Trash Tells a Story

Posted by Core Mini Bins on February 10th, 2017

Many people may work more than one job, but in St. Paul, Minnesota, a local Lutheran pastor has picked up an unconventional second job - he's a garbage collector. John Marboe began collecting trash when his daughter was eight in order to help make ends meet around the house. He always admired trash collectors when he was young and when he became unemployed it was the perfect opportunity to help his family.

His daughter, Charlie, is not ashamed of what her father does. She happily tells people about both of his jobs. Her father sees his second job as important and a wonderful way to serve people. Their family is close and the fact that a teenage daughter is not ashamed of a trash collector father speaks volumes. At a time in her life when many kids are focused on appearances and how others perceive them, Charlie understands what her dad does and the importance of it. She sees his work as serving others.

An adjunct professor at University of Minnesota where he teachers youth and spirituality, Marboe has said that he learns more about people hauling their trash than he does being a pastor. Although the work is hot in the summer, and smelly, he knows he's doing something good. Sometimes people view him with disdain, which is frustrating. He sees both of his jobs as something that children can aspire to be.

A hard part of being a trash collector for Marboe is seeing cries for help from people in the trash. As a pastor, he wants to help others who are in pain or reaching out. But this job is different - he is simply to collect and dispose of the trash. There's no way to get involved or to counsel people. Although Marboe knows this, there is one thing that he can do to lift up the people he is serving. Prayer. Although he is being paid to simply remove the trash there is nothing stopping him from praying.

Marboe understands the value of everything we do for others. While our actions may sometimes go unnoticed it doesn't negate the importance of them. For him, removing trash and praying for people as he sees fit go together hand in hand and give him an amazing opportunity to serve his community. He has found that what people throw away tells a story about them. It may be about a specific part in their lives, or who they were in the past, but trash tells a story. And Marboe, a pastor who understands and loves people no matter who they are, is there to listen to that story and to pray.