Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a town considered insignificant. Yet in this tiny town a great leader, King David, was born. in and around N. Fair Oaks many great leaders have been born, Jack Robinson, who broke the color barrier in sports, yet refused to come home to Pasadena, because it was inhospitable to Blacks. His brother Mac, who did come home, could only get a job as a janitor with no acknowledgement of being a silver Olympian. Loren Miller, the son of a slave, was so passionate about undoing racially restrictive covenants, starting with a NW Pasadena home, his lawsuits make their way to the Supreme Court where he won his case—beginning to unravel some of injustices that Jack and Mac experienced. Many more great people are featured on the N. wall of the Rio Meat Market on Montana and Fair Oaks with QR Codes leading to vignettes about their lives.
God chose unknown Bethlehem to be known for the greatest to all people to be born there, Jesus, the king of kings. This tiny place was part of Israel—a nation to be ruled by God Himself with many laws outlined in Deuteronomy and Leviticus, that required individuals, communities, towns, cities and a nations to be just, fair, safe, inclusive and hospitable to every one, especially the foreigner, widows, orphans and the poor. When Abraham went to see his brother Lot, Lot insisted that he not stay in the town square where people would typically go to find hospitality. He knew it would not be safe. This is why Ezekiel 16:49 describes this city’s sin that it was “arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.”
It seems that Bethlehem and Pasadena had also had forgotten this lesson.
Do not deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, Deut. 24:17 “Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” Deut. 27:17 “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees.” Isaiah 10:1
Why didn’t the distant relatives of Joseph and Mary open their homes? Why didn’t the town leaders anticipate those traveling to be counted in the census, and plan for extra lodging? Were there NIMBY neighbors saying, “We have enough people in our town already?”
Perhaps they saw Mary and Joseph as “those poor foreigners” that were not “up to snuff” as one San Marino city council person was quoted as saying about his city.
It was never God’s intention to exclude-but to always make room. When Jesus announced his ministry and proclaimed his mission statement in Luke chapter 4, he instituted “the favorable year of the Lord” –and all scholars agree that that’s Jubilee. A real estate policy that re-distributes land on a regular basis and makes it possible for all to have a place called home. There in Jesus home town of Nazareth, after his family migrated back from living in Egypt, Jesus challenged those he grew up to take seriously his message about Jubilee but it was until after his death and resurrection that the Holy Spirit gave power to the church to put Jubilee into practice (Act 4:32).
To my knowledge the Jubilee is Old Testament land use law that Jesus re-states in the New Testament. This same policy is expected to be applied in every city today. But how does this happen? We’re expected to speak to those in power just like the prophets of old. Jesus was our role model how to do this. He identified with those on the margins, those who had been oppressed, and those like him, born in a place unfit for human habitation. As a prophet he was a truth teller to those who made and instituted policies. In the book of Luke alone Jesus spoke to the authorities 27 times. He died for our sins, but also died because the authorities did not have ears to hear his message. They wanted the system of oppression to stay in a place, a system that greatly benefited them—but created great inequality. Mary, understood the nature of God and her son’s mission. At his birth, she proclaimed,
"…he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly .He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty."
When preaching the mission of Jesus in Luke 4, one Pasadena pastor at a prominent church ignored the part about Jubilee for fear of keeping his job. But the next pastor who took his place, didn’t operate with fear. He had an open heart and mind, and imagination—he could imagine his oversized underutilized parking lot as place of hospitality. He asked his board to consider using that space for those living in their cars or even for permanent affordable housing.
Even though Bethlehem may not have understood and wasn’t open to biblical hospitality, this pastor did, and many do today—over 100 churches in So Cal have approached our nonprofit, Making Housing and Community Happen, for professional free feasibilities to prepare to partner with an affordable housing developer—so they might obtain a fair return for the long-term use of their land and ensure it’s the vision of the church and not just the affordable housing developer.
We may not readily see how the church today can play a role in how to re-distribute land and wealth—as Lev. 25 and the mission of Jesus outlines. But affordable housing developers do; they bring about equality. Urban planners also understand how to re-distribute land. Some Pasadena city planners made an area like North Fair Oaks impossible for anyone to build market rate or affordable housing and make it pencil out. They ignored the will of the people simply by changing a few numbers, applying a zoning code that is so low that no one will be able to use their land profitably. Banks also understood this; they simply declared an area that was majority people of color, no longer be worthy of receiving bank loans for fear of their return on investment and declare other area worthy and make generous loans. We have the power to re-distribute land and housing by showing up at public meetings and letting the city know what we want. James says, “we have not because we ask not”
I wonder what happened in Bethlehem? What made a city so resistant to caring for a pregnant woman ready to give birth? What kind of hard hearts would do that?
But is the US any different? Today we have African American women living on our streets, some in LA who have given birth on our streets.
It takes faith to imagine a place that would be welcoming and hospitable. A place that creates community and has gathering places— the city has invested heavily in the area south of Washington on Fair Oaks. Our organization making housing and community happen advocated to the city council to provide 70 units for homeless seniors. It took two prayer meetings, 1000 signatures, showing up in public meetings. But God answered our prayers, and now some of our elderly seniors can live the rest of their lives in the comfort of a beautiful home. Our city has made room because people have stood up like Jesus.
in Romans 12:13, says to “Practice hospitality”, meaning to pursue or actively engage in hospitality. Therefore, hospitality is something that must be practiced intentionally and actively. It doesn’t just happen on its own; it requires planning and thoughtful consideration. True hospitality involves a sacrifice of our time, effort, finances, and comfort.
City Council members want to know what the people in a particular community want—not outsiders. They want to hear from those who live and worship or are in some way connected to N. Fair Oaks. They want to know what this community wants. The community has make their desires clear: to slow traffic to make it safer, housing people can’t afford, entrepreneurship for local business owners, and to beautify the area with public art. We have a plan that will do all of this- a plan designed by the Arroyo Group, which successfully planned old Pasadena.
We’re not starting from scratch- God has already answered the petitions of folks from the N. Fair Oaks corridor. We asked for a signal, and we got one. We asked for the sidewalks to be smoothed out and Tyron Hampton, our city council representative made sure this happened. We asked to make the area safer by slowing traffic using a complete streets re-design and Tyron approved this. Now our N. Fair Oaks team writes letters of support for grants the city has been writing to accomplish this.
N. Fair Oaks, a neglected corner of Pasadena…a place where people speed past on their way to somewhere else, not noticing how God is at work…needs the church to rise up and make a stand.
Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9: 13-15 gives an intriguing example of just one poor man that changed a city.
“ I also saw under the sun this example of wisdom that greatly impressed me: 14 There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siege works against it. 15 Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom.”
But we need more than one man. May God give gather us up, and make us wise, to stand with and for our community. If not, this community will be the same for the next 20 years. The city’s proposal for this area that will bring no change, status quo, for the next 20 years. We can’t afford to wait. The time is now. Let’s bring a gift of ourselves to N. Fair Oaks this Christmas and let the community know that we stand with them.
How? Join our N. Fair Oaks team, or the N. Fair Oaks paid fellowship representing your church on N. Fair Oaks or just show up on Dec. 28th from 10-12 at La Pintorescsa Library community room. Let us know by texting 626-675-1316.
In Search of Kneeling Places,
By Ann WeemsI
In each heart lies a Bethlehem,
an inn where we must ultimately answer
whether there is room or not.
When we are in Bethlehem-bound
we can no longer look the other way.
We can no longer excuse ourselves
by busily tending our sheep or our kingdoms.
This Advent let's go to Bethlehem
and see this thing the Lord has make known to us.
In the midst of shopping sprees
let's ponder in our hearts the Gifts of Gifts.
Through the tinsel let's look
for the gold of the Christmas Star.
In the excitement and confusion, in the merry chaos,
let's listen for the brush of angels' wings.
This Advent, let's go to Bethlehem
and find our kneeling places.
We can no longer wait.