Making a Difference Even if the Wicked Problems Don’t Go Away
“Wicked problems are ill-defined, ambiguous, complicated, interconnected situations packed with potential conflict.”[1]
For many years, our church housed those without a home for one week each year. This began in our city after three people died of hypothermia in 2005. A church decided to open its doors and soon they had more people seeking shelter than they could handle. More churches stepped up. Our church soon joined the ranks with 30+ other churches, making sure that each week from November until March, no one would have to be out in the cold without shelter. A week does not seem like much, but it was a large endeavor. It took 100 volunteers to make sure meals were served, beds were secured and spaced, and constant supervision was given. Our guests were offered haircuts, wellness checks, activities, and other services. We invited congregants to simply come and engage in conversation as well. Those conversations personalized the need as we learned each guest’s name and heard each of their stories, year after year.
I remember one of the couples we served. They were in their late 20s and had four children in foster care. They were likable and responsive, so we had several who reached out in love and care beyond the Hypothermia Relief Program. Jobs and housing were arranged several times over and yet, without fail, they would end up on the streets again. For two years, we endeavored to help but the wicked problem of homelessness had entrenched itself by the effects of abuse, trauma, and mental illness. It was much deeper than providing a home and a job. Eventually, the wife left to get help, but the husband remained on the streets. We all came to love this couple but knew that there was so much more involved. There is no doubt that God can do the miraculous. I have witnessed it. However, in this case, it taught us to continue even when we didn’t see the results we had hoped for. It also confirmed that just because there are wicked problems, like homelessness, we shouldn’t stop doing our part in trying to solve them. As Bentley and Toth claim, living a successful life is doing our best to solve problems with our skills and abilities.[2]
Bentley and Toth mention many differences between tame problems and wicked ones. One difference is that a tame problem results in a solution, whereas a wicked one might not have a solution and continually needs to be worked on.[3] It is often a problem that demands people to change, adapt, or respond. Furthermore, when we look deeply, WE often can be the problem.[4]
Kally Elliott in her post “Is Cancel Culture All Bad? I’m Not So Sure,” mentioned she was not so clear on authors’ Lukianoff and Schlott’s, stance: “They were not arguing that the left or the right was correct. In fact, just the opposite. In their words: “It’s clear by now that both the left and the right can perpetuate cancel culture. And the only way out of this sticky situation is for both sides to adopt an attitude that allows for people in our society to have radically different points of view on any number of issues.”[5] In other words, Lukianoff and Schlott, similar to Bentley and Toth, see the perpetuating wicked problem as having to do with people and how they engage with each other.
Could it be that the stickier the problem, the more it involves people without a willingness to reach beyond themselves on both sides of the spectrum? The willingness to say, “I’m sorry,” “You’re forgiven” or using curiosity to gain new awareness might be what is inherently lacking.
In Threshold Concepts in Practice, Proust is cited arguing “that the only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but ‘in having new eyes, in seeing the universe with the eyes of another.’”[6]
But even in trying to see with new eyes, there are times we seem powerless to change the systemic roots that plague the wicked problems of our day. Racism. Addiction. Homelessness. Anxiety… Perhaps sometimes it is simply beyond us. I think back to our discussion with Dr. Lieberman about the supernatural.[7] Just as there are supernatural things that cannot be explained by science, perhaps there are problems we can’t fix in our natural human wisdom.
James 3:17-18 states “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” (NIV)
We can often talk about the negative aspects of how the church needs to change. However, thinking over history, it has often been the church that made great strides in affecting wicked problems in powerful ways because of the wisdom and power source from which they served. Ridding our community at large of hypothermia deaths for 19 years now did not put an end the wicked problem of homelessness, but it made a significant difference in our homeless community.
[1] Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth, Exploring Wicked Problems: What They Are and Why They Are Important (Archway Publishing, 2020). XIV.
[2] Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth. 180.
[3] Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth. 196.
[4] Joseph Bentley and Michael Toth. 197.
[5] Kally Elliott, “DLGP Blog,” Is Cancel Culture All Bad? I’m Not So Sure (blog), February 5, 2024.
[6] Ray Land and Jan H. F. Meyer, “Threshold Concepts in Practice,” 2016, https://web-p-ebscohost-com.georgefox.idm.oclc.org/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=0d84e6f4-f766-43d4-bc7f-81363b8ee4c7%40redis&vid=0&format=EB. 14.
[7] Dr. Daniel Z. Lieberman, “DLGP02 Class Chat.”
About the Author
Esther Edwards
Esther has served in ministry leadership for over 35 years. She is an ordained minister, an ICF and CCLC certified coach, and licensed coach trainer. Her and her husband have launched their own coaching practice, Enjoy the Journey Leadership Coaching and seek to train ministry leaders in the powerful skill of coaching. Esther loves hiking, reading, and experiencing new coffee shops with friends and family. She enjoys the journey with her husband, Keith, their four daughters, sons-in-law, and their five beautiful grandchildren.9 responses to “Making a Difference Even if the Wicked Problems Don’t Go Away”
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ABSOLUTELY amazing what your town and the churches in it are doing. I’m in awe of that, Esther.
Thanks for the reminder that the church has long been part of the solution, not only the problem precisely because of “the wisdom and power source from which they served”.
Thanks, Tim. It became something our church so looked forward to each year though it was intensive. I mentioned a negative outcome, but we had so many success stories. One lady, who we continued, to help, finally got off the streets after six years. Another young man, who waited on our table in a restaurant, told us he remembered us and wanted us to know that one of our congregants would get up at 5am to drive him to his job since he didn’t have a car. He was an immigrant, had come here for school, partied his life away, and by 24 years of age was on the streets. The love and grace of one of our men, helped him get back on his feet and he now had his own apartment, was going back to school, and was holding down a job just three years later.
What amazing stories of real impact…Thanks for sharing and inspiring me!!!
A great case study in how we can make inroads into overwhelming problems, Esther.
I want to hear more about the connections you are drawing between wicked problems and polarized society; are you suggesting that we have more wicked problems because of polarization, or are you saying that we can improve wicked problems if we overcome polarization? Or both?
Actually, I’m not sure polarization is the intrinsic problem but it certainly helps to have people and organizations more apt to help if they put a name and a story to each individual. However, there are so many deeper systemic issues. (Making it truly a “wicked problem.”) Your question had me look up a few points of view and this one resonated: “People experiencing homelessness — or at risk of falling into it — are touched by many other systems of care along the way, which include health care, criminal legal system, to name a few. By default, homeless response systems aren’t set up to coordinate with these upstream systems — which means. they’re not working together to prevent people from entering into homelessness.” [1]
Also, with the hundreds of guests we had over the years, more of the prevalent problems I noticed were mental illness, poverty, and drug abuse. Then most of these are probably fed by trauma and broken relational systems… Complexity through and through.
[1] Maya Archava, Why is Homelessness a Systems Problem? August 25, 2021, Homelessness Blog, https://community.solutions/why-is-homelessness-a-systems-problem/
I really enjoyed reading your post! I wouldn’t have thought to connect wicked problems to interconnection and forgiveness but I’m so glad you did! You said, “Could it be that the stickier the problem, the more it involves people without a willingness to reach beyond themselves on both sides of the spectrum?” Bentley advises “Recruit, Enlist and Engage Others” but I prefer your approach, as I understand it: Love, forgive and build bridges.
Kim,
I imagine we need all the above. Being in this cohort has helped me see all the more that remaining curious before drawing assumptions helps build bridges. So many of us are from very different backgrounds, but we are willing to listen and learn from each other. The same happened as we listened more intently to those who housed with us as we showed we were interested in listening to them and gleaning from them. A different dynamic ensued and broke down the “us” vs. “them” polarizing potential.
Hi Esther,
I am so intrigued by your Hypothermia Relief Program and would love to learn more. Today in a prayer meeting with church leaders our pastor communicated that he and several area pastors met with our city mayor to discuss a pressing need. There are 345 homeless youth in our town and Christian leaders were asking for ideas, resources, and support to address this need. Can you help me understand some of the practical challenges you face in implementing such a program? What should pastors and congregations be prepared to for in opening their doors?
Jenny,
I would love to share more with you. When our church jumped on board, it was already organized to some extent but we had one of our board members, who was retired military, add his expertise to it. Our church became a role model for others because John would think through important details.
Some of the challenges:
1. Many of the guests were protective of their few belongings and very territorial so having small dividers and plenty of security helped ward off fights. Police were called immediately if needed and were very aware of each church that was housing guests.
2. Our church rallied around the event each year so we had enough volunteers, but some churches struggled to have enough volunteers. At times 2 and 3 churches would work together to make it happen.
3. Some of our people would want to help further, but we did not recommend taking any guest into homes. When someone did, it did not usually end well. It takes wisdom to know how to handle this.
I would say that churches that want to help should partner with other initiatives already serving in the area.