Network & COVID-19, March 2020

As I write this we are in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic due to a mysterious and intrusive virus. We’re greeting people at our back door and allowing them to come in one at a time to use the restroom, snag a cup of coffee and a drive-thru style prayer. 

We’re sticking close to the Source and doing our best to offer a non-anxious presence. 

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Recently a new volunteer named Pam remarked, “There’s a special feeling about this place, like heaven and earth touch each other here.” 

Chad, a guest who recently returned from his hometown in Kansas, chimed in, “This place feels more like home than the place I grew up.” 

I believe the atmosphere that both Pam and Chad described can be called a non-anxious presence and it’s needed now more than ever. 

So what does that mean, a non-anxious presence? 

A non-anxious presence is practicing a state of being that is lovingly connected to God and others while maintaining a loving disconnection from chaotic and fear-filled emotion. As the response to Covid-19 is teaching us, it’s so difficult not to get caught up in the collective consciousness of fear and melodrama. 

It seems every circumstance we face in life is practice for something else we’ll face later on. If that’s true, then we at Network, have been practicing for this unique situation for a long time. The potential for fear and anxiety within our community of marginalized folks is always present. We spend our days pushing back on the lonely, the anxiety, and panic. 

In light of his passing, I’ve been thinking about our founder, John Hick’s greatest hits and one of the lessons John passed on to me was his interpretation of the Gospel of 

John 14:1-2 “Don’t let your heart be anxious… I’m going to prepare a place for you.” John believed Jesus was modeling what our task at Network should look like. We’re to be preparing an actual place that feels like a safe and loving home for both the tangibly and spiritually homeless – a hospitable space of non-anxious presence.

It takes practice – daily practice. 

Practicing the habit of non-anxious presence can look like but isn’t limited to…

• Taking a slow walk at the end of the day as the sunlight fades.

• Jotting down all your anxious thoughts on to paper followed by deep breaths.

• Lighting a candle and sitting for 20 minutes of complete silence to de-clutter your thoughts. 

• Sketching a picture of your favorite tree, rock formation, or river. 

• Reading a story to a child or elderly friend.

• Writing a poem about something that moves you.  

• Meditating on a piece of scripture. 

Whatever allows you to see reality, receive God’s embrace, and then come into the presence of another without agenda and without your own special brand of chaos, do that. If our work is preparing a place of non-anxiety then perhaps we need to perceive these type of practices as an actual part of our job description. This is the work of non-anxious presence. May we all participate in this divine work throughout this season.  

Be still and know,

Lost Friends and Family

Today we’re getting ready to gather for a memorial for a man named, Phillip, who had been a part of our community for many years. Over the years I’ve watched how Network becomes a surrogate family for so many women and men who have for one reason or another detached from their family of origin and this happened to be the case for Phil. It’s our privilege to declare Phil as one who came from God, embodied the divine image in his own unique way, and now has returned to the reconciling Source of love. 

As I prepare for the memorial my memories are shifting back three years to another gathering we held for a man named Michael Lee Marshall. Michael was a fixture here. His smile, laughter, his love of music, and his gratitude for his Network family were just a few of the many fond memories we hold of Michael. 

Michael battled an illness called paranoid schizophrenia and the majority of society was unable to respond to Michael with a heart of acceptance and compassion. Whether it’s psychological challenges, drug addiction, or simply the reality of being unhoused our society is not known for taking the time and necessary energy to pause, acknowledge, and creatively help restore dignity to the many women and men who have been de-humanized by their pre-occupied neighbors.

This is why our work at Network is vital. Jesus said, “I go to prepare a place for you so that you can be where I am.” (John 14:3) We are in the business of preparing a place—a warm place where beloved community flourishes, a place safe enough to be yourself, a place where the experience of welcome overshadows any sense of judgment. 

A large part of being that beloved community among marginalized sisters and brothers has to do with preserving and re-calling memory. Today we re-member the precious life of Phillip Hodgkinson and while we're at it we see you too, brother Michael Lee!

Green Bean Casserole

I can’t remember when I had last indulged in the magical dish known as Green Bean Casserole. Recently, I found myself at a potluck dinner. I passed by all the standards – the dependable mashed potatoes, the faithful coleslaw, that loyal bucket of KFC chicken – and then I spotted it. Just the sight and smell alone triggered a choir of angels to sing the doxology in my mind as I was instantly taken back, back to church potlucks as a kid and back to my own childhood dining room table. I don’t particularly love the taste of Green Bean Casserole, but that All-American entree has an undeniable power about it, a power to warm my heart and help me feel at home.

For the many women and men who live on the streets of Denver opening the door and entering into the living room of Network on a frigid winter night is a lot like Green Bean Casserole – a taste of home (without the French onion breath). As I stand beside the coffee machine and welcome newcomers, who fill up their cup, they release a hefty sigh of relief and say, “I’m so glad you guys are open. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Then there are our regular guests who make Network feel like a homecoming. Teresa brightens our day with her big smile. Gary, per usual, is giving everyone a hard time. Wayne stops in for a refill and a meaningful conversation. Max hits me up for a time of personal prayer and blessing. Tim, one of our regular volunteers, recently said, “I can’t tell you how much I need this place for my soul to feel sane.”

The words of Jesus echoes throughout the room here,

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Jesus knew about the power of a place where the primary agenda is restorative rest and redemptive relationship. Jesus knew about the transformative power of Green Bean Casserole (or in our case a strong cup of dark roast).

In a world of chaos, lack of trust, and constant hustle Network is in the business of making up for lost time. If you didn’t have a childhood worth remembering or any early experience of safe and loving relationship, this community seeks to offer a new imagination and a new normal – one where trustworthy relationships are offered day after day after day.

As we approach the conclusion of another year, all of us here are thankful for you. Your support, donations, and prayer don’t just keep the lights on and the coffee hot, with your help you provide a community that many overlooked and lonely sisters and brothers call home.

Our prayer is that you experience the restorative rest and redemptive relationship of Christ throughout this holiday season.

You are seen. You are known. You are loved.

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