Where Love Is: The Story of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen Study Guide

Transcription

1 Written, produced, and directed by Gerard Thomas Straub Co-produced and edited by Chad O. Mochrie Where Love Is: The Story of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen Study Guide Introduction to the Film Where Love Is tells the inspirational story of the Capuchin Soup Kitchen, which has been faithfully serving the poor of Detroit since It has become one of Detroit s most beloved charity organizations, providing not only three meals a day at two locations, but also working toward long-term systemic change and social justice through education, including a drug-rehabilitation center, the Rosa Parks Art Center for Children, and an urban farm program. This 90-minute film presents stories of faith from places of deep pain. Among the hollowed-out businesses and homes, violent crime, and poverty, the Capuchins reach out with arms of love, offering new life and hope to many who have no one to turn to and nowhere to go. The friars and volunteers love with sincerity, believing that where love is, there God is. Gerry Straub s deeply held and courageously lived out religious convictions and his poignant visuals disturb and challenge viewers at many levels. He makes us see what we would rather not see. He invites us to feel and empathize more deeply, to think more critically, to pray more faithfully, and to act more courageously. His personal witness is as inspiring as it is troubling. As an expression of the Gospel, Gerry s life and films are indeed good news for the poor. But they await the viewers response to become even better news for the poor. A Note from the Filmmaker, Gerry Straub We live in a society that measures your success, usefulness, and value by what you have and what you do, and that s where the folks here have reminded me that the value of a life is not about what you have or what you do or what degrees you have or any of that stuff. The bottom line is what you do with what you have, as far as love goes... For where there is love, there is God. A Note about the Filmmaker, Gerry Straub As the result of his life-changing encounter with the spirit of Francis of Assisi in 1995, Gerry Straub left a profitable and successful career as a producer of Hollywood soap operas for a radically different vocation. He spent months living with the poor all over the world, so that he could capture their faces and share their stories to all who would open their eyes, ears, and hearts to see, listen, and be converted. His radical conversion reveals the radical message and witness of Jesus. Gerry challenges us to join him in following this Jesus who is to be found in the lives of God s special people, the poor and marginalized of this world.

2 Outline (Time and Description of the 19 Segments) 1. 1:55 Introduction To love God is to love these people 2. 0:10 Where Love Is 3. 8:25 Images and statistics of the pain of poverty globally and in Detroit 4. 3:35 A tour of one man s home and reflecting on this poverty of no hope 5. 5:45 The story of Father Solanus Casey and the Capuchin Soup Kitchen 6. 2:00 What is a Capuchin? 7. 14:55 Volunteers and former clients tell their inspiring stories 8. 5:55 The Emergency Needs Center connected to the Soup Kitchen 9. 2:25 The bread-baking program to help clients help themselves 10. 9:45 The Jefferson House Treatment Center and client testimonies 11. 3:25 Volunteers reflect on service with the poor :15 The Children & Youth Program and Earth Works & its urban gardens 13. 4:05 Carl s inspiring story and the necessity not to judge by the outside 14. 2:50 Roosevelt s story from the streets to the Kitchen, from drugs to prayer 15. 2:05 Father Ray s testimony They ve changed my life in so many ways :15 The filmmaker s theological reflections 17. 7:05 Leon s tragic story and the power of faith 18. 0:50 Concluding word the Kitchen is a place of friendship 19. 1:00 Credits Planning Your Time Together This 90-minute DVD can be used in a variety of settings, including adult faith formation sessions, high school or university classrooms, parish Advent or Lenten retreats, parish social justice committee formation meetings, RCIA sessions, parish staff meetings, pastoral council meetings, and more. If you have time for only one or two segments to insert into a meeting, consider the ones highlighted in bold. One Session (Half-Day or Full-Day Retreat) Plan time to view and discuss the entire 90-minute film (or most of it for a half-day), share simple food, pray, and plan a parish, group, or class response. Two to Three Sessions ( Minutes per Session) Follow steps 1 to 4 for segments 1 9. Follow steps 1 to 4 for segments 10 19, plus add steps 5 to 7. For shorter timeframes, you might need a third session to carry out steps 5 to 7.

3 Steps and Directions for the Session(s) 1. Open with prayer. Start by asking for the courage to open your eyes, ears, and heart to the often silent cries of the poor and for the grace to respond with compassion and courage. 2. Share feelings and reflection. Because the visual images are so overwhelming, participants may need time to reflect on their feelings before discussing their reactions to the film. Begin with these questions: What image(s) or scene(s) most disturbed you? What were your feelings as you watched? Why are many of these images so difficult to see? Why do we resist seeing those who are poor and homeless? After a moment for silent reflection on the first two questions, you might have participants share their answers in pairs or small groups before a discussion of the last two questions as a whole group. 3. Identify challenging statements. Invite participants to identify any statements or statistics that especially challenged them and the questions that the statement(s) raised in their minds. 4. Discuss Quotes and Questions. Select quotes and questions from the segment(s) you viewed, then follow the steps below. Read the quotation aloud, have someone in the group read it aloud, or replay it from the DVD. Ask participants to reflect silently for a moment on the question(s) following each quotation, share their answers in pairs or small groups, and invite them to share their responses with the whole group, depending on time. Any action suggestions that are identified in these responses could be posted on newsprint. A good final question, if time permits, would be: As you watched the film, what changed about the way you see the life of people in extreme poverty, addiction, and homelessness? 5. Consider action suggestions. Invite questions on any action suggestions that may have been identified and posted on newsprint during your discussion. Duplicate and distribute Suggested Responses and discuss the action suggestions from each of the three sections according to the time available. Also depending on time, invite participants to identify additional action suggestions. 6. Move to decisions. Invite participants to decide on their next step as an individual or family, sharing their decisions in pairs, if time permits. Discuss and decide whether to come up with an action for the whole group, class, or parish and what that action might be. Create an implementation plan for the action. 7. Conclude with prayer. Since the Capuchin Soup Kitchen is a Franciscan ministry, praying the Peace Prayer of St. Francis would be appropriate at the end of each session.

4 Quotes and Questions from Specific Segments [4] In a country as wealthy as ours, I find myself confused at times about how little people have. And then I look at my own life and I m saying, I ve lived a pretty privileged life. So I need to walk among the folks that we take care of... Does this contrast of great wealth and poverty in the U.S. confuse you too? Why or why not? What do you see when you look at your own life? In what ways is it privileged? [7] Along with soup and sandwiches, they also serve heaping portions of recognition and respect, treating all who enter their doors as a brother or sister, a child of God. The call to Gospel is to really see folks, not just as people we have to take care of... but as our brothers and sisters who just need us, and we need them. If you truly thought of those people you encountered each day as your brothers or sisters, how would you treat them differently than you do now? Be as specific as possible. What can you do to remind yourself to think of them in this way each day? [7] I didn t have a smile on my face until I came here. What can you do to lighten the burdens of those in your family and community? What are some ways to put a smile on the face of hurting people you encounter? [8] Where is humanity going to go if we can t help each other and really do what s important to make other peoples lives easier and better? Where do you see your community and country going these days? And why? What can you do to help others and to work with others to reverse this direction? [10] (from the Jefferson Treatment Center) It s just by the grace of God that I m not there [out on the streets] What are some of the there s in your life from which God s grace has saved you? [10] At the funeral of Sue, a 29-year mother at Jefferson House, all these guys that she had mothered over the years came up and surrounded her urn and extended their hands over the urn and commended her to God. Who have you cared for ( mothered ) over the years? What do you hope that people will say about you at your funeral? What (more) can you do now to become that person before your funeral? [11] Many people who have not experienced poverty don t realize the beauty of people [who are poor]... [They] avoid them and don t want them to be around their neighborhoods, their houses, or they are not comfortable talking to the poor, to prisoners... How true is this of you and why? What can you do to lessen the distance between you and the poor? [11] Service is the rent we pay to occupy this planet...that s something everybody should do... When you give to somebody else, you receive and the world becomes better. In what ways is service a part of your life? What is one thing you could do to make it more central to your life? What do you receive when you give to others? [12] We believe that so often violence is simply a lack of imagination; and so we do everything we can to stretch their imaginations, and stir their creativity, and deepen their spirituality. What is the connection between violence and a lack of imagination? How are you stretching your own imagination, creativity, and spirituality? Who are others you could help in these ways and how would you do so?

5 [13] Straub, referring to Carl It would be so easy to judge a guy like you. We just see you walking, you look a little scruffy, you re homeless, and we say, why bother? But yet we make such a huge mistake when we try to judge someone like you. Carl: It s not from the outside; it s what s inside that counts.... Everybody I m in contact with, they are all brothers and sisters to me. Straub: There it is the whole theology in a nutshell. One guy! Do you tend to judge the poor you see or read about? How do you see them? Would you have misjudged Carl if you had seen him on the street? Why or why not? What else did you learn from Carl s story? [16] In Christ, we see a God so generous He throws everything away out of love. How does this sense of God compare with your own? What examples would you give of God s throwing everything away out of love? How is your own life an image of such a God? What could you do to become more like this God? [16] Service to the poor and lowly is not optional. It s a requirement for the follower of Christ... The core of Christianity is about the Cross, suffering, renunciation, and sharing what we have with others. The Capuchin Soup Kitchen exemplifies the very heartbeat of the Incarnation. They give away everything, sharing their lives with others... Do you agree that these are the core of Christianity? Why or why not? How core are they in your own life? How can you make them more core in your life? [17] When you encounter a person whose faith is such an integral part of their being..., no matter what life throws at it, you are left only with a sense of amazement. How did Leon s story touch you? How is he like Job in the Bible? He says, If it s not heaven-sent, it s God-allowed. Why would God allow such tragedy? Could you do what he does, caring for his stepfather despite his own injuries? How does Leon s faith sustain him through all this? [17] We live in a society that measures your success, and your usefulness, and your value by what you have and what you do... [But] the bottom line is what you do with what you have, as far as your love... At the end of our lives when Jesus comes to meet us, all he s going to ask is... In the adventure of your life, did you learn how to love? This is the value of the folks here.... Their lives, on the outside, don t look like they have much value, but they have learned to love in the midst of the Cross. How do you usually measure success and value? What did you learn about what s valuable from the lives of people at the Soup Kitchen? To what extent have you learned how to love?

6 Suggested Responses Individual, Group, Class, or Parish Pray Choose a quote from the film and meditate on its relevance to your life. Call to mind an image from the film or place a photo of a poor person where you will see it often and use it as a reminder to pray for the poor. At the beginning of each day, pray to see the people you encounter as truly your brothers and sisters and to respond to them as such. Recalling Carl s faith I wanted to die... But somehow I just couldn t give up. My will was too strong and I knew it was more than just myself keeping it that way. And I grew closer to the good Lord above and I know He s the one who pulled me through it.... I know He has me here for a reason, so I try to make the best of it [13] pray that God will give you the strength to persevere and to make the best of what happens each day. Pray for this grace for others whose circumstances are much worse than yours. Adjust your lifestyle Recalling Mother Teresa s words The ocean is made up of little drops. And if everybody would just give a couple of drops a day, this world would be better off [11] make a list of the drops (acts of kindness) that you have done and could do each day and choose two for each day. Notice what other drops offer themselves spontaneously each day. Create a journal of your daily drops. Recalling the insight that service is the rent we pay to occupy this planet [11], explore ways that you can be of service in your community and choose one to start with. Recalling how important listening to others is as a way of showing respect [11], build in time during your day to listen unhurriedly to at least one person. Create a reminder (e.g., prayer beads in your pocket to hold when a listening opportunity arises) to help you stop and listen. Develop an exchange system. Each time you purchase an item for your closet, reading, or home, donate a similar item to a person or center serving those in need. Tithe your treats. Each time you spend money on a treat for yourself or family, put 10% of the total amount in some kind of receptacle (e.g., the Operation Rice Bowl container) and donate whatever accrues once a month. Engage your parish in the service of the poor Contact a treatment center and/or soup kitchen in your community about their volunteer needs, make this list available to others, and explore organizing volunteer pairs or groups. Explore with such places the possibility of hiring some of their clients to do work at your parish and/or on the homes of parishioners. Recalling the Emergency Needs Center connected with the Soup Kitchen [8], link your family and/or group/parish with such a Center and regularly donate items you no longer need. Recalling the effectiveness of urban gardens [12], explore the possibility of your school or parish helping to establish a garden on the property and/or a garden in a poor neighborhood or school where you could work side-by-side with those who are poor.