The Poor and Our Social Responsibility

I was asked a question tonight by a fellow sister in Christ that really made me think about my current situation and how I'm affecting the Kingdom of God... If Jesus were alive today in our world, where would he be? My first thought was that he most certainly would not be on the campus of Drake University. He would be in India (where Mother Teresa spent her life in poverty), he would be in prisons, he would be on the streets with the homeless, he would be in Africa in the middle of the Aids pandemic, giving them all a hope. Why aren't I doing this? Doesn't it seem kinda ridiculous that the only people I'm giving hope to are those who pay $30,000 to get an education and then go on to jobs and become nothing but a blend of white, middle class America? It seems ridiculous to me at least..

The book of Esther kind of talks about this situation. Esther is a Jewish Queen and her surrogate father, Mordecai, is on the verge of death, along with all other Jews in the nation, unless Esther speaks up to the King about this injustice. Esther 4:14 says, "If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Basically what that says is that if we keep quiet, others will possibly take care of the problem. It really seems however that in our culture, no one cares about those who really need caring for. That passage in Esther says that if we ignore injustice, it will come back to us on Judgment Day and that we were made for times like this.

I must say however, I am the biggest hypocrite of you all. I preach this, yet do I really do anything about it? At this point, I have to say that no I have not, and I am somewhat ashamed. I usually simply walk by a homeless person on the street instead of offering them a hot meal, and I know most of you just walk by as well. I always ask myself what happens if this guy robs me, what if he has a disease, what if I have to be to work early in the morning. All of these are absolutely valid questions mind you, but what did MLK say about this? Yesterday I brought up a quote where he said that we should develop a dangerous unselfishness. Not just the kind that gives when it's safe and easy.

Jesus spent most of his time with those who have nothing. Mother Teresa spent her life in absolute poverty for the sake of others. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his life to a people being persecuted and beaten every day. Where do I give my time? To people who are getting an education, to people who have more food than they need, to people who have a roof over their head every single night. Even as I right this I realize that I wont be immediately going into the streets helping people, and that thought kind of sickens me, but it's reality. All I can do is love God with my whole being, and hopefully along the way, help the people who really need it.

Random Musings

1. I came across a couple amazing readings today in my Intro to Religion class... The first one I would like to share is a very simple saying from St. Francis of Assisi, "Beware of the sin of ingratitude." - I think it's so easy to get caught up in everything in this world that we forget about the simple things that God gives us. The grass, the blue sky, smiles.. the little things. Very simple saying, very deep and profound meaning.

2. The second comes from Martin Luther speaking on faith, "Faith is God's work in us, that changes us and gives new birth from God. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesnt stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing. Faith is a living, bold trust in God's grace, so certain of God's favor that it would risk death a thousand times trusting in it. Such confidence and knowledge of God's grace makes you happy, joyful and bold in your relationship to God and all creatures. It is just as impossible to separate faith and works as it is to separate heat from fire." There's a lot to digest here, but it's unbelievable. Fire doesnt think about the fact that it gives off heat, it just does. It's part of the nature of fire. This is how good works should be in our life. So many times I end up thinking about whether or not I should serve somewhere, when really it should just be an innate quality about my life...

3. The third comes from another Martin Luther, only this one has a King, Jr. tacked on at the end. He says very simply, "Let us develop a kind of dangerous unselfishness." This is so unbelievably profound. He says we should not ask the question, 'If I help this person what will happen to me', but rather, 'If I don't help this person, what will happen to them'. This truth can literally change our lives. In Matthew 6 Jesus talks about the giving to the needy and he says over and over, 'When you give to the needy...'. It doesnt say if, it says when. Jesus commands us to help the needy, but how often does that truth actually reflect our lifestyle in the least bit?

4. I'd like to quickly mention 'To Write Love On Her Arms' (TWLOHA). This is non-profit movement designed to help people struggling with depression and cutting. This is a real issue in America today, and the story behind this movement is absolutely unreal. PLEASE check out the website and the story at www.twloha.com