Poor in Spirit, Rich in Mercy
DURHAM – When Trez Drake was a high school student at the North CarolinaSchool of Science and Math, instructions about the Walltown neighborhood were clear: she was not togo there. The four by six block community, nestled between Duke University’s East Campus andNorthgate Mall, was deemed unsafe for the promising young students who live on NCSSM’s campus. Bymaking Walltown officially off-limits, school officials hoped to safe guard Trez and other studentsfrom the drugs and violence that plagued Walltown.
Meanwhile, Darelle Bey was growing up inWalltown. The oldest of six children, he was warned about the dangers of Walltown’s streets by hismother. Darelle learned to get by, looking out for his sisters and watching his back. But Darellealso learned what Trez could not see from just a few blocks away—that Walltown is a community fullof people who care, like Mrs. V next door and Pastor Daniels across the street at St. Johns BaptistChurch.
This summer Trez and Darelle were both counselors at Urban Hope Summer Camp inWalltown. A partnership between the Navigators and St. Johns Baptist Church, Urban Hope brought 30teenagers together from 7am to 5pm for seven weeks. The teens participated in spiritual development,recreation, entrepreneurship training, and a job club. Those who were eligible for work permits hadpart-time internships in seven local businesses, getting on-the-job experience and at least one hourof development each week from their on-site supervisors. “We get a job and get to go on bangin’field trips,” says Tyree Hearn, 13. “My friends say, ‘Man, I want to do that!”
This is thethird year that Urban Hope director, Bahari Harris, has worked with youth in Walltown. “We’ve gainedan understanding about the community,” Harris says. “We’ve learned how they feel, who the playersare. We’re serving more kids with more and better services. This is the first year we’ve been ableto offer the kids real jobs. I’m excited about the growing involvement of the community.” UrbanHope’s presence at St. Johns this summer put the camp right in the heart of the community. “The camphas given the neighborhood a sense that the kids are doing something positive,” Rev. Sylvia Hayesnoted. Nora Poteat, a neighbor, agreed. “It’s good for the kids to have something to do. This wasn’there when my kids were coming up. It not only helps the kids, it helps the parents, too.”
But it’s not always easy. “We’ve learned patience,” Rev. Hayes said with a sigh. “Sometimeswe think kids know more than they do. But they have to be taught things—shown what to do and how todo it.” Of course, the kids are not the only challenge. The partnership between a local church andan international para-church organization offers its own tensions. “This is the hard work ofreconciliation—the non-glorious side,” Harris confessed. “God is in the business of reconcilingpeople to Himself and to other people. There are unexpected hurdles to cross, but we have to crossthem.” Trez and Darelle both admitted that they had to cross some hurdles of their own in the internhouse where all eight counselors lived and ate together all summer. “I had to relive the awkwardnessof my childhood,” Trez whispered, “like when you don’t know how to play sports but you try anyway. Idon’t think I knew how to do that when I was growing up. But I’ve had to as acounselor.”
Intentional awkwardness might be a good description of what Urban Hope is reallyabout. This is a place where white and black work together, privileged and poor share meals; Trezand Darelle live together—or at least try. The poor in spirit are blessed, Jesus said, because theyshare the kingdom of heaven. Sometimes it takes actually sharing the work of the kingdom, eating andplaying and arguing together, to see that we are poor. The poor in spirit know that we needsomething only God can give. But once our eyes are opened—if for once we really see one another—wecan also see that God has already given us all that we need. The kingdom of God is indeed among us.“We want to see the kids and our neighbors become more aware of their own wealth in a way thattranscends money,” Harris said. Poor in spirit, Urban Hope is helping Walltown celebrate the wealthof God’s abundant kingdom.
Urban Hope helps serveand develop people in the Walltown Neighborhood of Durham, North Carolina. In 2005, St. John’sBaptist Church (in Walltown) and the Navigators teamed up to run a youth summer camp. We invited asmall number of college students and young professionals to come and experience urban ministrythrough living in the community and working as counselors at the day camp. The Urban Hope SummerCamp is a middle and high school day camp for youth who mostly reside in the Walltown community. Themissions experience will also challenge counselors to deeply examine God’s Word about issues ofpoverty, justice, and reconciliation. To get involved with Urban Hope, visit their website as www.urbanhope.us or email Bahari