Reflections on "The Right To Be Home"

 For the past two weeks, I've been assisting my friend and fellow homeless advocate, Steven Kuchinsky, with a video entitled "Home Is a Human Right." It not only proposes solutions surrounding Tiny Homes and sustainable communities, but also the very concept of what "home" is all about.

My last blog entry talked about past, present, and future as components of home, and Steven's presentation touched upon the same. He cited the interconnection of human beings throughout the course of time, the present state of the economy and its effect on that connection, and a future in which sustainable community living helps us reconnect.

One theme he presents throughout the video really hit home (pun intended): "We need to be in a place of connection and belonging to be fully human."

Teepee in Lakewood, NJ Tent City

That statement speaks to a major problem in modern society. We have grown, and continue to grow, increasingly isolated from one another. Technology has made communication easier and more convenient, but less personal. We buy into egocentric attitudes and a culture of fear that prevents us from reaching out to those in need. We have a plethora of distractions, whether constructive or destructive, that hinder or altogether replace human connection. We live in a society that has reduced human beings to little more than commodities, our worth measured by our perceived usefulness. The gaps between socioeconomic classes, political ideologies, and religious beliefs widen and divide us even further.

Steven asserts that there is a homeless person within all of us, and that by further isolating and judging the less fortunate, we are further isolating ourselves. And I strongly believe that. Because who among us has never felt that profound sense of loneliness and isolation that disconnects us from our inner circle - and ultimately, from our own humanity? If you have not, you are indeed among the very, very fortunate few.

As you watch and share this video, may it serve as a reminder to never lose sight of the Home within ourselves, and to never forget to seek it in others as well.