Taking it to the Streets

​On Thursday afternoon, Brenda Shields, Parker Witte and I helped staff the CoastPride table at Half Moon Bay’s monthly Make It Main Street Festival.  If you haven’t had a chance to attend a Make It Main Street event yet, it is a fun time.  The city closes off Kelly Avenue east of Main to car traffic. They set up tents and tables for vendors selling all kinds of crafts, flowers and food, and for organizations to meet the public.  Brenda, Parker and I represented Coastside Lutheran joining other CoastPride Multifaith Partners and we helped passers-by make gender pronoun buttons and shared information about CoastPride, the Multifaith Partners and about CLC.  I want to thank Brenda and Parker for volunteering to staff the table with me and I also want to thank Donna, Robert and Teresa for making a point to stop by and say hi.
 
Many people who stopped at the table were pleasantly surprised to find out that there are faith communities that are open and welcoming to our LBGTQIA neighbors.  One woman told me that she “had had it with religion these days” and we talked about how right now, negative voices are drowning out the voices of love and inclusion.  Overcoming negative pre-conceptions is one of the biggest challenges we face when trying to share Jesus’ message of love and inclusion.  It is also probably one of our most important missions.  That’s why it is important for us to take that message to the streets.
 
Earlier in the week, I was visited by the Fair Housing Committee from ALAS.  The committee is a group of moms working for more affordable housing on the Coastside.  The women shared that the salaries they and their husbands make working in various aspects of the service industry do not come close to being enough to cover the rent of apartments in our area.  Several of the women told me that they rent apartments with other families, with their entire family basically living in one small bedroom, and that they have to take turns with the other families using the bathroom and kitchen.  One mom told me that her family lives in a converted garage and another revealed that she can only afford to rent one bed in an apartment for her and her daughter.  The women brought their children along and a few of the children also shared how hard it was for them to get their homework done living in such close quarters, that they really had nowhere to play, and that it was especially hard during the COVID lockdown.
 
The women of the Fair Housing Committee are on a mission to visit all the clergy and congregations in Half Moon Bay.  Unlike many people, these women believe that faith communities care about their neighbors and for justice, or at least they hope we do, and so they are reaching out to ask for help in persuading the city to prioritize affordable housing for families. How can we help?  We can help by adding our voices to theirs.  Every fourth Friday of the month, at 6PM, a group meets at Fernandez Park on Main Street and marches to Mac Dutra Park to raise awareness of the issue and call for action.  We can march with them.  Every first and third Tuesday of the month at 7PM on zoom, the city council meets to discuss priorities for the city.  We can join the zoom call and show support for making affordable housing for families a priority.  We can take our faith into the streets.
 
The women are right; standing up for folks that have been pushed to the margins is also an important part of our mission.  The prophet Micah reminds us, “Do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”  (Micah 6:8) I hope you’ll join me on Main Street on October 28th to walk for affordable housing and join a city council meeting to add your voice to those of our neighbors. 
 
Peace,
Pastor Sue