Terry Yasuko Ogawa and Cecilia Fordham
2016 FAITH BASED SUMMIT ON HOMELESSNESS
March 14, 2016
Central Union Church
Honolulu, Hawaiʻi
SEEING JESUS IN THE FACE OF
THE POOR AND RESPONDING
WITH COMPASSION
ADDRESSES ROOT CAUSES OF
POVERTY THAT IMPROVE THE
LIVES OF THE POOR…
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Food pantries
Feedings
Outreach
Worship or Meditation
Mentoring
Emergency or Transitional Housing
Tutoring
Advocacy
Housing Development
Distributive Justice
Is about fairness in what people receive, from goods to
attention. Also known as economic justice.
Procedural Justice
The principle of fairness is also found in the idea of fair
play (as opposed to the fair share of distributive
justice).
Restorative Justice
Restitution, putting things back as they should be, e.g.
apologizing. Also known as corrective justice.
Retributive Justice
Works on the principle of punishment, although what
constitutes fair and proportional punishment is
widely debated.
Privilege, at its core,
is about access to choices. Being able to choose what you
want, including places to live.
Being poor and/or homeless
Means that living is harder. Any small problem can
cascade into a horrible mess, e.g. the car breaks down,
you have no money to fix it, you can’t go to work, you
lose your job, you lose your house, you can’t take care
of medical challenges, etc. Every little problem is
magnified.
Faith/spiritual practice
Can restore hope to the hopeless. It can also lead the more
privileged to choose to work for distributive justice, like
affordable housing, access to health care, etc.
Charity:
What comes to a person comes to him because
of a combination of causes and conditions; it
can be kept by him only temporarily and,
therefore, he must not use it selfishly or for
unworthy purposes.
(The Teaching of Buddha)
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Justice:
A Buddhist perspective on homelessness
begins with deepening our understanding of
interdependence and interconnectedness….
[W]e understand that our thoughts and
actions affect not only our own happiness or
unhappiness, but also that of others.
 (The Golden Chain)
Charity:
If there is a needy person among you, one of
your kinsmen in any of your settlements in
the land that the Lord your God is giving
you, do not harden your heart and shut your
hand against your needy kinsman. Rather
you must open your hand and lend him
sufficient resources for whatever he needs.
(Deuteronomy 15:7-8)
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Justice:
Speak to the whole Israelite community and
say to them: “You shall be holy, for I, the Lord
your God, am holy… When you reap the
harvest of your land, you shall not reap all
the way to the edges of your field, or gather
the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not
pick your vineyard bare…you shall leave
them for the poor and the stranger: I the
Lord am your God. (Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-10)
Charity:
There is [a]story from the Brihadaranyak
Upanishad, where the Creator God responds
with a monosyllable response -- da -- to what is
our duty when asked by Gods, Demons, and
Humans. All three groups interpret it correctly;
for Gods da = daman or control of senses; for
Demons da = dayA or compassion; and for
Humans da = dAn or charity.
So, as humans we must use charity to deal with all
problems where other fellow human beings are
suffering in some way, especially homelessness,
which is the root of many problems.
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Charity/Justice:
Thus, the story from Brihadaranyak Upanishad
can be applied to address the problem of
homelessness in the society -- channel some
of your resources to help the homeless
people and restrain ourselves in passing
cruel laws against homeless people, have
compassion when addressing the needs of
homeless people, and be charitable toward
homeless people. This will provide peace in
our society and teach our children the lesson
of "da" -- daman, dayA, and dAn.
Charity/Justice:
All Muslims are required to give a certain
percentage of their wealth for the sake of
improving another’s life. One verse from the
Qur’an reads, “The alms (Zakat) are meant only
for the poor and the needy and those who are in
charge thereof, those whose hearts are to be
reconciled; and to free those in bondage, and to
help those burdened with debt, and for
expenditure in the way of Allah and for the
wayfarer. This is an obligation from Allah.”
(Quran, 9:60)12
Justice:
A person who is financially secure and
materially wealthy is also obligated to give more
in zakat than someone who is less materially
wealthy.
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Charity:
For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was
thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was
naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick
and you took care of me, I was in prison and
you visited me. …Truly I tell you, just as you
did not do it to one of the least of these, you
did not do it to me.
(Matthew 25: 35-36, 44b)
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Justice:
 The Apostle Paul reported that remembering the
poor was “the very thing I was eager to do”
because the gospel provides solutions that
address the underlying causes of poverty.
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And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God?
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(Micah 6:8)
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Buddhism
Social Concerns Committee, Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaiʻi, by
committee members Reverend Satoshi Tomioka (Hawaiʻi Betsuin) and
David Atcheson (Hawaiʻi Betsuin)
Judaism
Adapted by Rabbi Peter Schaktman
Hinduism
Professor Dharm P. S. Bhawuk, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Islam
Imam Ismail Elshikh and Hakim Ouansafi, Muslim Association of Hawaiʻi
Christianity
Kahu Dr. Richard Walenta, Kahumana Community
We need another town
the size of
Waimanalo— over
5,000 people are
homeless on Oʻahu.
What do you see as ways
to respond from
charity to justice based
upon your spiritual
beliefs?
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Provide spiritual care and
monitor emotional wellbeing of guests and staff.
Link guests to community
resources through
assessment of interests
and strengths.
Coordinate faith
communities and groups
to provide spiritual
wellness menu of
opportunities for guests
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If you know someone is in
need, consider not taking
their offerings and/or
taking those offerings and
putting them in a savings
account to help them
transition into housing
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Conversely, don’t give hand
outs, give a hand-up--Direct
people to access services
where they can get the help
they need
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Drive for welcome home
baskets or donations
Enact a safe, mutual
homeless ministry
Identify on-going
activities to invite guests
to or offer in the shelters
Adopt/care for people
moving into housing
Advocate for policy
changes
Mahalo for your faithful support!
Chaplain & Community Liaison Terry Yasuko Ogawa 447-2842 [email protected]