The Way
Interview of Susan Post
Scott Fina
Susan Post is the executive director of Esperanza Health Center, which provides medical, dental, pharmaceutical, and counseling services, and community development programs, to underserved communities in North Philadelphia. Esperanza--which has grown tremendously under Susan’s leadership--has three busy medical clinics--community centers: one located on Sixth Street in Hunting Park; one at Fifth and Indiana; and one at Kensington and Alleghany in Kensington. Susan moved into Hunting Park twenty years ago to live in solidarity with the people she serves—and deeply loves. She has a Doctorate in Ministry and is an elder at Spirit and Truth Fellowship.
I have known Susan ever since she moved into Hunting Park. I have seen her gain the trust, friendship and respect of her local community. I have also seen her arrested and handcuffed while kneeling in prayer, helping to block the entrance of one of the House of Representatives office buildings in Washington, D.C.: an act of protest over legislative cutbacks in medical care programs for impoverished people. More recently, I remember worrying while getting texts from Susan as she stood locked arm in arm with other clergy members at 2nd and Market in Charlottesville—directly in harm’s way—attempting to diffuse
the threatening violence between the “Antifa” and “Unite the Right” protestors and to counter hateful invective with courageous love.
Last September, Susan used her sabbatical to walk the entire 500-mile trek of the Camino de Santiago (“The Way”) in Spain. She generously agreed to my interviewing her about her experience.
Scott Fina
SUSAN: I turned 60 last year and I wanted to sort of have a pause or reset to think about my life and ministry as it has gone and where I am going with all that. I liked the idea of The Way because it is a physical, spiritual and emotional journey. I liked that all of this would possibly fit together. I also liked the idea of it being a pilgrimage that others were taking, others from many other cultures and, in that sense, there would be a community about me, all of us on our own pilgrimages, but also somehow all connected in our experience and journey.
SUSAN: In some ways it was what I expected it to be, and more. The daily physical walking, the beauty around me, and the time to process, was wonderful. But it went far beyond that for me. I had goals for my time and what might be accomplished, so many goals. But I think what surprised me, was the journey itself; how it ended up not being not so much about the goals or the destination, but more about the journey.
Along the way, you start to realize things about yourself and how your spiritual and physical and emotional life are intertwined. The Camino teaches you. It is about rhythms; it is about being weak at times, lonely, in need of rest, but in surety of restoration at the end of the day... The need we all have for beauty and companionship.
The most important finding I had was given at a mass by a priest who blessed the
pilgrims. He reminded us that the Camino, the way, is one name Jesus gave to Himself. He IS the way. So, I had goals for my journey, but I began to see the journey itself as the
goal. And a sense of, rather than us going out, or being sent out to do His work, it is instead a journey of Jesus “beckoning” us to Himself. The journey is to Him. I began to walk then, a journey that started to include Him in every step and that drew me to where He already was, calling me to love Him and love those He loves. Instead of the idea of being sent I began to see the journey as being beckoned to Him and His work.
SUSAN: Let me use a little of the Camino to respond to that. When I was on the Camino, I was out in God's beautiful nature all day, every day. Each day started with a sunrise, as I started before dawn. I began to see beauty more and more as I walked. There was obvious beauty but I found that I discovered more beauty in small detail of nature, people, rhythms etc. I think we are built for receiving the beauty that God put into the
world. Sometimes in our hurry and in places that don't have so much natural beauty, we miss the beauty there is in everything. I was very refreshed and restored by that beauty. I grew a stronger understanding of beauty on the Camino.
In my work of walking alongside people in their health in an under-resourced urban community there can seem to be a lack of beauty. But, in my work, I have always known that God has placed beauty in each human being. For me, seeing that beauty is compelling and refreshing as I try to serve Him in my ministry. For me to have longevity in ministry I need that refreshment. I need to see the larger gifts, the beautiful gifts that God places in front of me, in my health center, in my neighborhood, in my city.
Now, as I also see that the journey is toward Him, it means that the day to day serving is complete in itself, and not contingent upon any personal or professional accomplishments. It is about me just walking in the context of life with God and in all that He is doing in others.
SUSAN: To be honest, I do find these times discouraging. It is hard to find hope as I look around in our country and our world. Thinking again of the Camino, people have been walking that journey for many, many years, from as early as the 9th Century.
I stood at the foot of the cross at Cruz de Fero on The Way, a place where pilgrims over the centuries have left a rock or shell signifying a pain or loss in their life. And I saw how the cross has covered those pains and losses of all of us pilgrims throughout the ages.
While walking I did some meditating on the 23rd Psalm. That is a psalm that is known and recited most often at funerals. But it is a psalm of pilgrimage. The author of the psalm reminds us that God is leading us (or beckoning us) on our journey. While things may seem discouraging and divided, our God restores my soul. He leads in paths of righteousness. In the valley of darkness He is there leading. He gives or anoints in some mysterious way, to overflowing - in the midst of darkness. I definitely have seen that mystery unfold in my community during dark times.
And the psalm ends with this: “Surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and we will dwell with Him forever.”
What does that exactly mean right now in these times? I can't really say. But I do know that I was able to get a glimpse of faith in that, on the Camino. I continue to see these promises worked out in daily life in my community. Same God, same journey throughout all generations. Yesterday, today and forever.
Scott and Family are CPF West
