About - Open Churches

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Matthew Works is an artist, writer, and activist for the homeless, who has lived in Boston for thirty years, the last thirteen of

which have been spent "out on the streets." His work is a testament to the creative spirit in that he manages to create, transport

and exhibit his work under conditions that most artists would find impossible. His studio is mobile by necessity. He creates

his artwork wherever he is allowed to sit and work without being harassed. He is driven by a need to address, through his artwork

and writing, the inequities and wrongdoing that he sees in the world. He has experienced the hostility directed at the homeless by

those who assume that people who are poor or without a home must be lazy or shiftless, and his exhibit and speaking schedule

stand in stark contrast to those attitudes.

In the last three years, Matthew has traveled extensively throughout the United States, speaking at churches, colleges and

universities, in Vermont, Tennessee, Ohio, Nebraska, New York City and Chicago, to name a few places. Since beginning his

"Cross Country Speaking Tours" and "Traveling Art Shows" he has built a following as a speaker, including keynote speaker, an

artist, and "theologian in residence." He has been featured on National Public Radio and was profiled in the New York Times'

bestselling book, God's Politics, by the Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners magazine.

-- written by Matthew Clay-Robison, Art Gallery Director; York College of Pennsylvania; November, 2009

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An excerpt from

God's Politics:

Why the Right Gets It Wrong
and the Left Doesn't Get It.

A New Vision for Faith and Politics in America.

by
Jim Wallis

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A New York Times Bestseller

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"The book that changed the conversation
about faith and politics in America."

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Chapter 21

The Critical Choice :
Hope Versus Cynicism

Matthew's Homeless Church
[ page 356 ]

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I remember a homeless young man I met in my course at Harvard's Kennedy School, of all places. I had spoken at a conference on

homelessness at the Massachusetts Statehouse, and this young man was there. In the small discussion groups, he met some of my students, who

were speaking about our class. It sounded interesting to him, so Matthew started coming. Every week he would show up on time and quietly sit at

the back, paying close attention. One night, I invited him to join several students and me for dinner afterward. In conversation around the table, he

began to open up to us about how a workplace conflict had left him without a job and eventually homeless.

We all noticed that Matthew always carried around a large cardboard box, which he would carefully set down next to him. Exactly what was

in that box ? After the last night of class, Matthew came with several of us to a Call to Renewal organizing meeting at the Divinity School.

Afterward, as we were in the refectory for refreshments, I looked over and saw that Matthew had opened his box and placed the contents on one

of the tables. People gathered around to view a beautifully crafted model of a church made from white cardboard. All along the outer walls of the

steepled church were the words of the prophets and the sayings of Jesus, beautifully written in Matthew's own hand --- almost like calligraphy.

Over the front door, Christ's words appeared, "Come to me, all you who are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Right beneath the words was

a door, closed shut with a little padlock. The message was clear.

Matthew told me how he made his church and protected it from the elements. He smiled and said, "Sometimes, people like the church so

much they offer to keep it in their apartment for me, so it doesn't get damaged." With a twinkle in his eye, he added, "But they don't make the

same offer to me. Only to my church."

Some would not see a story of hope in Matthew's church, but I do. Matthew understood, better than most church people, what the

teachings of the prophets and Jesus were and really meant. He believed in their power and their hope. Why else would he carry that beautiful

miniature church around with him everywhere he went ? When he spoke of it, Matthew wasn't bitter, but rather sad. He was sad that the church

people didn't quite get it. Yet his small act of consistent witness was a way of hoping they someday would.

-- Rev. Jim Wallis, author, and Editor-in-Chief, Sojourners magazine

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NPR's

This American Life

Hosted by Ira Glass

Original air date ....................... Jan 9th, 2004

Theme .................................. "Living Without"

Act III ............. "The Call of the Great Indoors"

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/446/living-without-2011

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Homeless Advocate Matthew Works Visits WRT 105

http://wrt.syr.edu/newsarchive/courses/works/

Emily Dressing

"Having a homeless man talk to my WRT 105 class seemed like a rare opportunity to take my students out of their comfort zone and listen to

a perspective they wouldn't ordinarily hear," writes Jules Gibb, a TA teaching WRT 105. This opportunity presented itself when Matthew Works,

an activist and artist, came to campus this fall to bring attention to the issue of homelessness.

Works, who has experienced hostility directed at the homeless, exhibited his art in Hendricks Chapel and slept on a cot there, SU just one

stop on the list of campuses that he visits, setting up residency and working to communicate his message: the homeless need refuge and

protection. While on campus, Works also talked to Writing 105 students who were working on units about contested public space. He has

spent years attempting to get churches to reach out to the homeless, reminding church leaders that Jesus was homeless. Works writes, "I believe

that the first step toward this goal is to see to it that churches -- all churches (if not also synagogues and mosques, as well) -- stop locking their

doors; but, instead, these 'houses of God' should be kept open" so that they can serve as a true place of shelter for the homeless.

In the WRT 105 classes, Works expanded his message to talk about themes like questioning authority, thinking critically, and being creative

when words alone prove insufficient. He enjoyed the thought-provoking conversations he had with students in these classes: "I love seeing the

stereotypes that have, somehow, formed in the minds of young people, suddenly being shattered; how their eyes just seem to pop wide open as

new thoughts and new possibilities seem to 'explode' (in 'bursts of light', so to speak) in front of them."

After Works spoke with her students, Writing Program Chair Eileen Schell said, "Matthew brought his story to students through examples and

narratives and also through his art work depicting how churches often lock their doors to keep out homeless people. His message was quiet,

measured, but powerful and haunting."

Students in Schell's class were given the opportunity to respond to Works' visit, and some of their responses are captured here.

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"Having Matthew speak was a great way to bridge a connection to homelessness. I feel like it's something I've known about, but never really

understood or thought about. Since Matthew came in, I have thought about homelessness at least once a day ... Simple things like rain, food, and

finding a bed will never look the same to me."

--- Flose Boursiquot

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"One point I ageed with was his argument about how churches aren't stepping up to help the homeless. The quote, 'How can you worship a homeless

man [Jesus] on Sunday, and ignore one on Monday?' was an excellent point."

--- Stephen Cassilo

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"One point I found interesting was how difficult dealing with

the rain is for homeless people. That part really affected me to the point where I feel bad when it rains."

--- Marc Abelard

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"The anecdote talking about the homeless shelters and the Spanish-speaking man [who slept in a trash compactor on a rainy night] was both

informative and gripping as a narrative. It really speaks to the audience and utilizes the imagery of words to envision the circumstance of homelessness."

--- Mark Olin

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"One point I agreed with was when he [Matthew] said there were stages to homelessness, and the deeper you got the more homeless

you become. I had never heard this before, but as he was talking about it, it made more sense, and it was obvious to see that the more stages in you

are, the harder it was to leave homelessness."

--- Erica Hewins

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"An interesting point Matthew came up with was that the churches advocate their religion but don't follow it themselves word for word. Like how

the church is supposed to leave their doors open for all those in need of help, but in reality it is locked up during the night."

--- Colin Chen

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