The Reverend Charleston D. Wilson, Resurrection House Chairman of the Board
Dear Friends,
“From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind”
Psalm 33:13
A dear mentor of mine, now long departed, once told me about one Sunday morning on his way to church in St. Louis. He was a priest, and he didn’t hear his alarm that morning. Of course, when one is late, all the traffic signals are red. As he waited at a signal a few blocks before his parish, a man he’d noticed before was sitting on the curb with no shoes and a sad countenance. My friend motioned him over to his car because he felt compelled to give the man a few dollars and point towards the shelter for a shower.
Unfortunately, when my friend reached into his back pocket, he noticed that he’s also forgotten his wallet as he rushed to leave. Embarrassed that he had called over this homeless man only to turn him away emptyhanded, he said, “I am Father Ed, and I will be back through here later today. I will bring you some money. I’m sorry I don’t have any now.” The tired, homeless man lifted his head, looked Father Ed in the eyes and said, “Father, it’s not about the money. Thank you for looking at me.”
In that incredible exchange we see what Resurrection House is all about: honoring the undeniable dignity present in the face of every human being. Or, more officially, my friend’s story points us to the transformative power of our mission of being “committed to transitioning at-risk and homeless individuals to a path of self-sufficiency.”
I am deeply honored to have been elected Resurrection House Chairman of the Board. I follow the Reverend Fred Robinson, who served faithfully since 1995. I promise to do all in my power to continue our great legacy and by God’s grace, build upon it so that more and more may know the love and God and the power of kindness.
I pray in this season that you will be moved to recommit yourselves to the work God has given us to do. And I pray that you, too, may feel God’s kind gaze upon you and rediscover hope in His eternal promises.
Your servant,
The Reverend Charleston D. Wilson
Rector, Church of the Redeemer
