Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Widows and Orphans?

First, allow me to say thanks for giving me a "voice" on this blog. Now:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ’Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ’Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’And the King will answer them,’Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ "Then he will say to those on his left, ’Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ’Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ’Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Matthew 25:34-46

1. Two Sundays ago, I was sitting at my computer desk doing homework when I glanced out the office window and saw a woman and a young girl, probably 3-5 years old. They were sorting through the garbage bins in our townhouse parking-lot. I thought, "That's sad. I wish I could help." I then turned around and started typing away on my laptop. I sat and allowed myself to do nothing as people got thier dinner FROM MY TRASH.

2. Last Wednesday, I was riding my bike to work when a lady (probably in her 60s-70s) stopped me. She explained that she had accidently locked herself out of her house. She said that she would be able to go in through the back door if only she could get over the wall surrouding her yard. I got on my hands and knees in order for her to use by my back as a step to climb over the wall. She couldn't get over. I told her I was sorry, but that I wasn’t going to leave my stuff (bookbag) unattended to climb over her wall and that I wasn't comfortable with going through her house to unlock the door. I got on my bike and rode away. Why did I leave her? I was scared. I didn’t want to be assaulted or robbed if the whole ordeal was a scam. The worst part is that I was acctually annoyed that the incident had made me late for work.

3. Last week on the way to the doctor, I watched a man (whom I'm assuming was homeless) walk... no, limp across the street in thread-bare socks. No shoes-socks. Dirty socks with holes. On the corner at that street-crossing was a Walgreens. I know Walgrees sells at least flip-flops and things of that nature. Did I stop and buy that man some shoes? No. As much as I hate to admit it, I drove away and arrived at my appointment 30 minutes early. I sat in a comfortable chair, saw the doctor and then drove home. Before leaving for work later that day, I changed into one of at least 8 pairs of shoes.

My question/statement/plea is this: What Would Jesus Do?
In my Bible I find passages like those in Matthew. I also see James 1:27, 1 Corinthians 13, etc. I read accounts of Jesus healing leapers, being gracious to sinners and associating with tax collectors. There are myriad examples of how Jesus dealt with people in ways that were totally counter-cultural. This brings us back to WWJD. How far do we (Christians) go to help? Should I have given the woman who was digging in my trash a box of mac-and-cheese, said "God Bless"and let her continue dumpster diving? Should I have invited her into my home for a meal, or maybe to stay? Should I have taken her to the grocery store? Should I have given her money, or commited to helping her find a "better" way to feed her family? Some of these options seem strange within the context of American (even Christian) culture. What if this woman was...shall I dare? illegal immigrant? Homosexual? On drugs? What if she had a Satanic tatoo? Would the options change? How much are Christians "required" to do before we are supposed to "shake the dust from our feet?" Should we get involved if a situation is potentially dangerous? Most importantly, how can we ensure that we are not just seeking to fulfill a mandate, but that we are striving to serve God and make him look beautiful?

Let the Conversation Continue!


Coffee Snob said...

Excellent questions! We live in a land of such affleuence and plenty, and yet most Christians - myself included - have such a hard time letting go of even the smallest of our worldly goods, including our time.

Your last comment, about making God look beutiful, makes me think of former Olympic athlete (and missionary, BTW), Eric Liddell, famous from the film, "Chariots of Fire." When asked "Why do you run?" his response was telling. "Because when I run I feel God's pleasure."

What have we done lately that has made us sense His pleasure?

Baird boy said...

I wonder if sometimes our perception (as false as it is) of people gets in the way. This is what I mean, sometimes I think to myself 'surely God is not going to bring this person to Himself - and that makes me hesitate to minister to them. Ofcourse that thinking does not make sense. One, I have no base for thinking that God will not save that person. Second, even if God is not going to save that person (which I could not know) why would that stop me from ministering to him?