Shelter from the Storm

 I felt empathy for the parents of Saratoga Central Catholic as they rallied to stop an emergency homeless shelter from being operated out of a neighboring property. I really did. It's not easy to stand up to our fears when it comes to our children.

Especially since even the smallest changes make us feel like we're taking a wide, left-hand turn into Harm's Way.

So, I can understand why they'd seek answers to their questions.

But I can’t help but be disappointed in their success.

But as I read the stories in the local newspapers about the controversy – A house that formerly housed a senior citizens center has been identified as a place for a permanent emergency shelter when the seniors moved to a new, 14,000 square-foot space at the YWCA -- I couldn't help but think: what would Jesus do?

As a lapsed Catholic, I have often used that term derisively, a jab of icy sarcasm aimed at the religion that faltered for decades when it came to the infliction of abuse onto the faithful and the shielding of clergy from accountability.

"It's going to be 30 below zero this weekend!!!! WHAT WOULD JESUS DO???"

Of course, I thought to myself, Jesus would rather NOT have a homeless shelter share a fence with his little lamb's athletic fields.

WWJD?

Certainly something more generous than fighting City Hall or getting twelve-hundred signatures on a petition, or boycotting the philanthropic organization that helped the Seniors move to bigger digs, leaving their previous address available for the endeavor.

But I had to reel back my anger when I shouted it into the empty room as I assembled a sandwich and brewed another cup of coffee in my warm, fully stocked kitchen.

I know it won't do any good to castigate the parents for what I may believe are unchristian thoughts.

They're not Jesus. They aren't the Diocese. They're not even holier than Thou in the scriptural sense. Maybe they've never volunteered or even met anyone who ever needed a shelter.

They're just parents fearfully trying to get what's best for their kids, which in today's day and age means shielding them from the big, bad world for as long as possible. Maybe that protection takes the form of smaller class sizes or prayer in school. Maybe it segregates the boys from the girls or teaches religion instead of sex education.

We parents are a lot alike.

We want their children to do the right things. The hard things. The things that may even be unpopular in what we may see as a permissive new world.

We don't willingly accept that homeless people belong to our communities. We don't trust that the Shelters have our interests in mind.

What a missed opportunity that this shelter will not come to pass. These parents may be relieved at what they have achieved, but they should not be proud.

Hopefully, the church will offer its students and their parents a way to make amends through volunteering wherever this shelter finds a home. Maybe in service to the least among them, they will find their own shelter from the storm.