Nothing like starting the morning cleaning shit off the street in
front of Manna House. Some poor soul lost bowel control in the night. Guests
who had arrived early and were waiting for me to open the gate warned me as I
came across the street. After applying some buckets of hot soapy bleach water and
a doing a thorough hose down, my street cleaning work was complete.
Memphis is a
place where to quote Ed Loring of the Open Door Community, people cannot “pee
for free with dignity like Jesus did in Galilee.” Nor can they, “take a crap
without getting a police rap.” A severe lack of public restrooms in this city makes
finding a place to legally go to the bathroom an arduous task. And as a
Southern city, in which those in poverty and those with dark skin are especially
not welcome, the task is even more difficult and reflects a long history of
segregated bathrooms, and denial of access to bathrooms. A recent article in “The Nation”
magazine rightly points out, “Restrooms outside the home have always
served to reify norms of who is and isn’t welcome to occupy public life” (Natalie
Shure, The Politics of Going To the Bathroom, The Nation, May 23, 2019).
Consider how many
restaurants post signs that say, “Restrooms for customers only.” Consider how
few parks there are that have restrooms. It is no surprise that when Manna
House is open our restroom is in almost continuous use.
Three basic
worries are common among people on the streets: where am I going to eat, where
am I going to sleep, and how am I going to go the bathroom. Arrests for public
urination are common among those experiencing homelessness. Some 20-30 percent
of homeless people indicated in a recent survey by the National Law Center on
Homelessness and Poverty they have been charged with this “crime.” Fourteen
states classify public urination as a sex offense. In Tennessee, public
urination falls under “public indecency.” First and second-time offenders of public indecency face a Class
B misdemeanor with a $500 fine. After that, the misdemeanor goes up to Class A,
the fines increase to $1,500, and jail time enters the picture (a maximum of 11
months and 29 days behind bars).
In light of
the criminalization of urination and defecation does the Bible say anything
about going to the bathroom? A little biblical research turns up nearly 30 references
related to use of the bathroom. Deuteronomy 23:12-14, for example, gives clear
instructions to crap outside the camp “so that God may not see anything
indecent among you.” In the New Testament there’s nothing about Jesus going to
the bathroom; no instruction on the matter. But given Jesus’ humanity, he had
to go somewhere, and his disciples did too. And since they were not among the
elite owning large houses with bathrooms, it is probably safe to say they went
where they could, and Jesus’ instructions about food for the hungry, water for the
thirsty, and clothing for the naked could easily include access to bathrooms
for those who have to go.
As I was
reflecting on the denial of bathrooms to people on the streets I came across Psalm
123, which has nothing directly to do with this issue. Yet I think it gets to
the contempt
for persons on the streets that denies them access to restrooms, and to God’s
concern for the orphan, the widow, and the stranger—those who were the
overlooked, vulnerable, marginalized ones. Through the prophets and Jesus, God continually
calls us to care for those to whom our society shows contempt.
Our eyes look to the Lord our God,
till God shows us mercy.
till God shows us mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
of ridicule from the arrogant,
of contempt from the proud.
We need to reflect God’s mercy, and we need to affirm that access
to adequate restrooms is a fundamental necessity for everyone. All God’s
children gotta pee for free with dignity like Jesus did in Galilee.
