We are a tiny little internet circle here, but we’ve got such interesting stuff going on. A couple of weeks ago I encouraged us to break the seal: to find a way to “get proximate” and directly serve the people in our communities who are most suffering or neglected. To commit, just for a few months, to serve on a regular basis.

Before moving on (to discuss standpoint theory, my new favorite), I want to take a moment to celebrate, to appreciate the many ways that people in this little group are doing regular Table work. If you haven’t yet found a way in, this is your sign. Take this week to do it! It’s just so, so good. The Table is full, and hopeful things are happening.

Some themes, from comments and conversations with you, whom I adore:

Immigrants and refugees
We’ve got a number of people working—professionally or as volunteers, in big and small ways—with immigrants and refugees: providing foster care to unattended kids who’ve crossed the southern US border; teaching English as a New Language to adults or kids, through school districts and church programs and community centers; driving English learners to their classes; cooking breakfast for ONE HUNDRED migrants sleeping outside a police station in a major city; working with a team of people to provide practical supports to a refugee family as they adjust to American life.

Professionals and amateurs
We’ve got some people helping in areas where they have educational or professional background (some of the English teachers are…English teachers; our jail advocate has a criminal justice degree). We’ve also got some people helping in situations where the job description is a more general “introduce a young or new American to the bonkers requirements of American adulthood. Like, how do you choose a doctor? How do you know if your kid’s school requires uniforms, and where do you find them? Why, God, why is the DMV?”

Accompaniment
Several people are practicing straight-up accompaniment: driving people to appointments; joining them for school meetings; sitting with them as they complete forms; wandering together through the grocery store. This is not sexy. It’s time-consuming. It’s also relational and beautiful and 1000% necessary.

Time limitations
Some of the work (e.g., teaching; cooking for ONE HUNDRED people) requires time-intensive preparation. Some of it simply requires showing up, doing the things, and heading home. This seems very, very important; you know which works best for you!

Natural transitions
Multiple people are finding themselves sliding—fairly naturally—from action to advocacy. Those of us working in mentoring programs with currently or formerly incarcerated people are also joining jail-oversight groups. One of our foster parents is looking into mentoring kids who’ve aged out of the foster system. Proximity teaches and compels us.

Togetherness
We like doing this stuff with other people, and we get inspired by other people. We’ve got a little knot of friends who’ve, one by one, started teaching English. People who joined an org after being invited by a friend. We’ve got extraordinarily competent people who realize, you know what? I can provide some of the supports required by a REFUGEE FAMILY OF NINE; I cannot provide them all; I’ll join an already-existing group. Smart!

Starting small
It can start small: bringing a meal, making a phone call. It is not all or nothing, make or break.

And most of all: there’s a lot of joy here, y’all. The Table is good.

How bout you? If you haven’t found something yet and want to, now’s the time! Drop a note! Spiral 2 starts next week!!!