URBAN BIKE MINISTRY

For our last day here in Memphis, we did a bike ministry, where we rode around downtown Memphis and gave food to the unhoused. Personally, this was my favorite service part of the immersion because I love to help people in need, and I try to help as much as I can whenever the opportunity is present. We were warned countless times and constantly reminded how dangerous Memphis was and I didn’t doubt it for a second. However, throughout our time here, people have been nothing short of kind and welcoming to all of us. It can be easy to forget that these people are at an equal level to all of us because of their situation, so offering a helping hand wherever we are able to really makes a big difference. In the past 5 days, the diversity of service that we’ve accomplished has been remarkable. We didn’t just stick to one specific area of service, we expanded the types of service like education, environmental justice, public transportation, and more which is another unique element of this immersion. Although we didn’t make a huge difference to the everyday problem that this city faces, the fact that we were able to make someone’s day better is really reassuring. It’ll take a lot of effort to really tackle the root of these problems, but it’ll never be impossible.

 

Today is our last day in Memphis. We’ve had a great time these past 5 days, and learned a lot about the city, systemic injustice, civil rights (both historically and present-day), and ourselves. Today we did our bike ministry, cycling around downtown Memphis to give food to the unhoused members of the city’s population. Bike Ministry was a really impactful method of service, both for the people we were helping and for us as the ones doing service. It was one of the most up-close-and-personal experiences I’ve had doing service. Tangible in ways distinct from our other activities. Many of the people we helped had every right to be bitter, distrustful, unhappy, fearful, and angry, but everywhere we went we were greeted by smiles and genuine thankfulness. It showed us how even just the simple act of recognition and acknowledgment can make a world of difference when it comes to reminding people of their human dignity. The simple act of looking someone in the eye and passing on the mutual understanding that “I see you, and I recognize your humanity” has a profound effect, we discovered. Often, when we see members of our community who are struggling or different (the unhoused, people with disabilities, immigrants, people of different skin tone, of different social status, of different economic situations, people who don’t look or talk or act like us) we try to hide behind a shell of feigned ignorance, pretending we don’t see or hear, avoiding and ignoring them to protect ourselves from the pains of sympathizing. That is dehumanization in its most basic form - saying you can’t be bothered to even recognize another human being. It’s something I’ve done before, and I’m sure lots of us have. It’s a lot easier to just stare really hard at the stoplight and wait for it to turn green. But taking that moment (because that’s really all it is) to acknowledge the person standing on the median is an incredible act of solidarity—and all it takes is a bit of eye contact and a smile.