Finding Jerusalem Slim

You call me Christ Jesus with intelligence slim
But I was a rebel called Jerusalem Slim
And my brother: the outcast, the rebel the tramp
And not the religious, the scab or the scamp
-Nineteenth century Hobo poem

I am taking a break from editing chapter three and starting research on my last dissertation chapter. This is the mystery chapter, since nobody on my committee (myself included) liked the proposal. So I think I am going to write about hobo communities in the late nineteenth century, if I can find enough about female hoboes. I will also look at the photos taken of homeless people by Riis, etc.

Hoboes: People who wandered looking for work
Tramps: People who wandered and asked for handouts
Bums: People who stayed in one place but didn't work

Churches were often the last resort for hoboes since they had to do hard labor and listen to long sermons before getting food. The food they received was often meager, like bologna sandwiches and thin soup. However, many of them were spiritual and referred to Jesus as "Jerusalem Slim." They saw him as a hobo who wandered around and shared his story, just like they did.

Long-haired preachers come out tonight.
Try to tell you what's wrong and what's right
But when you ask for something to eat
They will answer you in voices so sweet.

You will eat bye and bye,
In that glorious land in the sky;
Work and pray, live on hay
You'll get pie in the sky when you die.
-Joe Hill ballad, "The Preacher and the Slave"

There is a church protesting our street church. As far as we can tell, it is because St. John's doesn't require any religious commitment before giving out food. They stand across the street holding signs during the service. It is hard to know how to respond.

We are trying to get back into going to street church. It is really the most authentic spiritual experience I have had, but it has been really hard to get into going to any kind of church lately. I feel like Sundays are the only days we have to figure things out at home and relax a little, and we are never sure what form our spirituality should take. Everywhere I go in Franklinton, I see Jerusalem Slim.