Over the weekend my wife and I visited my beautiful hometown. Ripe with new development, a thriving downtown, and more picturesque waterfront than most places in the country, Traverse City is a perfect example of new construction, environmental preservation, and a historic district or two thriving together. It has taken many years, serious investment and a few celebrity endorsements to make everything happen but suddenly Traverse City's culture and persona have grown and thrived in ways only imaginable 10 years ago (I wonder, too, how much better the city has been as a direct result of my leaving).

One of the most beautiful, unique and somewhat-eerie areas of Traverse City are the old state hospital grounds. Closed in 1989, the sprawling former Traverse City State Hospital grounds became a historic ghost town of sorts, with many of my friends claiming to have heard screams from the buildings that formerly housed psychiatric patients for the state of Michigan. While this was undoubtedly legend, these massive ground became something of a redeveloper's fantasy. People always dreamed of what it could become but it never quite came to anything. Until 2001.

In April of 2001, a local developer assembled a team and was granted a redevelopment agreement on the largest building, Building 50. Over the course of several years, this team turned a massive hulk of history into a thriving community of commercial, retail and residential, changing the minds of many in the area as well. Suddenly what was once an "eye sore" became a beacon of Traverse City's will to thrive and preserve its history. The Villages at Grand Traverse Commons is a spectacle to behold.

As we drove back to Detroit, I started thinking about how the Commons in Traverse City run parallel to the Michigan Central Station here. A beautiful, historic building(s), shuttered since the 1980s, facing a "no hope of redevelopment" bill from most of the public. The neighbors hold out hope, however, despite the negativity and large price tag.

It could happen. It should happen. Imagine it. Somebody get Ray Minervini on the line, I've got a project for him...

Exciting news hit Detroit on Monday when the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, and a horde (literally, a horde) of other politicians announced that the proposed Woodward Light Rail is fully funded. The only thing that remains before construction can begin is an Environmental Impact Study which, if all goes according to plan, should put construction on pace to start in 2011 and the entire project slated to be complete by 2016.

(map courtesy of Google Maps, clever line and text created using Pixlr.com)

If I had the capital, I’d buy a few lots in the 8 Mile/Woodward Ave area and offer secure, lighted parking. Here’s why:

- The Central Business District (labeled DBD on the map) serves thousands of commuting employees every day. If they were able to leave their vehicles north of the office they could commute using the Light Rail each day, travel less in the car, and have the opportunity to unwind on their way home from work without being in the car, at least for a while.

- Fox Town includes Comerica Park (Detroit Tigers), Ford Field (Detroit Lions), the Fox Theatre, the Fillmore, and plenty of food and drink options. Ford Field brings 60,000 people to Fox Town 8 Sundays a year. Comerica Park brings 20,000-40,000 people to the neighborhood 81 times a year. The Fox and Fillmore host concerts several times a week. Commuters, imagine being able to avoid the mammoth traffic hassle after leaving a football game!

- The Detroit Medical Center and Henry Ford Hospital campuses are both along this route, providing access to visitors and patients who can’t travel by car.

- Wayne State University has over 30,000 students, a significant majority of whom commute to campus. Those throughout the city of Detroit have a more reliable option of getting to campus, those in the suburbs have a park-and-ride option, and students on campus will be able to get around the city in a much easier fashion.

- The Amtrak station to Chicago is located on Woodward. You'd be able to go from 8 Mile/Woodward to Union Station in Chicago by train.

- The Arts district, including MOCAD, the Detroit Historical Museum and the Detroit Institute of Arts, are all on Woodward Avenue.

Don't forget the many other attractions along this path including the Renaissance Center, Hart Plaza, the Riverwalk and Cobo Hall/Joe Louis Arena just to name a few. Tens of thousands of people could be moving into and out of the city of Detroit to work, live, shop, eat and play. The stronger the links between the city and the suburbs, the more people will realize how much there is to offer inside the city as well. I could easily list the number of top notch restaurants in the city that most of my friends from the suburbs miss because they are simply not down here very often. The easier the opportunities for them to come explore the city, the stronger we will see our small business community and economy. Likewise, the easier we make visiting the places our friends live, work and play, the stronger and more unified the region becomes. 

Quick to admit that there is still work to be done to see this to fruition, I strongly reject the usual attitude of negativity that so many throw our way. Shortly after the news, a customer told me that "you'll have grandkids before this train is running, that's how Detroit works." No, sir, it is not! There are plenty of wheels spinning, people making a difference, businesses opening, churches growing, neighborhoods thriving, and gardens being planted. I can't see how this could be written off as a "I'll believe it when I see it" when, quite frankly, there are a lot of new, exciting things to see and believe already.

Get on board people, the train to/from downtown Detroit is on its way!

For more information, check out:

"Detroit transit news: Woodward Light Rail on track to extend from the riverfront to 8 Mile Road" (Model D Media)

"Detroit moves forward with plan for light-rail project" (Detroit News)

How exciting it is to hear that local staple Avalon International Breads was recognized by Businessweek as a top Inner City business. The video below is featured on Businessweek's website, with this quote as the great takeaway:

"I think [Detroit] should be a magnet for entrepreneurs from all over the country and possibly the world who have a passion and want to start something where it will be really appreciated."

I love my local library and try to support it every way I am able. Which is why I kept two books for three months past the due date. 

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The Bowen Branch of the Detroit Public Library is approximately one mile from my house. I ride past it twice each day, although my morning ride is always prior to it being open (and it is closed on Fridays, I have discovered). Despite these hurdles, it is still open for four of my ride-bys (although a 40 percent average is not stellar, except in baseball).

I had a brief conversation* with the librarian today, during which it became quite clear** that she did not understand my generousity.

Me: "I'd like to return these books and find out the fines that I owe. I will pay them on my next trip, since I assume you only take cash and I do not typically carry that form of monetary payment when I ride my bike in downtown Detroit."

Librarian: "Well, it looks like these books are lost."

Me: "I can see why they would be flagged as such, but they are clearly not lost, as they are on the desk right here."

Librarian: "Right. So, well, you owe some money."

Me: "I understand. After all, I did hold them hostage for three months after the due date, preventing the masses from reading David Sedaris and T.S. Eliot."

Librarian: "Well you need to pay half of it to be able to check out books again. The balance needs to be less than $10 on your account."

Me: "So my fines are $20? That's great, since I know you guys need the money. I'll pay you on a future bike ride."

Librarian: "Correct, but you'll need to pay like $10.25 or something. So that you get to $9.75."

Me: "Or I can pay $20.00 so that my balance is zero, correct?"

Librarian: "Well most people pay $10.25 so they have a balance of $9.75"

Me: "But I want a zero balance, is that acceptable?"

Librarian: "Oh. Yeah, that is fine."

Me: "I'll bring you a cold $20.00 bill next time I am riding by, is that okay?"

Librarian: "Did you know that you can renew online?"

Me: "I probably should have looked into that before now, right?"

Librarian: "Oh. Yes."

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* Some slight literary leniency was taken in the retelling of this story.

** "Are we clear?" "Yes sir." "Are we clear?" "Crystal." Name that movie, it is one of my favorites.

City Council President Pro-Tempore Conyers,

I respect your husband's dedication to the people of Southeast Michigan. Many of my neighbors in the region feel the same way, which is why his endorsement of you, his wife, in 2005 was taking with such merit.

I generally respect the politicians that represent me at every level, whether I agree with them or not. As a youth in northern Michigan, I respected and liked both of the U.S. Senators from Michigan, despite them being political polar opposites. They seemed like kind, genuine people who meant well, and that was enough to earn my respect.

When I moved to metro Detroit, I had heard the stories about the corruption and comical disorder in city politics. Living in Oakland County for three years, I heard all of the bias against the city of Detroit and its residents from those in the suburbs. I can understand how frustrating things like the Cobo Hall issue must be for you, a lifelong Detroit resident, who is forced to deal with the obvious anti-Detroit sentiment from someone like Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. Having seen first-hand how frustrating the political system can be, I cannot imaging how tough it must be to be in the midst of it on a daily basis.

Now I come to the real reason I write this letter. You see, all of the previous paragraph taken into consideration, it is still far past time for your political career to come to a close. Put simply, It's Time for You to Resign.

We've all heard about the time you called City Council President Ken Cockrel "Shrek" in the middle of a meeting. We saw your foolish attempts to defend yourself to a child:

We've heard about the alleged bar fights, the rumors of guns, of mocking other City Council members physical disabilities, and your intended fight for control of the City Council last month. All of which call your character and your ability to lead into question.

Then we heard this week that a federal indictment should be expected any day on corruption and bribery charges. Your response, as we should have anticipated, was neither coherent or respected: "If you're not praying for me, you're adding to the problem." (As an aside, Councilwoman Conyers, I'd encourage you to read the words of Laura Berman in the Detroit News while they are still available on line.) You are facing what could potentially be a long time in prison because of lying and taking bribes. This is the type of situation that a public servant should either: defend vigorously because of their innocence or resign immediately because of their guilt. Your arrogance toward the situation tells us that you don't care, a very similar public response given by a certain former mayor of Detroit.

Councilwoman Conyers, I believe you when you say "I love helping people; I love my city. It's all about helping people in the city of Detroit." I think that reflects the reason why you entered city politics in the first place. The difficulty is that leadership requires a certain character that is beyond reproach. And with the resume of bad behavior and mistakes you have made, it is past time for the city of Detroit to have you out of leadership.

I realize that the November elections are not far off, and you could take the easy route and leave it in the hands of the voters at that time. But as someone who, like you, loves my city, I'm asking you to take the route of difficulty and decency and officially withdraw from reelection. It will save our city and its people the heartache and humiliation that another political trial and scandal would cause. Please have pity on your constituents and do not make us go through it all over again. We can't afford it.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Citizen of Detroit

"I have no hope for Detroit. Detroit will never change." (what I hear from most everyone when I say that we're moving to Detroit)

"They made their own beds, they can sleep in them. We have our own problems, let them fix their own." (Southern Republican senators)

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." (Jesus, Gospel of St. Matthew)

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Insanity

We're giving up the suburban comforts we have known since 2007. There will not be a shopping mall two miles from our house. There will not be two Starbucks, five CVS, and two McDonald's within five minutes of us. We won't have access to a small lake (that is way too overcrowded in the summer, I should add) and we won't be able to walk to Dairy Queen.

And I am so thankful.

You see, I've come to realize that we've politicized and commercialized our faith and ministries so much that we cannot separate it from the American Dream. Our churches own prime real estate and operate with six (or seven) digit yearly budgets, featuring all of the latest technology, the latest entertainment and enough programmed, age/gender/relationship-status ministries and commitees to make those damned Socialists jealous. And yet, our churches have the same divorce rate as our evil pagan society. Teens still get pregnant in the churches of abstinence and promise rings, the excommunicated kids who discovered marijuana discover it again and again, and a vast majority of those age 18 and up walk away from the church forever (unless, of course, they want their children to be baptised).

The American Dreamchurch

The solution, our churches say, is to do the same thing, just more of it (fie on Einstein for saying "Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results."). All the while, they promote the good citizenship, the individualism, and the American ideal of having a nice house, a 10% tithe, and kids who can memorize at least one Bible verse each week.

What happened to the Great Commandments? Why is it that we try to "conquer and divide" them into separate, manageable parts? Going to church, taking a leadership role in your congregation (maybe it's being an usher, maybe it's teaching Sunday School) and making sure we "leave time for God" in the midst of our PTA meetings and soccer games. We're encouraged to join a small group that fits our current life-stage (see previous paragraph), maybe help out in the soup kitchen once or twice, and perhaps even attend a mid-week service every once in a great while.

Of the World, and In It Too

Benjamin Franklin spent a year trying to make himself sinless, and he wasn't a Christian. Celebri-letes are always finding time to get in a photo op at a soup kitchen or daycare. The NBA Cares. ABC cross-promotes their television programs by sending their stars to cannodle with Ty Pennington and maybe paint a fence (see "Chambers, Justin" or "Nanny, Super"). Bart Ehrman and John Shelby Spong are fluent in what the Bible says, knowing a million times more verses by heart than your Honor Student, and yet their lives are in no way reflections of Christ (Ehrman is out to prove Jesus isn't Christ, Spong is essentially an agnostic/all-religions type). Statisically, every other young married couple in your church will still divorce, whether or not they watch the right films and join the right small groups. But at least we have the freedom to worship and own buildings, right?

Broken Record

Surely, we say, the church needs money to do ministry. We need to hire skilled, educated ministers and program staff to teach our kids how to live as Christians. We need our buildings so that we have a place to house our ministries, our small groups, and to have a physical presence in our communities.

But what about the places in the world today where the Gospel is illegal? Where the body of Christ doesn't own buildings? Where the body of Christ doesn't have Kirk Cameron, Rick Warren, Willow Creek and Hillsongs to provide them with the tools to do church? The church is growing by leaps and bounds. Whether "church" is a chapel or a meeting under a tree, the church in the Third World continues to grow at a rapid pace. Why?

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus

"Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise." John the Baptizer

The church that lacks the programs and the wealth spreads like wildfire, and the church that overflows with the programs and wealth charts their growth on X/Y graphs with percentage points in a fiscal-year business meeting. And yet we call for increased tithing, new strategic plans, and more programs.

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Why Detroit

Rome didn't have a lot of "potential."  When St. Patrick went to Ireland, I'm sure people reminded him that he was a slave there not too many years prior. Countries all over Africa have been ravaged by AIDS, famine and war. And yet the workers must still labor for the harvest.

It's true, the Detroit City Council is about as unpredictable as Britney's next career faux pas. The potential is there for four mayors to hold office within 14 months. Bob Corker hates the auto industry, and tens of thousands are unemployed. One in 47 people are homeless within the city and just shy of 50 percent of those homeless are families. The needs are great, and the politics are not.

Didn't Christ call us to serve the least of these?

The reality is that our churches have placed our cultural and societal values on a pedestal, and have tried to make church fit into them. We build our churches to look like malls. We make sure to offer "something for everyone." Burger King Jesus, if you think about it.

Called to Serve

The truth is, we're all called to serve, each of us in our own place. But the problem (in this context) lies with how far from service the suburban church has strayed. The "Field of Dreams" just doesn't work. Bright shiny lights don't reflect God's love anymore than standing on the street like Rorschach yelling "Repent! The End is Near!" A pastor once asked me something to the effect of: "if we can't live like Christ Monday through Saturday, are we really his followers on Sunday?"

It doesn't matter if it's Detroit, suburbia, or rural North Dakota. We're called to Love God and Love Others. But we can't do that if we don't take the time to build the relationships with those who don't know Christ and meet them where they are at. No strategic plan or mission statement ever changed a life. Only a life (and the leading of the Holy Spirit) can change another one.

Crazy, just not Lindsay Crazy

Call me crazy, but I see a mission field. For whatever reason we commend those who become missionaries far away, but we'll be damned if we'll support anything local that requires us to get "in the trenches." Detroit is broken just like your own neighborhood, and for once in my life I can say that I no doubt feel God pulling us into the city. This means I'll share with you my vision, my heart, and probably sound like a lunatic. Oh, and I'll ask for your [financial] support and [honest] prayers. And we will both know that I'm crazy.

"If we are crazy, then it is because we refuse to be crazy in the same way that the world has gone crazy."- Peter Maurin

Update: In May 2010 I posted a look at updated statistics from an April survey of 211 homeless in Detroit. Take a look here.

In April 2008, I blogged stats from the Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries about homelessness in Detroit. Sad figures indeed, they unfortunately reflected a Detroit in the middle of a national economy that was still in the black. Now, with economies worldwide in the tank, it is time to take a look at the new stats as well as a comparison to last year.

The updated, January 2009 statistics:

• In Detroit, there are over 18,000 homeless people in need of shelter on any given night. Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries is providing over 600 of them emergency, transitional and permanent housing.
• 30% of them are chronically homeless. 25% of them are children.
• Over 15,000 people live on the streets each night in abandoned buildings or “doubled up” with family or friends.
• Over 10,000 families in Wayne County will become homeless at least once during the next year.
• Families now constitute 49% of the number of homeless persons per year.

A year earlier, 3,700 people were in need of shelter on a given night. That is an increase of over 480%.

The number that are chronically homeless persists. This suggests that many more people are hovering in a state of financial teetering every day. 12,600 people are not chronically homeless and have fallen on hard times just recently. With the number of jobs lost in our area, it is no wonder where this recent upsurge in homelessness is coming from.

There are now 13,000 more people living on the streets each night. I think about the man the Detroit News wrote about this past week, who was found dead and frozen in an abandoned warehouse where dozens of homeless men live (the two articles are here and here if you haven't seem them yet).

Families went from 26% of the homeless in Detroit to 49%. Nearly half of the homeless in Detroit are families.

I imagine many other urban communities are seeing similar increases, especially those in the Midwest hardest hit by the manufacturing and automotive decline.

What are we going to do about it?

I am perched on my usual corner seat at Mercury Coffee Bar in Corktown, blogging, drinking a tea and discussing potential economic opportunities in this neighborhood. And one of the things I have discovered is the human openness that comes with community identity. In just the past month, I have met entreprenuers, missioners, urban farmers, community leaders and tons of future neighbors and friends.

The openness of the locals seems to come from their common love and identification with Corktown as a place and an idea. Corktown is full of economic opportunities, as well as plethora of social and entertainment ideas. The architects and planners are designing lofty plans for open lots and vacant buildings, while the urban farmers are looking to provide new, unique economic opportunities that are almost self-sustaining. Corktown the place has a mix of history and culture, as well as modern intricacies. Corktown the idea is a mixture of cultures and passions, with the potential to link up many of the broken, disconnected neighborhoods in Detroit.

Most encouraging is the level of excitement and commitment thatis seen. Whatever the level, the people in and around Corktown are committed to seeing it thrive. I cannot wait to move down here. And I am really hoping I can convince a bunch of other people to come along with us. It's a crazy, foolish idea, or at least that is what the critics say. Then again, the critics are merely critics, so we should come to expect that from them. For the rest of us, we've got a call, and only a change in the movement of the Spirit will disuade us.

June 2009 seems so far away...

One of the problems that exists with the internet, I believe, is that it has developed tiers like our political system. In essence, the people with the power dominate the internet, while the many without the power sit on the sidelines. Terms like Page Rank, SEO, and RSS mean a lot to the few, but to the average internet user this means next to nothing. Which leads me to my concern: quality information is not always readily available to those who don't know how to find it.

Let's consider this "case study:"

In April 2008, I published a short post consisting primarily of information regarding homelessness in Detroit. All information that is readily available on the internet from the website of the organization I cited. Which, in itself, should come as no surprise, as much of the information on the internet is readily repeated until it becomes ingrained in the memory of the search engines (ever wondered how those spam chain letters keep popping up, years after they started?). But the problem, I have found, is that because of some basic internet skills and average numbers of readership, I have suddenly become an "expert" on the topic of Detroit homelessness. Within days, my post became a top-three hit on Google and the number one hit on Yahoo. As a web guy, my first result was positive, until I noticed what was not a top result. The actual agencies who are on the ground, every day, fighting homelessness in Detroit.

There are a whole list of agencies working in Detroit, every day. And the average internet user won't find them, because they are buried three, four, or a dozen pages into the search results. And results constantly emphasize that internet users rarely venture past the top few results, let alone the second, third, or twentieth page.

Hopefully, the new mission that some friends of mine started, http://freemissionwebsites.com/, will help remedy this. If you don't know the internet, you cannot capture the interest and enthusiasm that comes with its user base. And this means a huge hit to potential donors of time and resources. I do not mind being a voice for Detroit Homelessness, I just hope that the true champions in our city get their to be heard.