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| The Arch as seen from East St. Louis |
In 1990, O'Fallon, Missouri was a rural community of about 20,000. By 2000, it more than doubled in size to 46,000, and the current population is estimated to be 80,000. While nationally, the median income is $45,000, O'Fallon's median income is $60,000. It was ranked in Money Magazine's "100 Best Places to Live." in 2006, 2008 and 2010. This year, CQ Press reported O'Fallon as the second safest city in America.
In 1958, East St. Louis, Illinois was honored as an All-American City; the population at that was over 80,000. Home to Tina Turner and Miles Davis, East St. Louis was a culturally significant, diverse community. Factories abandoned East St. Louis in the 50s and 60s as the U.S. began outsourcing manufacturing jobs to foreign countries with cheap labor. Under the supervision of government corruption, industry and prosperity were replaced with abandoned buildings and strip clubs. East St. Louis has a median household income of $21,000; this number also represents the poverty line for a family of four. Crime filled the space vacated by opportunity, and the population has since shrunk to 20,000. Neighborhood Scout ranks East St. Louis in the bottom 3% with regard to safety.
Two completely different worlds. Geographic neighbors, economic opposites. I went to learn, though I did have some preconceived notions about what I might find. Some of these were true. For instance, in East St. Louis, I was a racial minority. I have experienced this only a few times in my life, and each instance was humbling. I knew I would encounter the symptoms of urban blight: empty lots with overgrown vegetation, abandoned buildings, poorly maintained streets and missing manhole covers (sold for scrap). While these notions were correct for the most part, my trip offered many surprises.
The Christian Activity Center is a refuge for school aged children in East St. Louis. About 500 children regularly attend the center's academic, athletic and arts programs. Children are fed physically through nutrition programs and spiritually through stories of faith and weekly worship services. During my visit to the Christian Activity Center, the people of East St. Louis become more than statistics. In the walls of the CAC is a thriving community. There is no loneliness or fear; it is a place of infinite optimism. Throughout the day, I heard stories of tragedy and triumph, utter despair and miraculous transformation.
If East St. Louis is the desolate wasteland statistics and the media portrays, the kids here apparently didn't get the memo. I thought, how does this contrast with my community? What kind of values do we practice? Privacy, materialism and landscaping are some things that come to mind. Any sense of superiority I held as a resident of one of the "100 Best Places to Live" was soon replaced by humility when I experienced the love the people at the CAC had for one another. Where I vainly assumed that I would bring them some measure of peace, they showed me hope.
East St. Louis is still a place of great need. Though crime is rampant, there are layoffs in the police department. Resources are scarce, and unemployment is 15%. Property taxes are high, yet schools are underfunded. Still, in the midst of these things, the Kingdom of Heaven thrives.
At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." - Matthew 18:1-5
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” - Matthew 19:14
I want to go to there.
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