Reflections and News

The Simple Way relies on donations from friends and supporters around the world. We invite you to consider a monthly gift to our ministry, becoming a member of our Root Circle. We know our donors give us strong roots so that we can grow deeper and taller and impact our community. Guy, one of our Root Circle partners, wrote this note about why he gives monthly to The Simple Way:

“There are a number of reasons why we support the Simple Way. First, we find it a joy to give to something so rooted in a community, so strong on social justice, and so inspired by the love that Jesus shows us. Although we’re not from Philadelphia, we love this city, and supporting The Simple Way is one way for us to show that love.

Also, we have chosen to live in an area that is very different from where The Simple Way is based in Kensington. So we give to be in solidarity with the neighborhood and to remind ourselves (and our children) what is important in life and what we want our values to be.

Finally, we support The Simple Way because we once read from Shane Claiborne that he tries to give in such a way that it breaks the power of money in his life. That sounds like a good idea! We’re thankful for the opportunity to be a part of what is happening at The Simple Way. We love knowing we’re a small part of that work!”

We are incredibly thankful to Guy and all our Root Circle donors. We’d love for you to consider a year-end gift or a monthly donation in 2017. Thank you for supporting The Simple Way!

This time of year I do a lot of looking back and reflecting on our work, as well as dreaming about what’s ahead. This year, I have a lot of positive feelings and a genuine gladness for what we’ve been able to be part of. Yet I also recognize that some of our work only exists because of broken systems and the deep pain in our world that make it difficult for many of our friends and neighbors to change the cycles they’re are caught in.

I love that we’ve supported hundreds of families who’ve needed food, given scholarship opportunities to youth to go to college, helped kids with reading and homework, created and maintained beautiful green spaces, cleaned up trash, handed out school supplies, and hosted neighborhood gatherings and celebrations.

But in recent days, we’ve heard of the death of a toddler after familial violence and the deaths of at least six people to heroin overdoses – all within blocks of where we live. The brokenness and pain of our world is on our doorstep in tangible ways.

Advent is a season of waiting, longing, and hoping. But I must admit, my hope feels really far away. And so I pray:

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

I lament the pain and brokenness on our streets and in our world in the forms of violence, addiction, injustice, and hate. And so I pray:

Oh, come O Rod of Jesse’s stem,
From ev’ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow’r to save;
Bring them in vict’ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

We’ve intentionally simplified our work at The Simple Way over the past three years, and we’ve done a lot more listening. I hold anticipation for what is to come, and so I pray:

Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go. 

We could not – and do not want to – go this alone. Our work and life here takes friendship and partnership. And so I pray:

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

May you find ways to lift up your prayers of hope this Advent Season.

–Caz Tod-Pearson

When I first showed up in Kensington nine years ago, it was because I wanted to help. I thought I might be able to make something – or someone – better. I wanted to be a part of change, or something good.

There’s been a lot of change in my life and in Kensington over the past nine years. It was evident to me last week when we hosted our Halloween fun. With the evolution of our community at The Simple Way, the reality that many of our CORE members have work responsibilities, and the transitional nature of our neighborhood, we didn’t have a solid group of volunteers able to help with the planning and execution of this annual event.

Even still, by the afternoon on Halloween, we had decorations hung, pumpkins ready to paint, apples waiting for bobbing, and caramel perfect for dipping. And hay. So much hay for our candy hunt!

We opened the doors, and a couple more unexpected friends and neighbors showed up to help. And then about 80 kids and their parents arrived for pumpkin painting, bag decorating, caramel apple making, games, and more candy than anyone needs. It was really fun!

I loved talking to Gloria as she helped the kids bob for apples and Margie as she sat and watched. I appreciated Larry rushing home from work to run games and the time Beca put into baking and decorating cupcakes. I was energized by Shane’s excitement to share his Tennessee tradition of a hay pile full of candy. I was happy to have Miguel’s consistent presence and oversight and Coe capturing it all with beautiful photos.

When I got home, I reflected on the day with my husband. I remembered how I’d shown up to help in Kensington. But the event hadn’t been about helping it was just about having fun. It was about being together, making memories, dressing up, playing, laughing, and eating lots of candy.

I had my second baby just three months ago. With a newborn and a busy toddler at home, my days are full, and sometimes it’s hard just to keep the dog fed, dishes washed, and myself sane. The capacity to help seems non-existent. My values and ideals have felt pushed to the outer limits of my life.

But I’m recognizing that being in Kensington is not about me helping. It never was. It’s not about what or who I can fix, save, advise, or set straight. My life in Kensington is about living.

This life is about picking up trash in front of my house because it gets on my nerves. It’s about making space for people to be together and support each other because I need support. It’s about hospitality, generosity, and love. It’s about dressing up with my kid and jumping into a pile of hay with our neighbors on Halloween while someone else holds the baby.

These days I acknowledge that I am in need of as much help now as I thought I had to give nine years ago. And I am humbled by and grateful for the neighbors and friends that offer me help every day. This exchange, this mutuality, this meeting each other in all our various needs has illustrated community for me.
–Caz Tod-Pearson

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest,” said Benjamin Franklin. We, too, believe learning is absolutely one of the best investments we can make, especially in the minds and lives of the young people around us.

We’re currently in the midst of preparing for our annual Back To School celebration and school supply giveaway. And soon, we will be gearing up our Reading Club with neighborhood kids. We love watching them blossom and flourish as they grow more curious about the world and dive into knowledge.

We are especially proud of Laura Cortes, who will be attending Eastern University this fall as the newest Simple Way Scholar!

Laura says she chose Eastern University because it’s a great opportunity to continue her education while also growing in her faith. She plans to major in Accounting and Finance so she can one day become an accountant and help others.

“I am most excited about beginning new friendships and being able to start on my career,” Laura says. But she does admit she’s nervous about being on her own on campus, which will be a brand new experience.

We’re thrilled to send Laura off to Eastern University. And we’re grateful for your ongoing donations, which support our scholarship program, our reading club, and our Back To School drive. Together, we are investing in knowledge!

What began as a dreaming session at New Year’s emerged into a meaningful event that brought together families, neighbors, community organizations, clergy, recovering drug addicts, and city officials. This summer, we pitched our Need A Little Help campaign.

Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a dramatic increase of drug sales and use on the streets of our neighborhood. And while Philadelphia as a whole is experiencing an opioid epidemic, we believe Kensington is bearing the brunt of it. We wanted to do something.

For us, drug use (and more recently, the prevalence of heroin overdoses) is more than a policing issue. It’s a mental health issue, a socioeconomic issue, and most importantly, a public health issue.

So we began collecting needles. We never sought them out, but instead we (safely) scooped up the ones we happened upon in day-to-day life. We collected almost 400 needles – all from our neighborhood sidewalks, streets, parks, gardens, and even in front of our own houses. Some were found with orange caps still on them, while others had the needle sticking up.

We put all the needles in jars with messages from kids in the neighborhood. They shared their stories about how drugs impact their lives. This month, we delivered our jars to city officials to raise awareness and attention and to ask for help.

City Councilwoman Maria D. Quinones-Sanchez, City Councilman David Oh, Larry Krasner the Democrat running for District Attorney, and Executive Director of Impact Services Casey O’Donnell were among the people who spoke at the rally outside city hall. They displayed their commitment and support in working together to address this desperate issue plaguing our community. The kids delivered jars full of needles to officials who were present, as well as to the Police Commissioner and the Mayor’s office.

While we know it’s going to take a lot more work to see real changes in regards to drug sales, use, abuse, and addiction across our city, we continue to be committed to working with city officials, organizations, and neighborhood leaders be part of that change. Thank you for supporting our work and being part of this story.

As we wrap up the school year, I have been reflecting on the education of students in our neighborhood. I am reminded how often we forget to talk about the amazing creativity and willingness to learn our kids possess in spite of a broken system.

As I have the chance to work with many students in our neighborhood, I get to see them as who they are: curious and energetic kids. To me, they aren’t different from any other student because of what they wear, who their parents are, or where they sleep at night. The kids in our neighborhood are talented, creative, and insightful students. Each one is a unique gift to our neighborhood.

Precious is full of energy and bursting with life. When she was eight years old, we were studying the brain together. She looked up at me and said, “Why are all the pictures of the brain drawings or cartoons? I want to see the real thing. Since that day, she has been fascinated with the inner workings of all living things. She is ready to learn and wants to see blood and guts in all their glory! What a gift!

Deja remembers everything. During reading club, a book mentioned kudzu. I asked the kids if they knew what kudzu was, and Deja’s hand shot up. Unfortunately, I called on her expecting the wrong answer. To my surprise, Deja answered, Kudzu is an invasive vine from Japan that mostly grows in the South. She only needs to hear something once and it is stored in her brain. What a gift!

Tyrell is one of the funniest eight-year-olds I know. He is quick-witted and sarcastic. He thinks abstractly, which is rare for his age. His math abilities are impossible to write about because I can’t understand them, but I do know he always gets the right answer. What a gift!

When we’re in relationship with children in the neighborhood, it can change the ways we see them. After spending time with the kids in Kensington, I see their gifts, their willingness to learn, and their abilities, which shine like any other student’s. I love them for who they are. Kids. Kids who have their own interests and abilities just like every kid.

–KatieJo Claiborne

I’ll never forget the night one of the kids on the block came banging on my door. It was late enough, and frantic enough, that I thought it was an emergency.

You have to see this.  He dragged me down the block.

WHAT. IS. THAT? he asked, with big gleaming eyes.

That’s a firefly I said, with a smile, realizing it was his first firefly-sighting.

Why does it glow like that?

I thought for a minute. I’m not sure. I think God just felt extra wild one day and said, I think I’l make a bug whose butt glows in the dark.

God is cool the kid said, grinning from ear to ear.

One of the most beautiful things we get to do here at The Simple Way is plant gardens in the concrete jungle of North Philadelphia” and see people discover the miracle of life, and fall in love with the Creator of life.

Gardens have a special place in the human story. After all God first planted humanity in a garden in Eden. And the most redemptive act in history began in a garden in Gethsemane. And the story ends in Revelation with the image of the garden taking over the City of God, with the river of life flowing through the city center and the tree of life piercing the urban concrete.

This is our 20th year of cracking open the concrete. And every year it gets more exciting. We’ve seen our first praying mantises and monarch butterflies. Honeybees and ladybugs. This past year we saw the first cardinals we’ve ever seen in our neighborhood. We’re hoping for some yellow finches and hummingbirds soon, and we have their food out waiting on them.

It is an act of faith, and defiant hope. And it is incredible to see how resilient creation is.

It is important work. Studies show over and over that having a garden rather than a lot filled with trash reduces the trauma and stress of a neighborhood. You can literally track the science of how gardens bring health to the body and the brain.

And it’s holy work. It is hard to stay convinced that there is a beautiful Creator when everything you look at is ugly.

Sometimes it’s hard to believe that there is a beautiful God when so much of what you see is ugly. It’s hard to believe in a God that is a lover of life when there is so much death and decay and abandonment.

So we talk a lot these days about practicing resurrection” by making ugly things beautiful… and turning vacant lots into gardens… and loving people back to life. As people see life, they are filled with wonder.

That’s what Easter is all about. After all, resurrection is something we get to do every day. Every day is Easter. We are resurrection people.

One of the most exciting urban farming projects in our little village here at The Simple Way is our aquaponics system. We have a solar-powered greenhouse with a fish-pond underneath it. The water from the fish below pumps up and nourishes the plants, which grow without soil. It’s a great way to produce food when you donate have a lot of good soil. Stuff grows like it’s on steroids, because the plants get food and water all day and night. And we now have fish that we’ve raised as babies that are bigger than your hand.

We’ve been able to harvest piles of kale, swiss chard, lavender, and beets from the aquaponics system and share them with neighbors and folks living on the street. Kids are awestruck as they pull carrots out of the pebble-filled raised beds. It is all quite magical.

I had an enthusiastic neighbor articulate some of the best theology I’ve ever heard. As I delivered a bunch of greens to her, she said, You know what we are doing? She went on. We are bringing the Garden of Eden to North Philadelphia.

And that is exactly what we are doing. With your support and your prayers, we are bringing the Garden of Eden to North Philadelphia. Thank you.

When Shane asked if I would be willing to be a part of a protest in Washington DC opposing the death penalty, he mentioned it would mean going to jail. My initial thoughts were, I am too busy to go to jail. I will go to the protest and lend my voice because this is a major injustice that affects the lives of poor people, and disproportionately people of color, but I won’t get arrested.

But on the plane, God convicted me with a question: Are you are too busy speaking and working for justice to actually put your body on the line for justice? Was I willing? I decided to give up my time and my fears to join the group that would be arrested.

I got off the plane, met others with signs and banners, grabbed a couple roses, and marched out behind a large group singing and protesting. Eighteen of us walked up on the Supreme Court steps, dropped the flowers, and held a banner reading Stop Executions. We were told this action was illegal and to leave the steps or we would be arrested. One by one, we were handcuffed and then transported to jail.

Being in handcuffs, squeezing into cramped transportation, and being escorted to the bathroom created a lack of human decency I felt in my body and spirit. The system must be changed so that people – even when they find themselves on the criminal side of the law – will be treated as human beings with dignity.

In jail, our cells were tiny and roach-infested with nothing but metal slabs to sleep on. I expected to face challenging conditions, but I will admit I never expected the inhumane and unacceptable conditions I experienced.

My friend Mike took the opportunity to have a teach-in with other men in the jail. As we all sat in chains, it was a powerful conversation among brothers about justice, the presidency, and what solutions we need to explore.

We were eventually taken from the cells to a waiting room with no seating before heading into the courtroom. Inside the room, sixty black men and two Latino men laid on the floor, leaned against the walls, and paced back and forth. The only white men in the room were the other protesters who’d been arrested with me.

Lawyers conducted interviews, creating chaos. Numbers and names were being shouted the entire time we were in this room. Most of the men needed a court-appointed attorney, and the only opportunity they had to speak with their lawyer was in this noisy, chaotic place. The thought running through my mind was that on any given day in this courthouse, black men are being processed by mostly black officers in a system not designed for us.

During the wait, I listened and spoke with other men. Many were there for small crimes, including a young man who had jumped the turnstile at a train station. I heard story after story of young and old black men and their entanglements with the criminal justice system. The stories are many and varied, ranging from obvious perpetration to blatant injustice.

Finally, we were called into court one by one, then released and given freedom until our individual trials.

My thirty-two hours of arrest brought pain, tears, joy, and challenges as we participated in suffering for justice.The Gospel calls us to stand for justice. While we may feel we are too busy or that’s for “other Christians and not for us, we are too often opting out of the call to love our neighbors as ourselves.

According to Amnesty International, the death penalty, both in the U.S. and around the world, is discriminatory and is used disproportionately against the poor, minorities, and members of racial, ethnic, and religious communities. Since humans are fallible, the risk of executing the innocent can never be eliminated. The majority of death row defendants (77%) have been executed for killing white victims since 1977. The death penalty has been proven to be racially biased and is not a deterrent to crime.

-Leroy Barber

Most of us are just looking forward with relief as we put this election behind us.

There are some good things that can come from election year. When distractions and insults don’t hijack the headlines, campaign season gets people talking about stuff that affects our neighbors near and far“ how we welcome immigrants, how we can decrease gun violence, mass incarceration and the death penalty, policies that can protect our most vulnerable people.

We need to engage, rather than disengage. After all, Jesus spent a lot of time talking about the real stuff of his world“ day laborers and unjust judges, widows and orphans, strangers and immigrants, abused women and exploited workers, redistribution of wealth and reconciliation with enemies. So the real question is not do we engage? but how do we engage?

But there is also a temptation to misplace our hope, to put our hope in something other than Jesus – in a candidate or a party. Some Christians end up thinking and talking more about Donald or Hillary than they do Jesus. And if we aren’t careful, we can become convinced one of them is really our messianic hope in the world. One need only imagine how this election season would have been different if every Christian were more committed to Jesus than to their favorite candidate.

One of the most striking things about the early Christians is their political imagination. Here’s how they are described in the book of Acts in the New Testament: These people who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here. … They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus!(Acts 17:6-7).

In a world where pledging allegiance to Rome meant declaring Caesar is Lord, substituting Jesus for Caesar offered a new political orientation. Every time the early Christians proclaimed Jesus is Lord,” they were also saying Caesar is not. It was deeply and subversively political. It was just as strange to say Jesus is my Lord 2,000 years ago as it would be to declare him Commander in Chief today. It was an invitation to a new political imagination centered around the person, teaching, and peculiar politics of Christ.

This political orientation invites every political leader and worldly power to conform to the norms of the upside-down Kingdom of God where the poor are blessed, the last come first, the hungry are filled, and the mighty are cast down from their thrones. It means aligning ourselves with the prophets who speak of beating our weapons into farm tools, rather than conforming to the patterns of violence and the business of war.

The early Christians were accused of treason, insurrection, undermining the authority of Rome. They were called atheists because they had lost all hope in the religion of Rome’s imperial deities, they no longer had faith in the powers that be. They were declaring another emperor, one named Jesus.

When Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God, he used the word Empire.” And the empire he spoke about was not just something we hope for when we die. It was something we are to bring on earth as it is in heaven. It was about bringing God’s reign to earth.

So we are indeed hopeful people, not because we have found a candidate that fulfills our deepest hopes“ but because we have learned how to hope differently. Our hope does not lie in Donald or Hillary, or even America. As the old hymn goes: Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus all other ground is sinking sand. And there is a lot of sinking sand these days.

Joining the politics of Jesus is about joining God’s redemptive plan to save the world. It is about allegiance, hope, and a new Kingdom.

It’s too simplistic to think the only way we have a voice is when we vote. Let us refuse to limit our influence to one day every four years on Election Day. For those of us who follow Christ, we vote every day. We vote with our lives. We vote with our budgets. We vote with our voices.

What’s just as important as how we vote on November 8 is how we live on November 7 and November 9 and every other day of our lives. Every day is a day to vote, to de-vote our selves to bringing the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven.

And for Christians, we know very well that no President is going to be perfect. No matter who we elect in November, we’re probably going to end up protesting in January.

Voting for a new President may be little more than damage control. For Presidents and Caesars do not save the world. We’ve already found our Savior. whose name is not Donald or Hillary or Bernie. His name is Jesus.

Enough donkeys and elephants. Long live the Lamb!

– Shane Claiborne

The Simple Way began because a group of people were motivated by something deep within. The action they took was a direct response to what they witnessed, experienced, and believed about God and the world. And this is why we still exist twenty years later. Because people continue saying yes to the deep within and responding with their active lives.

This kind of living is at times tiring and heart wrenching. So it’s important to find spiritual practices that guide us back to the Holy within, the life force that both sustains us and motivates us.

This practice looks different for all of us. For some, it means praying, reading scriptures, and attending church, while others rely on nontraditional structures or notions of God.

Below are 14 ways we engage with our lives and the world around us while remaining connected to the Holy.

Collective Prayer

We gather weekly to pray. Sometimes we use the Common Book of prayer, and sometimes we just share what’s going on and pray together.

Walks

Whether we walk to work, to the park, or to intentionally be present, walking in the neighborhood gives us time and space to engage with neighbors, absorb the realities of our neighborhood, and hold our community to God. Our prayers become really visceral in this practice.

Meals

We coordinate meals every month, but we also invite others to sit with us and share a meal when we have extra.

Individual Prayer

Personal prayer takes different forms, such as centering prayer, breath prayer, lectio divina, imagination prayer, welcoming prayer, or praying in color.

Local Congregation Attendance

Joining a body of others seeking justice and God helps ground our work, while reminding us we are a small group in a large community of Jesus followers.

Hospitality

Each day, we care for our friends and neighbors. It may look like a bag of food, a sleeping bag, or helping with difficult paper work or a resume. This practice always begs us to slow down, pay attention, linger, listen, and to laugh.

Sacred Listening

Sacred conversations may require us to create space and listen more than we talk. They may invite us into awkward pauses, but there’s richness in the silence, in the presence, and in just being with each other.

Exercise

Moving our bodies is important in our spiritual practice. We use the rhythms and movement of running, yoga, or kickboxing to notice our points of tension and to help us listen for what we most need.

Reading

Books and articles can offer us support, encouragement, and challenge. We read and discuss them together to help us practice critical thinking and to invite new voices into our lives, prayers, and practice.

Action

Activity gets us out and doing things together: cleaning up the block, handing out food, helping people move. We are in places with other people, which invites listening, sharing, and memory making. We join vigils and protests to use our feet and our voices to fight injustice and to beg others to sit up and listen to the oppressed.

Appreciating Arts

Theater our kids write and perform, local art markets, and art exhibits use colors and images to connect us to God and to each other. We try to make space in our life and work for creativity, and we paint murals in our neighborhood to bring color and art to the dullness of brick and concrete.

Meditating

We use silent, contemplative spaces to allow our gaze to turn inward and towards God.

Relationships

We are intentional with our friends and neighbors, and we cultivate deeper relationships with the folks who’ve committed to our shared values and life here. These relationships give us stability and help us sustain our lives.

Gardening

Growing is generative work that lets the gardener push her hands deep down in the soil as a reminder of work that happens in the dark. And when we enjoy the fruits of the labor, we revel in the greenness, the life, and the sustenance that comes.

Connecting to God and others is a constant practice of paying attention and engaging the world in different ways. These are some examples we have found to nurture and connect to the Spirit working deep within us. I hope they might encourage you or give you fresh ideas as you seek the Spirit’s working in your own life.