Sculpture of Homeless Jesus Rejected by Two Churches, Finds Home at University

When Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz, 43, was visiting Toronto during the Christmas season a few years ago, he saw a homeless person wrapped up in a sleeping bag lying on a floor. Schmalz couldn't tell whether the person was male or female, but his initial reaction was "That is Jesus."
Schmalz, who is a practicing Catholic, had been creating religious artwork for more than two decades, but that Christmas experience caused him to think about how Christ is typically presented in church art. Much of the Jesus art he'd been commissioned to do wanted a Jesus who looked European, with shoulder-length "perfectly blow-dried" hair and a symmetrical face. Jesus in those works might be pierced and bloodied, but his body is beautiful, reflecting the concept that inner holiness takes an outward form.
"But Jesus hung out with the marginalized," Schmalz said. "He was with the prostitutes and beggars."
The Christmas experience in Toronto eventually led Schmalz to sculpt Jesus as a homeless outcast, sleeping on a bench. The figure is shrouded in a blanket, with its face barely visible, but the blanket does not extend to cover the feet, which are pierced, leading viewers to think of crucifixion spikes. Schmalz titled the work Jesus the Homeless.
Schmalz intentionally left room on the end of the bench for a passerby to sit next to the sleeping Jesus.
The sculptor had lived for a time in Toronto, while studying at the former Ontario College of Art. "I was totally used to stepping over people," Schmalz said. "You're not aware they are human beings. They become obstacles in the urban environment and you lose a spiritual connection to them. They become inert, an inconvenience."
Seeing the homeless person sleeping on the street while Christmas shoppers bustled by changed all that for the artist.
Schmalz offered the completed bronze sculpture, funded by a real estate developer Peter Benniger, to two Roman Catholic churches: St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto and St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York. In both cases, the rectors were enthused about the work and showed the sculptor some possible locations for it. But in each case, authorities higher up in the archdiocese turned it down. Schmalz said he was told "it was not an appropriate image."
A spokesperson for St. Patrick's told the New York Daily News that the cathedral had to refuse because of extensive restoration ongoing in the building, but that "We loved the statue. When the time comes, we'll certainly take another look."
Likewise, a spokesperson for the Toronto archdiocese said the rejection at St. Michael's may have had to do with renovations at the cathedral and "partly to do with someone's view of the art."
In April, after a year of searching for a home for Jesus the Homeless, Regis College, a Jesuit theology school at the University of Toronto, gave the sculpture a prominent place on the sidewalk by its front entrance.
"It's one of the most inviting and authentic representations of Jesus," said Rev. Gordon Rixon, dean of the college. "There's the suggestion there is the king and he is answering our culture with his poverty, vulnerability and weakness."
More on this story can be found at these links:
Sculpture of Jesus the Homeless Rejected by Two Prominent Churches. The (Toronto) Star
Homeless Jesus Statue Finds a Home. New York Daily News
The Big Questions
1. Was Jesus actually homeless in the way we use the term nowadays? What are the similarities and what are the differences? Is a homeless Jesus an "appropriate" image? Why or why not?
2. Over the years, Jesus has been depicted in art as a handsome and muscular boxer, as a euphoric young man wearing jeans and a collared shirt, as a landmine victim, as a black man, as a king, as a crucified woman, as a successful businessman, as a hockey player and as a rebel, as well as in more traditionally "sacred" representations. Which of these do you think are legitimate depictions of Jesus? What do you suppose is the motivation to present Jesus in these different ways? What are some ways to differentiate between "proclaiming Jesus' message" and "using Jesus to proclaim our message"?
3. What does Jesus call Christians to do, if anything, about the homeless? Why? Are there times that Jesus calls us to inaction as well as action? Why or why not?
4. Should the reason a person is homeless affect how we react to that person? Why? How do you respond to homeless people you encounter? Would you respond the same way if Jesus were standing next to you?
5. How would you depict Jesus, and how is that depiction reflected in the ways you serve him?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Job 24:7-8 (The Message)
Homeless, they shiver through cold nights on the street; they've no place to lay their heads. Exposed to the weather, wet and frozen, they huddle in makeshift shelters. (For context, read 24:1-8.)
In chapter 24, Job refers to the view that God has appointed a time of judgment for the wicked and wants to know why, in face of all the wickedness on earth, that time has not arrived. Job enumerates some of the wicked deeds, including the fact that some greedy individuals take advantage of others to the point of rendering them homeless.
Questions: Today we recognize that there are a variety of reasons someone might be forced -- or might, like Jesus, choose -- to be homeless for various lengths of time. What are some of these reasons?
Several commentators suggest that Job's education begins with his outrage at his misfortune and proceeds through his recognition that suffering is experienced by all, until at last he obtains perspective from God's speech and repents with dust and ashes. How is it possible for you to understand others without experiencing what they experience? What are your feelings when you become fully acquainted with the depth of suffering both near at hand and far away? Is ignorance bliss?
Matthew 8:20
Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head. (For context, read 8:18-22.)
People often cite these words of Jesus as evidence that he was homeless. He was, in fact, without a permanent residence at this point in his time on earth, but he wasn't homeless in the way we usually use that word today; his state might better be described as "itinerant." Jesus spoke the words above in response to a scribe who said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."
On one level, Jesus' response could be taken to mean that if the man did follow him in that manner, he needed to be prepared to be away from home and constantly on the move. However, because Jesus referred to himself here not as "I" but as "the Son of Man," which has certain christological implications, his statement has a paradoxical irony: While the creatures of the field and sky have homes, the Son of Man, who is Lord of creation and judge of the earth, is a wanderer with no place in the world to call his own.
Thus, Jesus was saying that those who follow him are called to a life in which all of the world's priorities are reversed.
Questions: What specifically do you mean when you say, "I am a follower of Jesus"? Has there ever been a mission or ministry that required you to step away from all your stuff and assume the identity of an itinerant? How did you feel when you stepped away from possessions? Liberated? Abandoned? Uncertain? How did you feel when you were once again ensconced among your possessions?
Matthew 25:37-40
Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?" And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." (For context, read 25:31-46.)
According to these words from Jesus, helping the needy, which certainly includes the homeless, is not optional for those who wish to be judged faithful to God.
Questions: What personal call do you hear in these words? Think of depictions of Jesus you have encountered. Which shame you? Which challenge you? Which inspire you?
When have you ministered to the "least of these"? How was your life changed? When have you turned away from the "least of these"? How was your life affected? When have you been one of the "least of these"? As you are comfortable, share a bit of your story with the group.
Mark 14:7
For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. (For context, read 14:3-9.)
This text is often quoted out of context, sometimes as a way of saying that since Jesus said we'd always have the poor with us, we probably can't do much about the problem of poverty it and we ought to leave well enough alone and tend to religious things. It can even be quoted to suggest that Jesus intends for some people to be poor. But in this text, Jesus is paraphrasing Moses in Deuteronomy 15:11: "Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, 'Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'" And Moses' words are part of a larger passage that says when the people come into their land, they must recognize that everything they have comes from God and they have an obligation to take care of the poor among them.
Questions: What are the limits of your obligations to the homeless? What have you done when a homeless person has shown up at church? Do you think you have done too much? Enough? Do you believe there is any solution to the problem of homelessness? What are the differences between being "poor" and being "needy"?
Luke 16:19-21
There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. (For context, read 16:19-31.)
Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus doesn't say Lazarus was homeless, but his poverty was deep and crippling, and he at least lived his days stationed outside the home of the rich man, in hope of a few crumbs of charity. The rich man must have -- either literally or figuratively -- stepped over Lazarus as he came and went from his lavish home. (Recall that Schmalz said, "I was totally used to stepping over people. You're not aware they are human beings. They become obstacles in the urban environment and you lose a spiritual connection to them. They become inert, an inconvenience.")
Read the context verses and you'll see that in the end, this particular rich man fared very badly and was excluded from the heavenly home.
Questions: Why do you think Jesus told this story? What speaks to you from it? Put yourself in the place of both characters in the parable and describe how you feel while on earth. Put yourself in the place of a spectator, perhaps one invited to the rich man's banquet. What are your feelings?
John 9:24-25
So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." (For context, read 9:1-41.)
The two verses above are a snippet from an incident where Jesus gave sight to a man who had been born blind. Apparently, up until Jesus performed this miracle, this man had heard little or nothing about Jesus. Thus, the fact of his being given sight was all he had to help him decide what sort of a person Jesus was.
After Jesus left the scene, some Pharisees who didn't approve of Jesus questioned the healed man about Jesus' role. The man's first response was that Jesus was "a prophet" (v. 17). The Pharisees didn't like that answer and continued to quiz the man. Accusing Jesus of being a sinner, they pressed the now-seeing man to agree with them. To that the man responded, "I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see." Thus, to this man, Jesus was at least a prophet and a sight-giver.
Later on, Jesus sought out the man and identified himself as "the Son of Man." The healed man declared his belief and worshiped Jesus (vv. 35-38).
Questions: The man's knowledge of Jesus evolved throughout day, with each step showing his increased perception -- prophet, then sight-giver, then messiah. Neither of the first two was sufficient, but they were both helpful ways to understand Jesus. What incomplete conceptions of Jesus do you hear today? In what ways can those incomplete perceptions be helpful?
For Further Discussion
1. Would you want the Jesus the Homeless sculpture located in front of your church? Why or why not?
2. Comment on this, from a TWW team member who is a pastor: "After twelve years of ministry in Los Angeles, I moved to Indiana because I was suffering from compassion fatigue. I was finding it harder and harder in urban ministry to respond with compassion -- the gut compassion that Jesus felt looking at the suffering, sick and hungry on more than one occasion in the gospels, the compassion that echoes the feelings of Moses in the Hebrew scriptures. I was responding, taking food from my own cupboards and giving it to people, but I didn't feel well inside. So I understand at one level the feeling of churches that would not want the sculpture, but seeing Jesus in the least of these is the most fundamental response to the good news."
3. Respond to this, from the sculptor of Jesus the Homeless: "If Jesus were an art critic, he would probably prefer my vision of him. Not the perfection, not the Christ on a throne."
4. The spokesperson for St. Patrick's, explaining the rejection of the sculpture, said, "We loved the statue. When the time comes, we'll certainly take another look." How do you respond to that "When the time comes ..." pledge? Have you ever made a similar pledge? Did the time ever come? If so, what happened then?
5. Respond to the following: Jeremy Reynalds, who was homeless himself at one time, now runs the largest homeless shelter in New Mexico. In his book Homeless in the City: A Call to Service, he is especially critical of programs aimed at helping the homeless without asking for anything in return. In his view, programs that assume the homeless person is totally helpless encourage continued helplessness and discourage the homeless from bettering their situation.
    Reynalds writes, "To see firsthand what homeless individuals could receive and were expected to do, I recently spent a couple of days dressed as a homeless person in Washington, D.C. I was given or offered lots of material at shelters and agencies, both government supported and private -- lots of food, lots of medicine and lots of clothes (even a bathing suit so I could use a free swimming pool). But not once was I asked to do anything -- not even to carry away my tray after a meal."
    Reynalds refers to a 1990 article by Marvin Olasky, saying, "In his article ... Olasky wrote that poverty fighters a hundred years ago were more compassionate -- in the literal sense of 'suffering with' -- than many of us are now. Olasky wrote that these individuals opened their homes to deserted and abandoned women and children. They offered jobs to traveling men who had abandoned hope and most human contact.
    "Most importantly, Olasky wrote, these poverty fighters had moral requirements for those whom they helped. They did not allow those who received their kindness to just eat and run. They saw family, work, freedom and faith as central to our being, not as lifestyle options."
6. How often have you heard people blame the homeless for their condition? When have you done so? Is it true that they are to blame? What factors lead to homelessness? Whether or not success is the result, how important is it to attempt to change things?
Responding to the News
This is a good time to review your church's arrangements to help the needy and perhaps encourage changing them if you feel they are inadequate.
Closing Prayer

O Lord, help us to follow your Son faithfully and to act with compassion toward those in need. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Air Force Removes 17 Officers From Nuclear Watch

Last month, the Air Force removed and decertified 17 nuclear missile launch officers at Minot Air Force Base after finding safety violations and attitude problems. The suspended officers will receive at least 60 days of refresher training. Other officers from the unit of more than 150 are performing the launch control duties of the removed crew members.
The action came after an inspection in which the wing earned a marginal rating in one of 22 areas. The low-graded area concerns Minuteman III missile launching operations. The unit received a satisfactory rating overall.
Part of the unit's assignment is to always have two officers on constant alert in a secure, underground control center so as to be ready to launch the missiles if ordered by the president to do so.
The removal of the 17 was disclosed in an email from Lt. Col. Jay Folds, the deputy commander of a unit that runs the launch control centers for Minuteman III missiles at the Minot base in North Dakota. "We as an operations group have fallen," Folds wrote. His memo also referred to "rot in the crew force."
Others familiar with the circumstances mention low morale, loss of discipline, disrespect of the mission and of superior officers, and sloppy performance, including the intentional violation of nuclear safety rules.
Folds told his unit to "Turn off the TVs," "Clean your patches and get your hair cut" and "Bring to my attention immediately any officer who bad mouths a senior officer."
Referring to the inspection, a spokeswoman for the Air Force's Global Strike Command, Maj. Shelley Laver, said, "A marginal grade in one area, although passing, is less than desired to airmen who are entrusted with the most powerful weapons in our nation's arsenal." More on this story can be found at these links:
17 Officers Removed From Nuclear Watch. New York Times
Continue Aggressive Response to Minot AFB Problems. Bismarck Tribune
Stratcom Chief: Minot AFB Case Shows Integrity of Nuclear Enterprise. U.S. Air Force website
Minot Missile Officers Manning the LCCs. Minot Daily News
The Big Questions
1. In several places, the New Testament talks about keeping "watch" in a spiritual sense. What do you take that to mean regarding daily life?
2. What is the goal of the Christian life? What specific things do you do so as not to lose sight of that goal?
3. Where do you have "keeping watch" responsibilities for others?
4. Spiritually speaking, what does it mean to become lax, to "go with the flow"? What are the potential dangers of that?
5. For some 2,000 years now, Christians have been looking for the return of Christ. How can we maintain expectation and readiness for a return that seems so long delayed?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Ezekiel 33:6
But if the sentinel sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any of them, they are taken away in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at the sentinel's hand. (For context, read 33:1-9.)
The context verses here portray the prophet Ezekiel as a sentinel for the people of Judah, responsible to warn them of coming judgment. The verses pose two scenarios: one where the sentinel sees trouble approaching and warns the people, and one where the sentinel sees the trouble but doesn't issue a warning. In the first instance, the sentinel is not held responsible if the people do not heed the warning, but in the second, since the warning was not issued, the sentinel is held responsible for the resulting loss of lives.
Questions: How might these verses be applied to the nuclear missile command at Minot? How might they be applied to us? Spiritually speaking, who are our sentinels? For whom do you need to be a spiritual sentinel? Is the military culture substantially different from the church culture, where spiritual laxness creeps in?
Are there occasions when it might be necessary to keep silent about an infraction because of a higher cause? Who would you consult in order to make such a decision?
Mark 8:15
And [Jesus]cautioned them, saying, "Watch out -- beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod." (For context, read 8:14-21.)
Jesus made this remark to his disciples in the midst of a discussion the disciples were having about not remembering to bring any bread with them. In that context, the remark seems out of place; its only tie to the conversation appears to be the mention of yeast, which, of course, is used in baking bread. But Jesus was not talking about bread; he was talking about a human dilemma.
The discussion about bread must have made Jesus think about how yeast permeates dough to change its character, and then the fact that the influence of the Pharisees, which was significant in that day, had a similar effect on society. Thus, "beware the yeast of the Pharisees." The Pharisees seemed to believe that if they kept all of the rules, regardless of their motives or of how they treated others, God would be pleased with them.
But while he was commenting on the legalistic influence of the Pharisees, he warned his disciples to avoid the other extreme as well: "the yeast of Herod." Unlike the oh-so-careful Pharisees, Herod, the puppet king of Galilee, threw rules to the wind. He was impulsive and generally did just what he pleased. If the Pharisees exemplify the "ought tos," Herod is the poster child for the "want tos."
Questions: Do you agree that "ought tos" and "want tos" can be extremes against which Christians should "keep watch"? If so, what is the middle way that is consistent with your commitment to follow Jesus?
Jesus speaks about the yeast of the religious leaders. How can collusion by clergy, military or political leaders act like yeast in causing sin to spread or become acceptable? When have you felt pressure to keep silent about something? Have there been occasions when you thought it would just be better if something were not brought up?
Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (For context, read 3:12-16.)
Paul considered the goal of the Christian life to be the "heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus" -- that is, the final resurrection.
Questions: Do you agree with Paul? How is keeping watch related to that goal? Does aiming for the goal of the resurrection preclude or assume ethical conduct? Can the goal of salvation be disconnected from activity on earth?
1 Peter 5:8
Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. (For context read 5:6-11.)
Peter is quite clear here that conversion to follow Jesus does not free us from the danger of either sudden yielding to temptation or the careless slow slide back into godlessness. Thus, we need to keep alert.
One TWW team member comments, "I think this need to keep our eyes on Jesus is one reason for the practice of daily devotions, even if it's only 5-10 minutes of Bible reading or devotional reading or prayer. It helps us set our eyes on Jesus at the beginning of the day or whenever it's practiced during the day."
Another team member comments, "Keeping alert means that internal red flags should go up when temptation to do wrong approaches. It's important not to toy with temptation, playing with the idea while convinced that you aren't really going to give in to it, because the longer you entertain the idea, the greater your chance of falling. Temptation should be firmly turned away from at its first approach."
Questions: In what other specific ways can you keep alert spiritually? Who helps keep you "awake" spiritually? Does your TWW group, and the discussions that take place there, help in this matter?
Matthew 25:10-13
And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, "Lord, lord, open to us." But he replied, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you." Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (For context, read 25:1-13.)
These are the concluding sentences from Jesus' parable of the 10 bridesmaids. In the parable, 10 bridesmaids are waiting to meet the groom's procession and escort him to the feast. The bridesmaids have brought lamps with them, but the groom's procession is delayed until midnight. As the procession approaches, five of the bridesmaids realize they have no oil for their lamps. The other five have brought oil, but when the first five ask for some of it, the second five tell them no, fearing that they too would run out before the groom comes. So the first five have to run to the oil dealers to purchase oil.
The problem is, while they are out buying oil, the groom's procession arrives, and the five bridesmaids who have brought enough oil meet it and escort it into the place of the wedding banquet. The other five show up too late, and when they then try to get into the wedding banquet, the gatekeeper won't let them in. They weren't part of the procession, and so, as far as he knows, they are nothing more than gate-crashers. He says, "I do not know you" and turns them firmly away.
By the time Matthew recorded this parable, some of the early believers had died, and others were getting concerned because Jesus had not come back. Some probably even began to wonder if Christianity was true after all. So Matthew includes this parable from Jesus to help the Christians of his time understand the timetable of Jesus' return differently.
Questions: Figuratively, Christians have been standing on tiptoe for 2,000 years regarding Jesus' return. How can we be as ready now as were the early Christians who expected Jesus to return in their lifetime? The larger context of this keep-awake text shifts to the consequence of not paying attention -- Jesus condemns those who failed to serve him by ignoring "the least of these" (Matthew 25:41-46). Is active Christian service a way of keeping alert for Jesus? Is it possible to have "drills," just as we have fire drills and other preparedness drills? Does Scripture study or a regular prayer life help us stay alert?
For Further Discussion
1. Respond to this, from team member Heidi Mann, who says, "I often say to my 8-yr-old son when he gets distracted from a task: 'Keep your eye on the prize!' He has ADHD and gets distracted so easily -- even when the task is something HE really wants to accomplish! It's so easy for us to get off course even from that which we know is good for us: regular worship attendance, healthy diet and exercise, not getting caught up in consumerism at Christmastime -- or anytime, a routine of Bible study and participating in Christian education, meals as a family and prayer at those meals, etc. We may fully want those good things, but if we aren't truly vigilant about keeping our focus on them, it's so easy to be drawn astray: TV rather than exercising, diving into the food rather than saying table grace first, sleeping in instead of going to church. And once you let your focus slide just once, it's so easy to let it happen again and again."
2. Regarding temptation, there is an old saying to the effect that you can't keep a bird from flying over your head, but you can keep it from building a nest in your hair. What do you think that means?
3. Comment on these words from the old hymn "Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus":
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in his wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of his glory and grace.
Responding to the News
This is an appropriate time to review what spiritual disciplines you practice to keep your faith vibrant. If you've become lax about any of them, consider whether the practices should be refreshed and given a higher priority in your schedule.
Closing Prayer
O Lord, help us to know how to keep watch in our faith, and enable us to do so willingly and with our whole hearts. In Jesus' name. Amen.

First Response to Rescue of Three Captive Women: Joy

On May 6, three young women -- Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry and Michelle Knight -- who had been kidnapped separately a decade ago in Cleveland, Ohio, were found alive in a house not far from where they'd had been snatched. From the moments of their disappearance until the day of their rescue, nothing had been heard from the women, and their families grieved their loss while still hoping that somehow they would be found.
The women had been held as sex slaves by a man who is now in police custody.
Since the details of the rescue of the women, along with a 6-year-old girl who'd been born to one of the women while in captivity, have been widely covered in national news, we aren't going to to repeat them here. However, it's worthy of note that the joy in the families of the rescued women was shared widely not just among people who actually had known the women (who were 14, 17 and 21 when they were kidnapped), but also throughout the city and suburbs and, to some extent, across the nation.
The editor of The Wired Word lives in northeast Ohio, which is the broadcast area for the Cleveland news programs. He said he was struck that in almost every early report he saw on TV about the women being found, there were people rejoicing, crying tears of joy, smiling widely and cheering.
"It often appeared that whole neighborhoods had come out on the streets to help the families of the women celebrate," our editor said.
While we found no online article focused primarily on the joyful response, several reports commented in passing on the joyful atmosphere.
The Huffington Post, for example, reported, "Cheering crowds gathered Monday night on the street near the home where police said Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight had been held since they went missing and were found earlier in the day."
The Daily Beast observed, "The news stopped everyone in Cleveland dead in his or her tracks. ... All three women were taken to nearby MetroHealth Hospital, where a huge and jubilant crowd soon gathered and patiently waited for any bit of information on their condition."
And according to Cleveland.com, a couple of days later, when two of the women returned to their homes from the hospital, "Crowds cheered and chanted the women's names as vehicles, flanked by police motorcycles, drove slowly to the two homes festooned with balloons, 'welcome home' signs and stuffed animals."
Well wishes for the women have poured in from across the nation, and, as of last week, donations to a fund set up by the city to help the women get established independently have come in from 34 states as well as from Australia, Canada and France.
Our editor commented that the joy in the city reminded him of the song "A Little Good News" (sung by Anne Murray) that tells of so much bad news in the media, and then says, "One more sad story's one more than I can stand ... We sure could use a little good news today." (See full lyrics here.)
More on this story can be found at these links:
A Miracle in... Cleveland? How the City Is Celebrating Amanda Berry's 911 Call. Daily Beast
Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus Return Home to Cheers and Hugs. Cleveland.com
Timeline: Three Cleveland Girls Go Missing; No Word of Them for 10 Years. CNN
The Big Questions
1. Is it your impression that life brings more bad news than good, more good news than bad, or a roughly equal mix of the two? Why? What bearing, if any, do you think that one's station in life and one's economic status might have on how a person would answer that question?
2. Are you aware of a personal hunger for good news? If so, what do you think is the root of that hunger?
3. In the Roman Empire, the word translated "good news" was often used for official announcements. Why do you think that Jesus and the apostles used the term "gospel"/"good news" to characterize Jesus' message?
4. What is the good news that Jesus proclaimed?
5. Can anything or anyone other than God satisfy the hunger for good news? Explain your answer.
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Luke 15:32
But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found. (For context, read 15:11-32.)
The sentence above is the closing line from Jesus' parable of the prodigal son. It's spoken by the father of the prodigal to his other son, the prodigal's older brother, when that son objects to the welcome-home party the father is throwing for the returned prodigal. The father explains that for him, joy is the only possible immediate response, "because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found."
In the parable, the prodigal had left home by his own choice and returned out of necessity, so in that sense, he is different from the three young women who were snatched away from their families and prevented from returning. But from the families' point of view, these women were lost and feared to be dead, just as the prodigal's father feared about him. On May 6, the women suddenly were found and had "come to life."
Questions: What was your reaction when you heard the news of the women being found? Why?
Isaiah 52:7
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." (For context, read 52:1-10.)
This verse is prophecy to the Jews exiled in Babylon about the "the return" of God to reign in Zion/Jerusalem (v. 1, 8), in effect telling them that the time was coming soon when they would be able to return there from their captivity. At the time they'd been forced into exile, the Jews thought of God as "leaving" Zion, a circumstance that allowed chaos to run rampant. Likewise, they understood the return of God as bringing order, peace and salvation. Thus, the news of God's reign was VERY good news.
Questions: Think of a time in your life when things looked very dark, and then you received news that turned things around. In what specific ways was that news good? Did anyone qualify as the "messenger" or "angel" (the words are the same in both Hebrew and Greek) in your story of restoration? What are your feelings today toward your "messenger"?
Matthew 11:2-5
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them." (For context, read 11:2-6.)
For some reason, John the Baptist, after so boldly proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah, came to a point where he wanted some confirmation that he'd been right, and so he sent his disciples to ask Jesus directly. Jesus responded by pointing to the good things that were happening as a result of his work: "the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them."
We should note that none of this was proof that Jesus was the Messiah. Rather it was evidence from which one could reasonably draw that conclusion.
Questions: To what degree are you more likely to be convinced about the truth of something when good things happen because of it? Do you look at news and personal events through a lens of optimism, pessimism, skepticism or acceptance?
Mark 1:14-15
... Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news." (No additional context needed.)
The Greek word interpreted here as "good news" is euangelion. It can also be rendered as "gospel." The English word gospel derives from an Old English term meaning "good story." The New Testament uses euangelion to refer both to the death and resurrection of Jesus as saving events, and to the content of Jesus' message. It's used in the latter sense in the verses above.
In his book, He Walked in Galilee, Stan Purdum writes, "Mark tells us that Jesus came proclaiming good news. It was and is good news because it invites us to a loving relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It is good news regarding sin's grip because it testifies that God's grip is stronger. The gospel is good news because it is hopeful not only about our ultimate destiny, but also about the mundane difficulties of each day. It is good news because it offers hope in the face of crises and tragedies. It is good news because the gospel both sustains us in the face of threat and empowers us to tackle insincerity, injustice, sinfulness, and other evil forces in the culture. It is good news because it breaks down barriers between people and calls us to see that we are fully related to each other because we all have the same Creator. The gospel is good news because it gives us the confidence in the face of death that God waits for us beyond death. It is good news because this gospel both helps us live and helps us when we die."
Questions: In your life, when has the good news of God been helpful "about the mundane difficulties of each day"? In what ways does your story intersect with God's story?
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, ... in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved .... For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures ... (For context,  read 15:1-11.)
In the discussion above of Mark 1:14-15, we said that the New Testament uses the word "gospel" to refer both to the death and resurrection of Jesus as saving events, and to the content of Jesus' message. The verses here from the apostle Paul are an example of the former usage.
Questions: In what ways are the death and resurrection of Jesus the embodiment of good news for you?
In his book My Bright Abyss: Meditations of a Modern Believer, poet Christian Wiman, a lapsed Baptist and longtime skeptic, describes how first falling in love and marrying, and then battling cancer, brought him back to Christianity, but also to a place where the resurrection mattered less and God's presence with us in our suffering mattered more. "I'm a Christian not because of the resurrection (I wrestle with this)," he wrote, as well as these words: "Christ is God crying 'I am here, and here not only in what exalts and completes and uplifts you, but here in what appalls, offends, and degrades you, here in what activates and exacerbates all that you would call not-God.'" How do you respond to Wiman's words?
For Further Discussion
1. Respond to this, from Frederick Buechner, in his book Wishful Thinking:
    "What is both Good and New about the Good News is the wild claim that Jesus did not simply tell us that God loves us even in our wickedness and folly and wants us to love each other the same way and to love him too, but that if we will let him, God will actually bring about this unprecedented transformation of our hearts himself.
    "What is both Good and New about the Good News is the mad insistence that Jesus lives on among us not just as another haunting memory but as the outlandish, holy, and invisible power of God working not just through the sacraments but in countless hidden ways to make even slobs like us loving and whole beyond anything we could conceivably pull off by ourselves."
2. Respond to the lyrics of the song "A Little Good News" (See full lyrics here.)
3. In several places in his writings, C.S. Lewis talks about how the desire for good news (what he calls "joy," among other things) is a manifestation of a desire for God and for a relationship with him. He says his own conversion to Christianity was intimately bound up with this desire. Could it be that the desire for "good news" is a  manifestation of the more general desire for God?
4. Comment on this, from a TWW team member: "This concept of reacting to good news made me flash back to the killing of Osama bin Laden. I was night editor working at the newspaper. At 10 p.m., President Obama announced that bin Laden was dead. Good news. Right?
    "Well, I watched people celebrating, pouring into the streets, yelling, screaming and high-fiving. Now, no one was more upset about 9-11 than I was. And I truly believe bin Laden reaped what he had sewn. But was that good news? I could not bring myself to celebrate. I could not bring myself to mourn.
    "What is my point? Discernment. I rejoiced [about] the good news that the three women were freed from their horrible captivity. God's mercy prevailed. I rejoiced when the woman was found alive amid the collapsed building in Bangledesh. God protected one of his own.
    "I believe that truly good news leads us back to God's promises. He leads. He protects. He heals. He touches. Absent a direct link to God, have we got good news or simply something that makes us feel good?"
5. There's the news aphorism "If it bleeds, it leads." This means that, when it comes to news reporting, bad news will crowd out good news. There seems to also be a desire to receive bad news -- especially, perhaps, if it's bad news about someone else, or a chance to gossip about an "ain't it awful" situation. What's more, people are less likely to pay (in money or in time) for good news than they are for bad news. Apparently, at least when it comes to others, there is also a hunger for "bad news." Do you agree? Why or why not?
6. The desire for good news might reflect the situation of being taken in by the "police blotter effect" (the term comes from the historic "police blotter," a logbook of all crimes reported to a police department). There is always crime, yet when all crimes are publicized, it's possible to get a false impression that the crime rate is very high and at crisis levels. What parts of your outlook on life today may be influenced by something like the "police blotter effect"? How might you know?
Responding to the News
As followers of Jesus, it's important that we continue to testify to the world around us -- and to ourselves -- about why the Christian message is good news. It's also important to educate ourselves and our children about what we actually mean when we describe the gospel as good news.
Closing Prayer
O Lord, thank you that these three young women and the child have been freed from the awful situation in which they had been held. Be with them now as they adjust to freedom so that the scars of their long ordeal may not steal more time from them. Be with others across the country who have been similarly taken, that they too may be found, bringing good news to their families as well. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Death Toll in Bangladesh Building Collapse Tops 900

The death toll in the April 24 collapse of the eight-story Bangladesh factory that had more than 3,000 garment workers inside rose to 912 Thursday, with a spokesman for the recovery team saying that number is expected to increase as its workers dig to the bottom floors.
The collapse of the building, Rana Plaza, in the Savar suburb of Dhaka, the Bangladesh capital, is the worst-ever industrial accident in that South Asian nation and the worst in the garment sector worldwide.
About 2,500 people were injured when the building fell. The official count of the rescued is 2,437. But no one knows how many people may remain in rubble because the factory owners have not supplied precise figures.
Rana Plaza had housed five garment factories that made clothing for Western retailers, including some in the United States. Workers in the building were paid an average of $38 a month.
Bangladeshi officials say the building, designed as a market and office factory, was never intended to have eight stories. Its owner, who has now been arrested, reportedly added three floors illegally and permitted the garment factories to install heavy machines and generators, weight the building had not been structured to support.
Seven other people, including the owners of the five garment businesses housed in the building, have also been arrested.
On Tuesday, hundreds of the surviving garment workers blocked a highway near the site, saying they had not been paid for April's work and had received no compensation for the disaster, which is stipulated by the country's labor law. Some reported that they'd had to personally pay for their medical care for injuries sustained when the building crumpled.
The consortium representing the garment companies says the wages and payments will be forthcoming.
The garment industry in Bangladesh earns nearly $20 billion a year and had made it possible for many of those it employs to improve their living conditions. It has also empowered women, many of whom lacked employment opportunities otherwise.
Western shoppers like the low prices on clothing that the inexpensive overseas labor has made possible, and the workers in these countries like that they have jobs made possible by Western consumers. Even though wages in factories like the ones in Bangladesh seem abysmal to Americans, they are higher than what many of the workers could get elsewhere in third-world countries, if indeed other work is available there. These workers like the improved standard of living their jobs make possible. If Western companies pull out, the people of Bangladesh and other such countries will lose out economically. Thus, most informed observers say that boycotting Western retailers that use such labor forces to make their clothing is not a good idea.
Some claim that consumers can insist that retailers ensure "safe" working conditions and other measures in the factories, claiming that there is significant margin in the garment industry to pay higher wages and fund unspecified safeguards. (For some examples, see the Salon, Washington Post and Sprog articles below.) Others respond that those making these claims are serving their own self-interest (often advocating for the very supply chain from which they profit), and prey on consumers' misunderstandings of both basic economics and the conditions in these countries. Bangladesh continues to rank very low on indices of economic freedom, based mainly upon corruption and a lack of property rights.
The Bangladeshi textile minister reports that the country has shut down 18 garment plants for safety reasons since the Rana Plaza disaster.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Bangladesh Building Collapse Death Toll Over 800. BBC
Bangladesh Factory Collapse Toll Rises to 782. ABS-CBN
Collapse Survivors Protest in Bangladesh. USA Today
How Shoppers Can Help Prevent Bangladesh-Type Disasters. Salon
The Bangladesh Catastrophe Points to How the West Can Help. Washington Post
Bangladesh Factory Collapse: What Can We Do About It? The Sprog
The Big Questions
1. To what degree are we, as people who buy foreign-made clothing and benefit from the low prices of those garments, responsible for the conditions under which those garments are made? To what extent are we, by purchasing clothing made there, responsible for increasing the standard of living of those in foreign countries and for creating more opportunities for their children?
2. If eliminating third-world conditions for those who make our clothing meant that the prices we pay for that clothing had to rise by 20 percent, would you be willing to support improving the workers' conditions? Since this could mean that many of these overseas workers would then be out of jobs -- benefiting garment workers in the U.S. who currently cannot compete with these low-paid workers -- is this really altruistic? Assuming you could do so, and this increase amounted to 5 percent more of your income spent on clothing, how would you decide which people you would put out of work by not spending your money there?
3. What is our obligation -- if any -- in all of this by virtue of the fact that we are followers of Jesus? Why?
4. What about the argument that sending work overseas takes jobs away from Americans? Should we only be concerned about American jobs? Why or why not?
5. Some Christians speak of something called "institutional sin" -- sin we commit by the very nature of being connected with each other, locally and globally. Are we guilty of "institutional sin" when we have no concern that some people may labor in abysmal conditions to produce our wardrobe items?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Luke 13:4
Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them -- do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? (For context, read 13:1-5.)
Jesus asked this rhetorical question to challenge the supposed connection between people's sins and the fate that befell them. The implied answer to his question is "No."
Questions: Applying this to the Bangladesh building collapse, certainly Jesus would say the same about those who perished in it -- that they were not worse offenders than all others living in Bangladesh. But what about the building owner who bypassed design standards, adding more floors and additional weight to the building? What about the owners of the garment businesses housed in the building who pressured the workers to report for duty even as cracks were appearing in the building? What would Jesus say about them? What would he say to them?
Acts 16:14-15
A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she prevailed upon us. (For context, read 16:11-15.)
Lydia was the first convert to Christianity in the Roman colony of Philippi. She is noted as "a dealer in purple cloth" who is "from the city of Thyatira," a city known for its textile industry. All of this means she was part of the garment industry of the Roman Empire in the first century. Purple clothing was usually destined for the rich and royal (recall that the soldiers mocking Jesus as "king" after his arrest dressed him in a purple robe and placed a crown of thorns on his head -- Mark 15:17). It was expensive fabric that the common people could not afford.
It's likely that Lydia's business was operated as part of her Roman household, which would have meant that artisans, slaves, family and others were involved in a single economy, with some measure of accountability from above and below, but also differing levels of benefit.
Questions: We don't know who made the clothing from the cloth Lydia sold, but as part of the garment industry, should she have been responsible for how the tailors and seamstresses were treated? Explain your answer. What difference do you think becoming a follower of Jesus might have made for Lydia with regard to her treatment of her family or workers?
Luke 12:15
Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions. (For context, read 12:13-15.)
One TWW team member said, "Greed leads to disaster. I understand the value of a dollar and the impact of profit margins and monetary gain in our world. However, we've gone overboard, and the disaster in Bangladesh is exhibit A.
"In a perfect world, everyone would say, 'Well, I'll pay a fair price so others can also have a comfortable life. That would fix a ton of worldwide issues.' Reality is that will never happen to a significant degree without God's intervention. The people in Bangladesh died because somewhere further up the profit chain, others decided they would keep more for themselves and ignore the well-being of a group of God's people who were powerless. So a few hundred people were hurt and killed.
"I still get cheap clothes, a builder still has his higher profit, and our fellow human beings in an underdeveloped country, far away from us all where we don't see them except on TV, are still suffering. To some degree, we're all at fault."
Questions: Do you agree that little improvement in greed-driven practices will happen without God's intervention? If so, what might that intervention look like?
Romans 15:25-27
At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem in a ministry to the saints; for Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to share their resources with the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. They were pleased to do this, and indeed they owe it to them; for if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material things. (For context, read 15:22-29.)
The apostle Paul was receiving an offering from the churches in the districts of Macedonia and Achaia for the poor in the church in Jerusalem. With the distances involved, it's unlikely that the Macedonian and Achaian Christians knew the Jerusalem Christians. In fact, they may have felt as far removed from them as U.S. consumers feel from Bangladeshi garment workers today. But the early Christians in Macedonia and Achaia are a good positive model of reaching across a distance to help others.
Question: How can we find out where our clothing originates and whether or not the producers treat their workers fairly and use good sense in creating factories? (Discuss which search engines might provide you with this information. Invite group members to briefly attempt to find out, using their mobile phones and other devices.)
Matthew 25:34-40
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,  I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me." Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?" And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me." (For context, read 25:31-46.)
These words from Jesus are well known and his point is easily understood, but it is a serious teaching from our Lord.
Questions: How might these words apply to the Bangladesh disaster? In what way do the workers qualify as "the least of these"? Or would an attempt to apply them to ourselves regarding this disaster be a misuse of Scripture? If possible, have two members of the group each advocate one side of this question.
How comfortable are you regarding any answer you might have to give to the questions Jesus asks in this text? Where are the boundaries regarding your being your brother's or sister's keeper?
For Further Discussion
1. In light of today's news, comment on this, from the publication BurdaStyle: For People Who Sew: "The sad truth is that, relative to the population, few people sew for themselves anymore, period. The home sewing machine industry has contracted dramatically and no longer advertises in mainstream publications. Clothing has become relatively cheap and home sewing has become a niche hobby, arguably growing more popular among young women (and some men), but much smaller than it was only a generation ago."
2. If possible, before or after your session, go through your clothes closet and see if you can identify the source of your wardrobe items. Considering the amount earned by the workers, and the owners of the business, how do you feel about your role in the clothing supply chain?
3. Do a role-play in which individuals represent the apostle Paul, Lydia and a slave working in her dye business.
Responding to the News
You may want to directly help the survivors of the Bangladesh building collapse and the families of the victims. Your denominational relief or mission agencies may be involved in helping in this situation. Check with them about what your church can do. Remember that many such agencies do more than help in emergencies, often providing long-range assistance as well.
Consider that we have the opportunity to impact lives in a positive way in factories around the world, especially if we are informed consumers who demand improvements in working conditions and are willing to pay more.
Closing Prayer
O Lord, we pray for those who died in this disaster and commit them to your eternal care. Be with the survivors, the families of the victims. Give strength and determination to the rescue and recovery workers. Enable the business owners and managers, government, and others with oversight responsibility for the garment industry to ensure the safety and fair treatment of those who sew our clothes. And show us what we can do to love our garment-worker neighbors as we love ourselves. In Jesus'