Christian Love unless.....

Yesterday I took the kids to play at a privately owned park.  A larger church owns the playground and allows children from the neighborhood play there as long as they are supervised.  We have gone there several times - it is a block from our house, there is a separate area for small kids, the church folk there have been friendly and welcoming.

When we arrived yesterday there were some little kids playing and a few church folk watching them.  Every single time K ran toward them, the workers shooed their kids away.  This happened for about 10 minutes.  I was puzzled but thought that they were protecting K in some way.  Finally a girl approached me and asked me if she could gently push K in the swing while I was nearby.  I told her yes.  Then IT happened.  The worker told me that the kids aren't allowed to play with "People Like Us."

There was the moment of pure Mama Bear rage.  I don't care who you think you are, don't think of my kid as one of Them.  Then it passed.  I thought "maybe it is a liability thing" or "maybe I heard her wrong."  The more I watched these workers though, the more I realized that they were prejudiced against people that came and played at the park. 

We live in a poor,  culturally diverse area.  I have seen the people that attend this church.  Based on the cars the congregants drive and what I've seen while visiting the church, the attendees don't match the demographics of the people that live in this area.  But isn't that why they have the playground - as a service to the community?  There is another large church here (also not representative of our area) and they have locked their playgrounds to prevent "People Like Us" from using it.  Their message is clear, and it makes me furious, but at least it is not being said in front of my children.  

I wonder what sort of People I am.  White middle class female with two fairly well-dressed kids.  That's what I presented at the park.  No political, social, or religious t-shirts, no buttons, I didn't even have any visible tattoos.  I was wearing my wedding ring.  I am baffled.  I am presuming that "People Like Us" are poor people.  *Gasp*  A church allowing poor kids to play on their nice playground equipment - certainly that isn't what Jesus would do.  Every time a poor kid goes down a slide there is a kitten burns in hell.  (Obviously I am typing with a good slathering of sarcasm.  If you didn't know this you're probably pretty confused. And you should stop reading this blog.)

My church has had playground equipment.  The kids in the area defaced it, the thing was falling apart.  The church ended up taking it down for safety purposes, but not because other people were using it.  There is a big field behind our church - people are welcome to use that.  It seems obvious, of course people are welcome in our yard, in our church, with us.  I can't imagine thinking any other way.

I called the minister today to set an appointment and was not able to reach anyone.  I will try again tomorrow.  This is too important to me to leave it alone.  It isn't about my kids, where we can play.  It is about all of those kids.  No, it is even more than that.  I think that, if they are going to profess Christianity, the only way they can prove their faith is to show Christian love to everyone.  Everyone.  Even these cute kiddos.  I'm proud that I'm part of these People.