I don’t know if I am numb, empathetic, or angry. The past two weeks have been a whirlwind of physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion. After living in West Philadelphia for the past 5 years for pharmacy school, I have always been actively looking on the street for the next person that would potentially hurt me. I was told to NEVER go into the neighborhood of Kensington in North Philadelphia where there are constant drug deals and murders. Yet here I am in the heart of the “forbidden” neighborhood of Philadelphia.
I definitely had preconceived notions of how the people of this neighborhood would treat me and how my safety would be compromised. However, I have found quite the opposite. Going to door to door down the streets of North Philly, this predominantly Puerto Rican community has been more than welcoming and accepting of our offer for free health screenings. Many don’t have insurance, many don’t have jobs, and many barely have the means to support a family. The average income of families in this community is about $15,000, yet these people are generous enough to allow complete strangers into their homes. In the middle of summer, the days are long and hot, and the people offer us what little they have in addition to cold water and food. I am so humbled by their hospitality and selflessness.
It breaks my hearts to see and hear how these people live. Their stories are incredible. There was one woman that my partner and I screened. She told us that her son is in jail, and she fears for him to come home. Years ago she was robbed in her house at gunpoint and knocked in the head with the gun. Another family lost their one-week-old daughter; their scars ran deep. We met a single mom of nine kids all under the age of sixteen who lives in constant exhaustion, stress, and emotional distress. An alcoholic man of forty years struggles with his desire to quit.
This is life for the people of North Philadelphia. I have never experienced or interacted with people who experience such depth of hardship, yet with these hardships, they offer what little they have to visitors with such Christ-like generosity. A number of the people know Jesus as their Savior, but many do not. As we speak with the community about their health, we encourage them that God does not only love the “good” people, but He accepts and loves ALL of His children, no matter what they have done or how broken they are. God is so good and faithful to his people, no matter where you are in life. He will always meet you where you are, because of this, He can heal us, if we will only allow him.
His faithfulness + our brokenness = HEALING
“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.” –Ephesians 2: 4-5
Post by Rebecca Shatynski