The Lord's Record on the Poor

The Lord has His own personal record on serving the poor. In these passages (below) of the Bible, God speaks of His commitment to those living in various states of poverty. If you feel "poor" in any way, God has a big heart for you ... so take heart when you reflect on these verses ...

Deut. 26:5-9. The Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, and imposed hard labor on us. Then we cried to the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our affliction and our toil and our oppression; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror and with signs and wonders; and He has brought us to... this land flowing with milk and honey.

Luke 4:16-21. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read... "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He appointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are downtrodden, to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD... Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Ps. 140:12. I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and justice for the poor.

Is. 25:4. For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress.

Ps. 10:14. The unfortunate commits himself to You; You have been the helper of the orphan... O LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will strengthen their heart, You will incline Your ear to vindicate the orphan and the oppressed.

Is 41:17. The afflicted and needy are seeking water, but there is none, and their tongue is parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them Myself, as the God of Israel I will not forsake them.

Luke 6:20-21. Blessed are you who are poor, for yours in the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

James 2:5. Did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?

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Cafeteria Christians?

Sometimes referred to as, “Cafeteria Christians,” some churchgoers pick and choose what they would like to believe and follow from God’s Word or from the Church and her directives. Possibly when it comes to things like deciding whether to eat pork or eat meat sacrificed to idols or ladies choosing to wear a head covering in church - cafeteria-style selectiveness like this can work on various levels for a lot of good reasons.

Being picky and choosy is not a good idea in matters of Faith, Doctrine and justice for the poor. Here, we are tampering with the very heart and soul of the Ruler of the Universe Himself. The Bible contains more than 300 verses on the poor, social justice, and God's deep concern for both. If we take our Faith, Church and God seriously, we will want to take these passages seriously.

As you read the many Bible passages in HIA articles and posts, you may very well feel a good deal of resistance (possibly at first manifesting itself as indifference). Many American churches have departed strongly from Biblical values in these areas, and even created a rationalization-- "prosperity theology"-- for rejecting them. It takes time, the Holy Spirit and reflection to get past this misteaching. But do try to get past the resistance. Spiritual growth doesn't come from what goes down easily, or what we like to hear and read. It comes from what's different, and even difficult.

With more than 107 articles, many containing Scriptural references, Homeless In America is a good place to launch a home-based or church Bible study on the topic of the poor. After reading a Scripture passage about the poor, the homeless or migrant ask the following questions: "Why does Jesus or the Bible say this?" or "What did I learn from these verses?" and also ask, “In what ways are the poor reflective of the 'poverty' in my own life?”

But, "We Seek a Home that is Yet to Come" ...

Some live in spectacular country homes, like this one (photo above) with a lot of history, charm and warmth - the place to be on cold winter nights.

Some live in simple nylon elegance enjoying generous amounts of original art lavished on walls everywhere.

Yet others live in a beautiful, almost new home, like this one (photo above) at a spectacular country club with an 18-hole golf course!

Some live in homes that offer the benefit of minimal maintenance upkeep as well as none of the cost of expensive utilities, like this late-model Winnebago on Skid Row.

Some live in a way that reminds us that we are all sojourners, pilgrims and nomads wandering about with ridiculous compulsive obsessions for jobs, careers, collectibles, drugs and alcohol - that is until we find our true home in the Lord.

"Here we do not have a lasting city; we seek a home that is yet to come." Hebrews 13:14

"We See You Saturday"

One morning in November, the realization hit that reaching out to the homeless is about seeing the unseen (see, ... "We See You Saturday" Monday, November 12, 2007). The thought occurred that taking time to deliver St. Paul the Apostle's “Sandwich Builders” supplies to the forgotten homeless is about “seeing” people - in much the same way that Jesus takes the time to see the short guy Zacchaeus up in the tree (see Sunday, November 4, 2007) and blesses him. We do the same when we take time to encounter and “see” the normally unseen. Yesterday, we saw Tara, now alone on the streets after her companion mysteriously died just hours after we spoke with him about Christ at our previous visit. He was left under a bridge abandoned and forgotten until he was found hours after his death. We also saw Kitty, who in November was revived under a bridge after suffering a heart attack. Her mother and father recently died months apart from different causes. Like Tara and Kitty, we see them and we pray for the many more who are normally unseen ...

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... "Better than Elves" Photos, Part Two

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Thankful for Volunteers, St. Paul's Parishioners are Better than Elves

Last night, it only took 1 hour for more than 200 St. Paul's Parishioners to make nearly 600 sack lunches and more than 1,000 sandwiches. If there really was a North Pole with a Santa's workshop, this is what it would look like. The children created handmade Christmas cards while others made sandwiches and stuffed 1 gallon ziplock bags with snacks, fruit, candies and water. One crew delivered boxes of the lunches street side to a waiting truck and neatly packed it from floor to ceiling. Thankful for the volunteers, a new team, "Catholics-Under-the-Bridges" will make a delivery this morning to homeless living under bridges and remote alleys who are unable to get to traditional Skid Row services. The team will also handout warm jackets, socks, t-shirts, hygiene kits, prayer cards and rosaries. Because of hundreds of volunteers there will be hundreds of smiles on many poor faces. As a community, we are thankful for the thousands of volunteers nationwide who today will touch the nation's needy with their time, talents and treasures. May they inspire thousands more volunteers by being role models of compassion.

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Checking into the Bethlehem Hilton

With Christmas less than two weeks away, we continuously absorb from American life various and intense takes on the Christmas story. Somewhere between the crowded stores, the noisy streets, overspent credit cards and sometimes annoying visitors that are difficult to love, we long to experience the true Christmas story. Deep down inside, if we are honest, we all know that Christmas is not about Santa Claus, ‘Jingle Bells,’ fruit cake and eggnog.

The true Christmas story is about God’s love for the poor as well as for those who identify with the needy as poor sinners themselves desperately wanting a Savior. On the day of His birth, Jesus avoids the possibility of checking into the Bethlehem Hilton (photo, luxury hotel overlooking the "Old Wall" in Jerusalem) and just in the nick of time makes his bed in the hay of a cold barn. From the very outset the Savior wanted to give a very clear picture about who He is and what He has come to do. In Luke chapter 4 it is said by Jesus …“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

In His manger's poverty, Jesus' birth continues to grow His mission for the poor when he becomes officially homeless himself. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus became a true homeless family when Herod, a government official, became a threat to them (Matt. 2:13–15). Let us keep in mind that this image captures the essence of a Christmas story because you cannot get any poorer than that.

Where will we find Jesus - the Christ we so want to know? Will we find Him in the shopping mall - or might he unexpectedly appear in alley somewhere lying with the homeless? How joyful would it be to go see Him and greet Him there?

“Let the Children Alone”

Homelessness and poverty affects all ages, but an astonishing 48% percent of its victims are children …

About 15 million children -- one out of every four -- live below the official poverty line. 22% of Americans under the age of 18 -- and 25% under age 12 -- are hungry or at the risk of being hungry. Everyday 2,660 children are born into poverty; 27 die because of it. Children and families are the fastest growing group in the homeless population, representing 40%.

Being a volunteer at a children’s services agency or at a skid row outreach such as the Union Rescue Mission can make a big difference for a child. Eddie Ryeom, a volunteer with Operation Exodus says: "One of the major benefits of working with children is seeing tangible results, from their smiling faces to increased test scores. However small your contribution, you're helping [your] community deeply in need."

Eddie’s testimonial and millions like it show that even one volunteer -- perhaps you -- can change a child's life now and for the future. With up to 15 million kids in need, every volunteer is an asset in the ongoing war on child poverty. From helping an individual child to addressing the issue nationwide, there are many choices. You can find greater fulfillment for yourself, too!

In Matthew 19:14 Jesus said … “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

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More on the Internet:

www.heartsandminds.org

More Wasted Food!

In Regards to "Food Waste and Hunger is a Side by Side Problem" (see Friday, December 7, 2007) M.F. writes in and asks ... “What can we do collectively and individually to solve this problem?” Coincidentally, Jonathan Bloom, the publisher and editor of WastedFood.com visited HIA and said … “You're doing admirable work here. If you'd like to read more about the tragedy of American food waste, I'm blogging about it at WastedFood.com.” Jonathan is a talented young writer with a zeal for social justice and has made questions about food waste in America his journalistic passion. He is writing a book about wasted food in America. WastedFood.com even provides home-based tips for consumers to manage personal food pantries in a more efficient and economical manner. What will you do with all the food and money you will be saving by implementing the tips? Make a donation of food or cash to your local food pantry, homeless food line or shelter, of course!
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More on the Internet:

http://www.wastedfood.com/

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What If?

Regarding, "Life is a Journey - Avoid McMansions?" (see Tuesday, December 4, 2007 and the original story, "Garden Roots" Wednesday, November 28, 2007) BringtheHope Said ... "Better living through less! A theme which I have started to put into action lately. I hadn't really thought of it as a way toward greater connection with God, but yes I can feel more of a connection through shunning the normal material lifestyle. Thank you for your comment.What of the generally pervasive "I got to have my bling bling and my bigger better everything"? Seeking to satisfy my base instinct of survival which after all what materialism serves.Where does this ultimately go? What really is the purpose for collecting ever more expensive things? Underneath it all is serving our survival instinct. A "want of the flesh" in religious terms. This may offend some but the reality cannot be denied. Perhaps God has moved me toward this and I just didn't give him the credit! You know, I really think God doesn't make it difficult for us to build a relationship with him. Action it seems speaks much louder than words to God and living with less is statement to him without words.

Today's spiritual thought ... WHAT IF? What if everyone in the country this Christmas donated all the money they would ordinarily spend on conventional gifts toward solving the worlds leading most glaring troubles? Feeding the hungry, nursing the sick and the myriad of problems faced by the much less fortunate at home and abroad. How would God like that?! Literally overnight we would move light years closer to a beautiful harmony and peace on earth.