It's Personal

The PARC was vandalized last week. Some of you know what that is like, and the feeling of violation that comes. What caught me off guard was the response of our members. Many of them were so angry. Richard, one of our members has spent hours every day cleaning, scraping paint, repainting and cleaning. 

Tim is a member from years ago. He came to the PARC right after we first opened almost 9 years ago. He had suffered a brain injury from a fall at work. He was homeless, addicted and lost. He told me that he couldn't work because he was on disability. I remember so clearly trying to convince him that working was better than just collecting disability.  Slowly he began to believe it. He began to grow in his confidence. Slowly he began to move forward. After years of working hard to get out of his situation, he now has a job, a car and a house. Tim comes by almost weekly to see us and to bring us donations. As Tim was sitting at one of our tables last week he was visibly upset by the vandalism. He began to say, "You don't mess with the PARC. This place saved me. It changed me. I am where I am today because of this place." And he began to have tears run down his face. Now Tim is a rough guy. He has tattoos all over his body and piercings all over his face. The tears caught him off guard. He is passionate about the PARC. He is grateful.

We know who did it. I pray that he gets caught. That is often the best thing for people to get caught in their guilt and to suffer consequences for their actions. Many of our members come back after being in jail and are ready for change. Ready to do better. So, I pray that he gets caught. But what I also pray is for him to know that even if, even though he has done this that he is still loved. We forgive him. He has upset many people and violated their place of redemption and hope, encouragement and safety. It has been that kind of place for him, too. But he is angry. I don't think that he is necessarily angry with the PARC. I'm not sure. Maybe he is. What I do know is that he feels hurt and angry and he took it out on our building. 

This week you see no signs of the vandalism, of the violation. The PARC will remain a refuge. We will  continue to open our arms to those that are so often hard to love. We will continue to give chances.