Faith Filled Family Magazine August 2016 | Page 73

gesting that the sermon go into
details about family budgeting,
but an emphasis on its importance can certainly be extrapolated from scripture. One of the
lessons I learned from reading the story of Joseph was the
importance of saving during
times of plenty so that during lean
times, I have savings stored.
And now a word for the dispersed.
You are not among the first to
be dispersed for one reason or
another. The children of Israel
were dispersed, but those who
took God with them prospered.
In the book of Acts, those who
were dispersed because of
Christian persecution took their
faith with them and Christianity spread even further. “Now
those who had been scattered
by the persecution that broke
out when Stephen was killed
traveled as far as Phoenicia,
Cyprus and Antioch, spreading
the word only among Jews. But
some of them, men from Cyprus
and Cyrene, went to Antioch and
began speaking to the Greeks
as well, proclaiming the good
news” (Acts 11:19-20 NIV) The
dispersed didn’t fall off the face
of the earth. They relocated.
And took their culture, wisdom,
skills, and faith with them.

can ask, “How can I benefit from
the experience of gentrification? What new lessons have I
learned? How can I better prepare myself in the future?

Churches too are affected by the
change. Some of those community residents who are relocating
are also members of the community church. Churches must
Long-termers who remain.
devise a strategy to continue to
serves their African-American
Those who could afford to remain members while still welcoming
in their homes are also affected new arrivals looking for a church
by gentrification. They will notice home. Failure to embrace newthe change in their neighbor- comers to the community can
hoods and compare it to the way mean death to the church.
things used to be. They may rue
the change and long for the good The African-American church
ole days. Long-time residents will have to be more inclusive
cannot inflict upon newcomers than any church has been for
the same unwelcome posture African-Americans.
This is
their grandparents may have an opportunity for the Africanencountered when they moved in American church to demonstrate
to all-white neighborhoods. The leadership in two areas: support
shoe is now on the other foot. for the displaced and welcome
How will long-termers respond? of new arrivals.
The Black community despised
the “Welcoming committee” like A refusal to embrace change
the one in Lorraine Hansberry’s spells doom and does not bode
“Raisin in the Sun.” What will well for the future of those
the response be now that the involved. The wise embrace
shoe is on the other foot? This is change and make appropriate
an opportunity for long-term resi- accommodations bending like a
dents to respond with the kind- reed of grass.
ness and wisdom that may not
have met
their forebears but
they
will
be wise to
preserve
remnant of
the voices,
influence
and
culture
so
that their
presence
is
never
forgotten.

There were others. Remember Jamestown, VA and the
other colonies were settled by
people who fled Europe looking
for religious and political freedom. As difficult as it may sound,
those affected by gentrification
can view the experience as an
opportunity to reshape their I m p a c t
lives. Rather than view them- on
the
selves as victims perhaps they church.