall. That image grabbed my attention, but as I read the words on the bottom left hand page, I heard a sermon, a calling, a command. Jesus' words from that page said, Love God with your all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your neighbor as yourself." I am serious, that exact scripture was printed on the page in black and white! This home visit not only, provided a first hand reminder of the extreme poverty in our community, but on this hot Tuesday morning, it also allowed me the opportunity to look poverty in the face and call her by name: Annie Lee, my neighbor. An experience that continues to weigh heavy on my heart.
Love your neighbor as yourself. Annie Lee does not live next door to me or even in my neighborhood, but I'm certain that she and countless other "Annie Lee's" are the neighbors that I am called to love, not just in words and theory, but through my actions. "I'm just saying"...my love must move me beyond these feelings of concern and a heavy heart. Loving my neighbor must move me into action as I seek to find ways of making a difference in the lives of those neighbors I am called to LOVE.
MadCAAP provides me with that opportunity to serve and to share with others those same possibilities. It's remarkable how I have stumbled upon my passion in living. Thanks to Josh for his finger-pointing words of wisdom; to Johnny for steering me in the right direction and to Karen who continues to open my eyes to the neighbors I'm called to love.
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