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| Holy Cross Polish National Church Fells Point, Baltimore, Maryland |
On Friday, July 22, 2022, I passed by this venerable old church building in the Fells Point area of Baltimore City, Maryland.
I was surprised to see these very LARGE signs on the front door of the church (named “Holy Cross”):
“NO TRESSPASSING”
“NO LOITERING”
Maybe I’m missing something, but I find the placement of these signs to be very confusing . . .
And Jesus said:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy burdened, and I will give you rest.”
(See Matthew 11:28).
I have to be honest, these signs left me feeling confused?!?!
These are my thoughts . . .
It seems there is a systemic abandonment of the most needy, the most underserved, and the most marginalized by “the powers on high.” And I believe that when thrown “into the mix” if there is any type of discrimination, apathetic lack of concern for the plight of the poor-and-the-marginalized, outright contempt for those who are “different,” and blatant racism in all of its ugly manifestations, then the result is exactly what is seen here and elsewhere in various and numerous ways.
I think churches ought to have large signs on them that say “All are welcome here, and ALL means ALL!”
My suspicion in this case is that because this particular church is located about a block away from a well known, largely populated, and very busy drug rehabilitation program (serving both residential and out-patients), and unlike the relatively recent past, it is now in a so-called “challenged” neighborhood, that it has taken an ill-conceived “defensive position” believing it needs to shield itself from real or imagined “problems.”
What a missed opportunity to get out onto the streets and “to be” the presence of Jesus perhaps where such a manifestation of God’s love might be needed most.
I believe the optic of “NO TRESSPASSING” and “NO LOITERING” signs on a church building, very much speak volumes about malformed fears and anxieties about an otherwise “fertile mission field.” That’s too bad, and probably even “sinful.”
Maybe I missed something???
The following is another of my blog posts that addresses a similar theme:
https://www.frayteo.us/2020/09/meeting-friend-in-baltimore.html
