Policy Making Starts with Babysitting
Iâm decidedly not a big-picture person. On the spectrum of how the justice of God is sought and established, I definitely linger on the building redemptive relationships end rather than than on a systemic, political end. For example, my gifts lie in bouncing drooling babies around, fumbling through Arabic words and sitting through tender moments of grief with my Syrian friends, rather than figuring out how to get to the right people and demand changes in policies around refugee livelihoods in a new place.
Even though I know both are intricately linked, and as the people of God, we are called to pursue transformation at all levels of society, and that we absolutely cannot have one without the other, I still often categorize them as vastly different. Itâs not often that I glimpse how they spur each other on.
Until a few days ago, when I was pleasantly surprised to be involved in the intersection of both. I wasnât expecting much when I dragged my tired self to a Poverty Reduction Strategy meeting in the evening, hosted by a non-profit with the hopes of informing policymakers what are felt needs in marginalized communities as BCâs first ever poverty reduction strategy gets developed. (By the way, BC is the only province in Canada without a plan to help 15% of the population that lives in poverty).
In our breakout groups, it took some time initially to translate what I experience in my neighboursâ lives into meaningful words for policy suggestions. But soon enough, I found myself passionately sharing about how itâs unreasonable that a single mumâs welfare gets cut as soon as she gets a student loan - how is she supposed to pay rent and feed her two toddlers while attempting education for a better job?? About how I babysat another friendâs toddler for nights in a row because there is no such thing as overnight daycare out there, and her only job option is a graveyard shift, cleaning at a hotel? About the racism that my Syrian friendsâ young children experience at school already, because of the skewed narrative from media that only portrays Arabs and refugees as threats, and not good neighbours and delightful friends?
In the midst of the heated sharing, my friend and staff colleague Esther commented with gleaming eyes -Â âwow, we are informing policy!!â. Hmmm.
At that moment of pondering, the Holy Spirit reminded me that yes, policy making indeed, does start with well...mundane and non-glamorous acts of love, likeâŚbabysitting. That we are called to be involved with the lives of our neighbours so intricately, be safe keepers of their stories of struggle, so we might translate them into demands for better policy and systemic transformation when the time comes.
Iâm still decidedly not a big-picture person, but I can return to my small and practical acts of love, knowing that itâs used by a God who is able to hold and wipe the tears of those I love, create harmony in my diverse community, and change systems so that everybodyâs needs are met in dignifying ways.
