If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well," but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it?
Todays 1st Reading is from James (2: 14-24,26). If we’re honest with ourselves, we may do this sometimes, but more often than not we don’t even reach this high. I know I walk by folks every day on the street who are asking for money to buy food or shelter or perhaps something more recreational. If they’re selling Street Roots, an awesome paper written by the homeless, I’ll buy one. But otherwise more often than not I just walk by, especially if I’m in a hurry. The only time I get close to the non-actions James is censuring here is when I remember to look them in the eye, acknowledge their humanity, and say "Sorry."
But that bare minimum we’re not managing isn’t enough. Which perhaps is why in my translation James goes on to call us, I kid you not, "ignoramuses." We just don't seem to get what we're about here. We’re called to walk a road that is not easy. It stretches us, calls us in new directions. And increasingly I think we’re called to remember not only the brothers and sisters in need whose paths we cross each day, but our brothers and sisters around the globe as well.
Have you heard of the ONE Campaign? If this reading from James tugs at your heart, you might want to learn more and pray about what you, as one person, can do as part of a larger effort to eradicate global poverty. It will take all of us to make this happen, but I believe God may be moving some rocks, and in fact rock stars, to help us to just that.
You might also want to read Bono’s speech at this year’s National Prayer Breakfast. This rock star is an unlikely prophet, but read this speech and .. well …. just read it.
It's not a coincidence that in the Scriptures, poverty is mentioned more than 2,100 times. It's not an accident. That's a lot of air time, 2,100 mentions. [You know, the only time Christ is judgmental is on the subject of the poor.] 'As you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me.' (Matthew 25:40). As I say, good news to the poor. …
A number of years ago, I met a wise man who changed my life. In countless ways, large and small, I was always seeking the Lord's blessing. I was saying, you know, I have a new song, look after it… I have a family, please look after them… I have this crazy idea…
And this wise man said: stop.
He said, stop asking God to bless what you're doing.
Get involved in what God is doing—because it's already blessed.
Well, God, as I said, is with the poor.
That, I believe, is what God is doing.
And that is what He's calling us to do.
-Bono, National Prayer Breakfast
2 comments:
Wouldn't that be ignorami?
I'm curious if part of that comes of growing up in the DC area. Homelessness is such a huge and obvious issue there, it's easy to take the "It's too big of a problem for me to make a difference" ... and it's easy to just let them blend into the landscape.
Which is something I find interesting in and of itself -- that in the capital city of the supposedly richest nation, you can't go very far without encountering homelessness. If you have your eyes open, anyway. Unless, of course, they pack all of them into buses and ship them off to a different part of the city so they don't ruin the pretty scenery of a 40-million-dollar inaugural parade.
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Interesting thought Steph, but living in portland for 15 years and knowing folks who grew up here and other places, it seems to be a unviersal reaction wherever you run across homeless folks every day. Donor fatigue perhaps?
Or just wondering if your $1 will do any good or just be converted to some recreational purpose.
Which is why I think structural change is the way to go.
But that doesn't mean I can't look my homeless brothers and sisters in the face and wish them good morning.
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