Always with us...

You cannot claim to worship Jesus in the Tabernacle, if you do not pity Jesus in the slums. . . It is folly -- it is madness -- to suppose that you can worship Jesus in the Sacraments and Jesus on the throne of glory, when you are sweating him in the souls and bodies of his children."
- Bishop Frank Weston of Zanzibar - 1923

The Bible is full of God's commands concerning the poor, and how we are to interact with them. From the Great White Throne judgment of Matthew 25 all the way back through the Wisdom literature of Proverbs where we are told that mocking the poor is an insult to their Maker. (Prov. 17:5). How can this be so, then in this Great American Church? Rich beyond the dreams of even the greatest of Medieval potentates?

Yet, here I am, in modern America, CHRISTIAN America serving God's Church and wondering, how can it be that in the very basic writings of our Faith, where God strongly insists on caring for the poor and where almost everything He says about the rich isn't very positive at all, our main focus is sex, and not justice?

The thing I have struggled with personally in the past and still hear very often is that "people sit around on their butts watching TV when they should get a job." I now know this is far to easy for me to push the problem off on to them, and not do anything about it, because "they deserve it" or "they should know better."

What that doesn't do is engage them where they are, doesn't solve the problem, and most importantly gets me off the hook because "they" are the ones at fault. I feel that we should engage them as Jesus has saved me and all of us, not because we were doing anything that even remotely deserved it, but because He loved us, I need to love them. Do some of them not deserve help? You bet. Is that a criteria listed in the Scriptures that the Lord requires them to be? Hm, not that I can find.  (Paul has some words on the subject, but to me, it appears to be his words, not the Lord's)

I have been involved for a while with a group that takes care of kids whose parents are in prison. We take them to camp, try to teach them some good social skills, give some rest to their care givers, and in general try to impact their familles in positive ways for Christ. I have found amazing dysfunction, and profound ignorance. These families simply do not have the tools to compete with modern culture. Maybe they should, but they don't and my group has found that reaching out in Christ's love, and serving the least of those in our community ends up serving the whole town.

Part of my Baptismal Vow engages me to seek justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being. Every means every. Not just the easy or pleasant ones.   Many of the Brothers in my Order give up their homes and move into homeless shelters to address this very problem. A very specific and Gospel filled calling.

Christians have built our homes and our Churches in good safe neighborhoods, and left the poor behind. Trapped in substance addiction, physical abuse, confusion, pain, and a sad, hard life.

But yet, He cries, He weeps, He bleeds... How can I do less? What do those out there reading do?

Mark 14:7
For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish

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"The proof of love is in the works. Where love exists, it works great things. But when it ceases to act, it ceases to exist." - Saint Gregory the Great

Comments

[Bruce]

I learned about helping the poor the hard way. My apartment burned down when I was 22, and I was homeless for three days. Suddenly I was one of "the least of these." Through help from friends I was able to get back on my feet, but I can never forget what it's like to be on the other side.

Since then I've volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and Mennonite Housing, and taken trips to Central America with my church to work on building projects. If there's one lesson I've learned from the fire, it's the value of having a home.

[Bruce]

That quote from Mark 14:7 really struck me. Usually when I hear it quoted, the "you can show kindness to them" clause is omitted.

[Timothy]

Amazing post... thanks alot.

[mo]

"Every means Every".

Amen!

Thanks.

[Sojourning Pilgrim]

Your post this morning is excellent. One of the biggest problems I have with living the Christian life is the challenge to balance all of the various angles of service. But the more I read the things Jesus said, the more it seems that He calls us to give ourselves to the lost, the least, the lonely, the poor - in essence, those who need the human touch the most.

[Bryan]

Wow, great post! I especially love the quote from Saint Gregory the Great. So true...

[ben]

Great reminder to us brother. The Jesus of the New Testament fed the hungry, clothed the naked, lived with the poor. I don't know if he would have had a house in the suburbs with the 52 inch plasma screen. There are those that say, "well, maybe he wouldn't have, but it is ok to be rich and to have things". I am questioning that logic. I don't see the gospel in it.

[Bryan]

Come on Ben, you mean we shouldn't have a giant TV . . . that helping the poor might be a better way to spend our money? :-) Yeah, I often struggle with the lifestyle we Americans tend to live. I really believe Christians should live modestly. If we would do that, money would be available for Kingdom purposes. To me, it's about living simply with the Kingdom in mind. I'm still learning . . .

[Damien Scott]

A priest in my former community would somtimes, after having read the gospel for Mass, sit down and say, "After words such as those, it would be irreverent for me to make a comment."

After words such as these, clearly words of God, I too place my hand over my mouth, close my eyes and sit.

[clark]

I'm learning just to look homeless people in the eyes and learn to speak to them and not be afraid of our differences. Treating them as humans is my first step. I need much mercy in this.

[ben]

John Wesley said that he believed that serving the poor was a sacrament. That in serving the poor, not from a position of self-rigtheousness, or "I have something to offer you", rather from a postion of equality, will always allow God to give us a new grace in our life.

[Bryan]

Good words Ben.

[McKormick]

Sorry this is totally unrelated but thought my monastic friend might enjoy this article.

Monks Brew it Best

[eddie]

Perhaps we would much rather theologize about it, than getting our hands dirty. Guilty as charged. Thanks for this!

[Hugo]

I really liked the post - thanks for sharing.

Blessings & Peace,
Hugo

[Kyle]

One assumes then, that poor people have not purchased those same plasma screen televisions on credit?

I don't know how many poor people are poor simply because money has not entered their hands.