Based on a true story.  Names have been changed.

Tremaine was the nicest guy you’d ever meet.   He was always gentle, always generous, always kind.  No one could say a word against him.  Occasionally he would sleep behind the courthouse, and when the police saw him there, they tried to move him on.  The secretaries who worked in the courthouse would tell them to leave Tremaine alone, and the police would shrug and leave him alone.

There was, however, one man who had bad things to say about Tremaine.  That was his drinking buddy, James, who was a nasty drunk.  Pleasant when he was sober, but when he got drunk, he would become abusive.  He would lay into Tremaine, who would say nothing, just sit and take it.  He would talk about how Tremaine stole, how Tremaine beat people up, how Tremaine judged people, but it was never true.  Tremaine just smiled and let James get worked up, never defending himself, until James got so angry that he would hit Tremaine, in vengeance of his many “wrongs”.

Over time, James realized that he had a serious problem, sobered up and got a job.  But Tremaine stayed on the street.

He would stay behind the local church a few times a week, where the janitor would buy donuts every morning and give them to Tremaine and his friend Donny.   Donny never left Tremaine’s side, because he was concerned about Tremaine’s horrifying blood pressure.  At times Tremaine’s blood pressure got so high that he would collapse and had to be taken directly to the hospital.  Donny would make sure he got to the hospital, and the doctors would save Tremaine’s life, as they did so many times.  Then they would release Tremaine back to the street, where he would find Donny behind the church.

Eventually, Suzie, the janitor at the church, invited Tremaine and Donny to permanently stay behind the church.  They didn’t have any formal permission from the church, but Suzie would make sure that no one gave them any trouble.  She continued to get them donuts and coffee every morning, and asked them to do some clean up.  The guys would be glad to do whatever they were asked, as long as their health allowed.

Donny was often in pain because of his hip.  He had a replacement hip a decade ago, and it had worn out.  However, his insurance wouldn’t allow him to get another replacement hip, so he often walked in pain, sometimes all night long, because he couldn’t rest on the concrete.  But he and Tremaine had a good time behind the church, comfortable and safe.

They would often visit the local park, where many other homeless folks hung out, especially young people.  Tremaine was known as “grandpa” because his large grey beard make him look older than he was.  The high school homeless kids would hang out and drink and Tremaine would make sure that they didn’t come to harm.  If the police came to harass them, Tremaine would always take the brunt of their anger, allowing the kids to leave.

Once a couple of the kids had nowhere to sleep, so they asked Tremaine where he stayed.  Tremaine offered them a place to crash for the night.  The kids slept next to Tremaine and Donny that night and the next.  And some more kids came.  And a couple more.  Eventually, a group of kids set up a tent in front of the church, where they would use drugs, drink and have a party all night.  Finally, the pastor of the church, took the situation in hand and told everyone they had to leave.  The kids in the tent were so angry that they vandalized the church before they left.

Tremaine and Donny, having nowhere else to go, went to a local mall, and slept in the wind and rain.  A local Christian man, who had known Tremaine a number of years, became concerned after his latest bout in the hospital.  Frank asked him if he’d like to come live in his house.  Tremaine couldn’t drink in the house, but he’d have a safe place to sleep and he could eat the food in the house.  All he’d have to do is to work for Frank, helping his friends on the street one day a week.

Tremaine wasn’t sure.  He had relied on alcohol for years to keep him sane and forgetful about his miserable life.  He wasn’t sure he wanted to leave his friends whom he helped on the street, including Donny.  Donny and the kids on the street begged Tremaine to take Frank up on his offer.  Everyone was concerned that Tremaine wouldn’t be able to live long, given his terribly high blood pressure.  No one wanted to see him die.  But Tremaine wasn’t sure.

Tremaine remembered that he had quit drinking years ago.  Just one day stopped, and didn’t touch it.  He worked as a gas jockey then, and he didn’t make a good living, but he made a living.  Then he lost his job, and then his apartment.  He started to live on the street, and became unkempt.  As he was sitting in the park with his friends, he looked over and saw his sister, playing with her kids.   He smiled as he approached her, as they hadn’t seen each other for a couple years.  She looked up, recognized him, didn’t say a word, but picked up her kids, took them to the car and drove away.   After seeing her reaction to him, Tremaine turned around to his friend James, pointed at his 40-ouncer and said, “Give me that.”  He drank the whole bottle.  And the next one.

He realized that he had people who cared about him.  Really cared.  Donny.  The kids.  Suzie.  Frank.  They all wanted to see him live.  He couldn’t care less.  But he would live for them.  Quitting drinking wasn’t so hard.  And Frank said that he’d drive him to see his friends every week.  So Tremaine agreed.

Living in a house is something to get used to, but it was comfortable.  Tremaine could live his quiet, gentle life.  His blood pressure eventually went down as his stress went down.  He went out every week and worked in a church and saw his homeless friends. And eventually, Donny moved into the house as well.  Life wasn’t so bad after all.

Throughout any given year, there are approximately 3.5 million people who become homeless in the United States, which is about one percent of the total population.

About 2/3 of the homeless population are male, 1/3 female.

22 percent of the homeless are under 18.

About 25 percent of the homeless are families of three or more.

64 percent of the homeless are single individuals.

Homeless populations tend to rise in the summer.

41 percent of the homeless are black.

37 percent of the homeless are white.

10 percent of the homeless are Hispanic.

There are different kinds of homelessness:

Couch surfing (staying with friends or family)

In a shelter, temporarily (6 months or less)

Living in an RV or vehicle

Sleeping on the street/camping

Although there are different stresses in each of the kinds of homelessness, what they all have in common is the uncertainty of how long one might be able to stay in any given place.  At any moment, in each of these situations, a person may be told to move out, with little or no notice.

Approximately 70 percent of all homeless people get off the street in two months or less.

Only about ten percent of all homeless folks are “chronically” homeless, for a year or more.

The length one is homeless is a serious issue.  The stress of homelessness is akin to being in a home with an abusive person.  One isn’t abused all the time, but the stress of the potential of abuse is always there.  Even so, a homeless person may not be forced to move all the time, or to be attacked, or to be yelled at, but the stress of it is there always.  Thus, just as there is a difference between someone who has lived in a home with an abused person for a month, as opposed to two years, so the same with the homeless.  The longer one lives with the stresses of homelessness, the more likely someone is to have severe mental health issues, cognitive issues, addictions, chronic health problems and other issues related to stress.

Most important medical issues of the homeless:

PTSD– It is determined that up to 95 percent of all the homeless have experienced trauma.

Untreated dental issues

Untreated cuts or injuries

Chronic diseases

Respiratory illness

Hypothermia

Dehydration

A person is three times as likely to die on the street than in housing.

Statistics from: National Coilition for the Homeless; National Alliance to End Homelessness; the 2010 Annual Report on Homelessness to Congress; The 2013 Point in Time Homeless Count; The Homeless Hub; National Student Campaign against Homelessness and Hunger.

No matter how fearful or bent,

Jesus is ready to heal

Those who surrender their assumptions

Of how the world works.

Meet Genevieve Cochran, a lady with a heart of gold and an energy level that most 18 year olds can’t keep up with.  Genevieve was a volunteer with Anwaim Christian Community for the last two and a half years.

Photo – Mary Anne Funk
Genevieve comforts Paloma. Paloma wasn’t feeling well that day.

Over this last year, I have gotten to know this woman and have learned so much from her. She is filled with wisdom, determination, love, and empathy.

Everyone Genevieve met at Anawim, was left feeling loved and respected by her. She is driven by a desire to help others and a calling she says comes from God. “This is God’s ministry, ” Genevieve told me several times. “The people on the street are God’s people”

February 4, 2015 – Photo by Mary Anne Funk
Genevieve Cochran asks Pastor Steve Kimes of Anwaim Christian Community, what he has room for in his van as they prepare to head over to St. Johns, for their Wednesday meal service.

For the last two and a half years, Genevieve spent 8-10 hours a week traveling in her van, which has worked just as hard as she has, as she volunteered with Anawim Christian Community.  “It’s an old beater,” Genevieve said, “but it has done a fabulous job for us and gotten food to people who need it: both in St. Johns and Gresham and carrying maybe 800 lbs. a week from the food bank to the Church. Considering it is 25 years old, it is amazing.” “Us elderlies are doing well,” she finished saying laughingly.

God has blessed her Spirit with the gift of taking care of others.

Photo by Mary Anne Funk
Genevieve Cochran receives love from the other event volunteers at the Free Back to School Clothing Giveaway at the Anawim Sanctuary in Gresham. It was an event that required much planning with little time to do it. “We only had five weeks to pull this together and this couldn’t have happened without my volunteers, two who are homeless” said Genevieve Cochran.Left to Right: Amber, Genevieve, Pat, Barb, Kristi

Genevieve recently moved from Oregon to Tennessee where she will live and take care of her son who is in renal failure. She is a constant in our society and continuously taking care of others. During our interview, I asked Genevieve, you take care of everyone else, who takes care of you? “God” she said in a quiet tearful voice, “He is there, always”

Genevieve, God used you in Portland in a mighty way and I know He will continue to use you in Tennessee. Anawim thanks you for the years you volunteered with the community and for being a constant in our society. We miss your energy and Spirit here in Portland.

I recently had a chance to interview Genevieve, while riding in her van on our way to help her prepare for her move.  Listen to her interview in which she shares what she has learned, what she will miss, and what her hopes are for Anawim.

If you are moved by anything in Genevieve’s interview or you have any stories you’d like to share about Genevieve, please share in the comments.

In the poster:
Diane Kimes prepares the ingredients for making chicken enchiladas that will be served during the Sunday Worship and Meal Service at the Anawim Christian Community home.
Photo by: Mary Anne Funk

Diane Kimes of Anawim Christian Community has been preparing meals for the homeless and those living in poverty since the mid 1990’s.  With the constants, like Diane Kimes, we guarantee that the needs of the homeless community and the working poor community will be met and those who are hungry will be nourished.

“For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in”

Matthew 25:35

It is better for someone to live on the street than in a garage.

It is better for someone to go hungry than to eat non-inspected food.

It is better for someone to die of hypothermia than stay in a church.

It is better to fine someone than give them shelter.

It is better to treat a person like a pile of garbage rather than give them dignity.

It is better to push someone away than to give them a place to be.

It is better to pay a designer for unique benches than to give someone a place to sleep.

It is better to look good than to love.

Stealing from the poor   (Isaiah 1:17, 23; Jeremiah 5:28)

Like a city hiring a company to throw away the sleeping gear of the homeless

Refusing to defend the needy (Isaiah 3:14-15)

     Like a judge declaring that a city has the right to abuse the homeless

Unjust judgments against the poor (Isaiah 10:1-2)

     Like arresting a poor person for being unable to pay a fine they received for being poor

Not assisting the needy (Ezekiel 16:49)

     Like reducing welfare to those who really need it.

Taking interest for loans (Ezekiel 18:15-17)

     Like “quick cash” companies, or bill collectors.

Enslaving a people (Amos 1:6)

     Like incarcerating a quarter of the population of African American males.

Excessive violence in war, especially against innocents (Amos 1:13)

     Like sending drones out to destroy whole families, or destroying a city for their government’s actions.

Excessive rent against the poor (Amos 5:11)

     Like kicking a poor family out of their apartment because they are late with their rent.

Accepting bribes (Amos 5:12)

     Like getting paid overtime for doing “extra police work” by evicting the homeless.

Turning away those who need shelter for a night   (Amos 5:12)

Like almost every church in the United States.

I guess if Amos or Isaiah came today, they’d be pretty busy.

A rich man’s wealth is his strong city, And like a high wall in his own imagination.

The sleep of the working man is pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.

The rich man is wise in his own eyes, But the poor who has understanding sees through him.

Proverbs of Ancient Hebrew writings, also known as Proverbs 18:11; Ecclesiastes 5:12; and Proverbs 28:11

Good morning, my brothers.  I am honored that you have chosen me to speak to you, the All-Wealthy Fathers Under Liberty,  for I have been concerned about our plight for some time.  We have been subjected to oppression long enough! (Cheers in the crowd.)  I was shocked last week to hear Brother Steven’s speech on hate crime in motion pictures.  Up until this point, I have enjoyed the James Bond movies—but no more.  Now I understand that they are simply anti-rich propaganda, intended to throw suspicion upon the good brothers who have worked hard to obtain their wealth.  How dare they make Dr. No or the other villains wealthy?  All of them?  Clearly, just as our brother has pointed out, it is simple prejudice and jealousy! (More cheers.)  I thank Brother Arnold for his insider’s view and especially for his work in banning these films, as well as any others which portray the wealthy according to stereotypes, instead of the truly honorable men we are.  Let the media put the specter of suspicion where it belongs—on the government and the poor!  (More cheers.)  Let us bring back more wholesome programming, such as Schindler’s List and The Millionaire! (More cheers.)

As serious as the prejudice found in movies is, there is yet another, more insidious cultural influence that we must be concerned about.  Movies and magazines, television and newspapers, and, of course, the internet—all have their various forms of prejudice and oppression against the rich and all need to be influenced, such as our Brother Rupert, Brother Ted and Brother Bill have done.  But there is another, greater influence that has been all but overlooked.  There is a medium that has been influential, not just for decades, a century or a century and a half, but for millennia!  It has been used by the enemies of the rich, oppressing us and destroying us since time immemorial!  It is the cause of many of the wars against the rich—The Lombard uprising of the 1400s in England, the Thirty Years War in Germany in the 1500s, and it is still used as a primary inspiration of the Marxists in Latin America today!  And while you may think that these events are too out of touch with our current structure, I need to inform you that this medium—this dangerous piece of literature—is in the majority of homes in the United States.  Right now.  And many of you have read this book, yea, even quoted this book.  By now, you have probably guessed what I am speaking about, but you dare not say its name, nor even think it.  Yes, that’s right, I am speaking of the Bible—the New Testament in particular.

Perhaps some of you are ready to stand up and speak against me now, because I am speaking ill of a book that you hold so dear.  Perhaps some are ready to walk out on me, because much of your wealth—the very reason you are here—has come in part because of your talent in speaking on this particular book.  I do not begrudge your use of it, Brothers—especially our dear Brother Robert and Brother Benny.  I appreciate your skill and tact in opening this book and carefully directing the thoughts of those who read it.  You religious leaders have been essential to our cause, and our most important supporters!  You have succeeded to make wealth popular and important among your people with greater success than any of us have!  We thank you for your work! (Scattered clapping throughout the hall.)  But we must also recognize how dangerous this book is.

The Bible is a complex and multi-faceted piece of literature.  It is sixty-six different books, written by a variety of authors over at least a thousand years.  Their perspectives vary, as do the issues they discuss.  With this, there is much for anyone to expound upon with safety.  There are examples of wealthy people who are heroes in this collection of scrolls—Abraham, Jacob, Boaz, Job, Solomon and Esther.  However, even these are marginal victories.  Abraham and Job are seen as righteous, not because of their wealth, but because of their generosity, faith and sacrifice.  Boaz is righteous for assisting a poor, illegal immigrant.  Solomon is famous for his wisdom, but ultimately rejected for his disobedience of God’s law and idolatry. Esther is of an oppressed racial minority, which is the real focus of her story.  And Jacob is displayed as obtaining his wealth through deceit and the power of God, and suffering greatly in his later life because of his trickery early in his life.

In the Old Testament, where all of these stories take place, there are dangerous themes that crop up now and again.   We have a sympathetic woman, gaining a child after praying for so many years, saying, “The weapons of the powerful are cast down and the weak take up strength.”   One of the many psalmists say, “Better is the little of the righteous than the wealth of the wicked.”  In the book of Proverbs it says, “Give me neither poverty nor wealth, lest I become arrogant and say, ‘Who is God?’”  Another psalmist says, “These are the wicked who have increased in wealth.”

In the prophets of the Old Testament, the danger to us increases.  Ezekiel says that the sins of Sodom is that the city was wealthy and arrogant, refusing to help the poor and needy.  Jeremiah says that the wealthy in his day became so because of deceit.  Micah claims that the rich of his day were “full of violence”.  Of course, this is blatant prejudice, painting all the wealthy with the same stroke.

Nevertheless, the Old Testament is not problematic overall.  None of these passages must be thought of as speaking of the rich in general.  While there seems to be a theme—especially that of obtaining wealth through violence and deceit—it is not consistent, and we can avoid such pitfalls by our Bible-brokers speaking of these cases as being rare, while most wealthy are good and right before God.

The real problem comes in the New Testament.  This is a revolutionary text, and I do not mean that positively.  It is speaking from the perspective of the disorderly elements of society, those that disrupt the proper flow of economics and authority.  As many of us well know, it is within this tome of subversive writers that we have a few passages that support the lower classes being in submission to the upper classes—and this is as it should be.  However, it is always spoken of in the context of the upper classes oppressing and harming the lower classes.  The New Testament has nothing good to say about us, brothers.

Let us take, for example, a brief letter to various churches, written by the brother or cousin of Jesus, James– or perhaps by his students.  James was an important figure in the early church and his word was considered law by many groups of this fledgling— but revolutionary— religious movement.  He had much to say about us, my brothers—and none of it was good.  Listen to this: “The poor brother should be glad for his high position, and the wealthy should be glad for his lowly position, for even as a flower in bloom will soon fade and become ugly, so will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuit of wealth.”  Again, listen to this: “God chose the poor of this world to be rich in faith… but it is the wealthy that drag you into court and oppress you.”  (A few gasps in the midst of a shocked silence.)  But this is not all.  This so-called “just” James dares to make yet another, more horrible, even more prejudicial remark.  This is difficult for me to read, and it is extremely shocking, so please be prepared for it:  “Weep and howl, you rich, for your miseries are coming upon you.  Your riches have rotted and your garments are destroyed.  Your gold and silver have rusted, and its rust is a witness against you in God’s judgment.  The laborers you have hired are crying out against you for you have withheld their wages and it will be heard by the Lord of the harvest.  You have lived… luxuriously on earth…”  I’m sorry, I’m trying… “and you have… fattened yourself for the day of slaughter.”  (Stunned silence fills the hall.)

I hope you are outraged as much as I am.  This is blatant hate speech.  It is more forthrightly prejudiced against us than almost anything I have ever heard or read, except perhaps that despicable song by Aerosmith.   And if it was only in the letter of James—which our Brother Martin Luther called a “right straw epistle”—then perhaps it could be bearable.  The book is small, it could be avoided.

But who can avoid Jesus?  Yet Jesus says, “Woe to you who are rich for you have already received your comfort!  Woe to you who are well fed, for you shall go hungry!  Woe to you who are entertained now, for you shall weep!”  It is Jesus who says, “No one can serve two masters, either he will love the one and hate the other.  No one can serve both God and wealth.”  It is Jesus who says, “Sell all your possessions and give to the poor, and then you will have treasure in heaven.”  It is Jesus who says, “None of you can be my disciple unless you renounce all of your possessions.”  It is Jesus who says, “You say ‘I am wealthy, I have need of nothing,’ but you do not see that you are poor and blind and wretched and miserable and naked.”

Clear lies, all of them!  Our God could not despise us, who has blessed us so?

Do you not see?  The real enemy of our cause in this so-called Holy Writ is not James, but Jesus himself.  It is Jesus that enacted the change that turned the Bible from a humble critic of the excess of the unrighteous rich to an attack on all of us!  These terrible, poor-loving, deceptive words, in blatant opposition to the equality of rich men everywhere were spoken by the founder of the Jesus movement himself!   I know that many of you scholars might be saying, “Well, Jesus may not have said that,” or, “there are certainly other interpretations.”  Of course there are.  Of course there are doubts.  But the clear reading of the text is impossible to deny when brought all together.

Allow me to repeat a couple main points.  This book is dangerous.  It works directly against our cause, and influences the simple minded to be prejudiced against the wealthy.  Secondly, this book is in the majority of American homes!  There are people who read from this book daily!  Worst of all, there are many who actually believe this book to be God’s own Word and so might very well believe what it says.

Now, we know, Brothers, that God supports us and our cause—let there be no question about that.  God has granted us our wealth and so wants us to rule the world and influence the people with it.  And so God has given us a commission—we must subvert the clear meaning of this book.  It is a book filled with despicable lies that will tear down the fabric of our very society.  And so we must continue the work accomplished so boldly by our forefather Thomas Jefferson.  We must discourage the reading of this book as much as possible.  If the masses are to read anything, let them read the relatively safe Old Testament.

Even better, we must follow in the ways of our Muslim brothers and claim through our media that both New and Old Testaments have been superseded by greater, better, teaching.  The best, most popular teaching are the new ethics based upon scientific principles.  This allows us to support an ethics that are based on positive, capitalistic principles.  In this way, the hate speech may be muted, and we will regain our former glory and honor that we deserve to have.

I see my time is up.  Thank you for your rapt attention, brothers.  (Wild applause breaks out.)