Psalm 26:11 As for me, I will live with integrity; redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me.
“If you give someone a fish, they’ll eat for a day. If you teach them to fish, they’ll eat for a while longer. If you organize against the privatized water system and get fishing rights for all, maybe everyone will have food.” That’s a rough translation of a quotation from the Rev. Bill Wylie-Kellerman. Bill serves an Episcopal church in Detroit, Michigan.
Bill’s church helps people with water shutoffs—a common problem for people in poverty because of missed payments or late fees. This church collects donations of bottled water and operates a hotline that residents can call to report a shutoff. Church staff and volunteers advocate for the residents, working with the water company to restore service and access to the critical resource of water. This church is praying with their community, keeping the faith, and doing the work Jesus asks us to do.
MOVING FORWARD: Do all residents of your community have access to fundamental resources such as water and shelter? What steps can you take to change institutional barriers?
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