Posts

Showing posts from December, 2023

The Rev. J. Clarkson, Rector of Calvary Episcopal Church, "When Love is Not Enough…And When It is"

Image
  When Love is Not Enough…And When It is                                                                                         –The Rev. J. Clarkson At some point during the pandemic, when there were still limits on how many people could attend worship in person but after our staff was able to work in the office again, Charlie started to visit us. At first, he would come into the building, find a secluded room, and sit in the air conditioning on a hot day. Once I realized he was here, I invited him to sit in our library. While I hoped this would feel more welcoming for him, I also sensed that we needed to have clear boundaries with Charlie. Our church was once a simple country parish, and it has become a part of the suburban environment that has grown up around it. While we often see more than 100 neighboring families at our client-choice food pantry, we get visits from houseless individuals much less frequently. Usually, they are folks who, for one reason or another, cannot tolerate