Let us take a look at some
different story lines and consider what we might think if the story had been
told just a little different.
Scenario 1: The man beat up had actually been one of the
thieves until recently: The Samaritan
comes upon the man and remembers seeing him on television as a wanted man for
robbery on this very road. As in the
original story the priest and the Levite are long gone. Now the Samaritan is alone with this wanted
man who is lying on the road, nearly dead.
What would Jesus have us do in that situation?
Some would say right here and now that the
man has made his choice and his lifestyle alone led him to this stage. Even men and women in the church would
suggest that it would be the justice of God to leave the man to die there in
the streets. They might say something
along the lines of, “He made his bed, let him sleep in it.” I am confident that others would come up with
Scriptures to back up such a view.
However, the compassion of God (His Character) is unbelievable. While the Scriptures do talk of turning a
sinner over and that some have become too calloused to ever be redeemed, we in
the flesh have no way of knowing if that has happened to this man or not. Paul was at least an accessory to one murder
that we know about. Would we write him
off? Jesus invited the thief on the
cross to join Him in Heaven. Moses
committed murder, we don’t have names for all of the witches and homosexuals
that turned from their sin to follow after Christ. God can use anyone and we are not to be the
ones to write them off. As a caution I
do say that if this man is a known murderer than it might be a good idea to use
wisdom in your handling of him. As men
and women of God it is critical that we learn to listen to the Holy
Spirit. He might direct us to patch him
up and take him to the inn. The Holy
Spirit might direct you to call in the authorities. Just maybe the Holy Spirit would have you
take him to another place where experts can work alongside of others to serve
him and lead him to a place of being restored to community. If he returns to a lifestyle of murder,
thievery or other crimes allow the authorities to deal with him. Our role is to care for him and show him a
better way regardless of his past.
Scenario 2: The man is healed but the Samaritan finds him
again in the same position the next time he is on that road.
Many months later as the
Samaritan moves along down the road he was reflecting and remembered that the
last time he had been here the relationship that he had started with that poor
man that had been beaten up. The
Samaritan began to wonder whatever happened to the man when he looked up and
saw a body and could hear some faint cries of pain. Investigating he discovered that it was the
same man. What would Jesus have us do in
this situation?
Maybe this same scene
happens dozens of times. Each and every
time the Samaritan continues to help the man.
Should there be a limit to his compassion? Is the Samaritan only enabling
the man to live foolishly by continuing to help him out? Again many could make the argument that the
foolish man no longer deserves compassion.
I would agree. None of us really
deserves for strangers or others to show us compassion. The problem is that this man continues to
waste resources and does not seem to be learning his lesson. Consider that the man has not learned his
lesson. Has the Samaritan tried a
different program of healing? Maybe a different
inn could teach him some martial arts so that next time maybe he could defend
himself. Possibly the program could
teach him a different route to take to Jericho.
We have many options that we must try to help this man. We are blessed with a certain level of
creativity. Consider options and keep
trying new things. Eventually the
Samaritan won’t be there to rescue him and the problem will be solved in a
horrendous way. Letting the man know and
understand that so far he has been most fortunate would be of benefit.
One other thing that might help, is teaching
the man the art of journaling. Having
seen this multiple times in many and diverse situations most folks coming out
of a traumatic situation will vow not to go back to those situations. This often happens with women coming out of
domestic abuse situations or with those coming down from an addiction. The pain is great and they will resolve never
to allow themselves to get into that situation again. Unfortunately the pain heals and they forget
all about their vow and return to the cause of their pain. Friends and others try to call warn them and
desire to help them but they will no longer listen. By journaling they can tell themselves not to
be foolish. Maybe they will listen to
themselves when the pull of going back down that dangerous road becomes too
strong.
Scenario 3: Every day someone is beat up alongside that
road.
Many weeks after the Samaritan has returned
home he picks up a newspaper and notices a story about another man beat up
alongside that road. This one had nobody
there to rescue him so he died. The
Samaritan is heartbroken. Over the next
several days he notices it again and again.
Nearly every day someone is being robbed and left for dead on that same
portion of road. Never in his life has
the Samaritan been overly involved in politics and really would rather not be
involved but he can’t help himself. He
must do something. What would Jesus have
him do in this situation?
Now this one is much more complex. This is an issue for society to address. Today that person beat up and robbed was a
stranger but if we remain silent eventually that person could be a family
member, friend or even ourselves. We
must take action before anybody else gets hurt.
“All
that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
-Edmund
Burke
Working with government will take time; we
should start any process to increase police or other protection forces. We will need to consider increases in taxes
or repositioning law enforcement. It
will take time to determine the most cost efficient and effective course of
action.
However, we must take action now. Churches could come up with a force to simply
walk the road with folks during peak crime hours. Leadership in local organizations could begin
patching roads and making the whole stretch more easily used. Maybe an outreach to the criminals that
consistently work on that stretch of road would be in order.
Now in this scenario it was crime that we
were looking at but oppression and society based injustice is rampant in our
nation. Many reading this may think that
I am overstating things.
I love to watch my boys play
basketball. When the game is over they
will often point out several terrible calls by the officials. The ride home is filled with details of how
the bad calls cost them a shot or even the game. What they failed to notice were the other
calls that also hurt the other team.
Some of them were also bad calls but since they benefited them they did
not notice those calls.
Here is the point that we need to take
home with us. We tend to only notice
unfairness when it strikes us personally.
Take a moment and walk in the shoes of others who are different than
you. I once went to the mall with a
friend of mine who happens to be African American. After a short time of walking through a
department store I noticed that the store security happened to be watching us
more carefully. He was dressed in nice
clothing the only thing that really set us apart was our skin color. Now this did not happen in every store and
did not even happen every time in that store.
But if I had not been with him that day and he would have told me about
that sort of prejudice I might have doubted it.
Our society needs to take time to listen
to one another and not simply write each other off because the world looks
different through our glasses.
“First
They Came for the Jews”By Pastor Niemoller
First
they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.Then
they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a
Communist.Then
they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out because I was not a
trade unionist.Then
they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Application
Questions
What are some more scenarios
that might play out?
Are there any people in
poverty that are beyond helping in your community?
What might motivate others
in your community to come out and help?
In order to help the hurting and the wounded
we must be willing to get out of our comfort zones and go to them. Remember that they are hurting and wounded
they will not come to you. In nature we
often see wounded animals isolate themselves and hide. They will not be coming to your church. It is more likely that they will close up
their house, pull the shades tight and will not be heard from. We must get out into the poor neighborhoods
and reach out to them. Because they are
hurting they will not trust you. Do not
be offended. They are only being
protective.
I love history and I particularly have been
fascinated with the history of World War II and have read much about the
soldiers, sailors, politicians and so many others impacted by the war. However, I must confess that much of what is
described in pictures, maps and words made little sense to me until I went to
Europe and saw the cities, the battlefields and the homes represented in those
stories. It made much more sense when I
put my own eyes on the places of history.
My understanding grew substantially.
The same is true when we strive to impact poverty. We must go to them and see for ourselves what
is really happening.
I once heard a story of a church that every
year would organize and plan a trip to some remote element of the world to
serve the poor. These trips required
weekly prayer and information meeting, great expense and training. When the months of preparation were complete,
with bags packed the group of short term missionaries would take church vans to
the airport. On the way they would be
careful to avoid, that neighborhood. You
know that one neighborhood that every city has where there is more crime, more
poverty and more need. The church
faithful would take a wide route and make it to the airport so that they could
change the world for Jesus. While on the
trip they would see Jesus in action.
Lives would be changed on the foreign mission field and within the
team. Jesus would be glorified. When they returned they would again avoid
“that neighborhood” as they returned home.
A week or two later they would be giving testimonies of what they
experienced so far away and encouraged others to do the same.
Now I wish to make clear that I have no
issues with short term mission’s trips.
I think that they can be very helpful for encouraging the faithful to
support missionaries who are serving abroad.
But my thoughts are with that “neighborhood” the one that you
avoid. If you believe that a one week
trip can impact lives and change the world for Jesus; how much more could Jesus
use a dedicated man or woman of God who is willing to reach out into the inner
cities of our nation?
When you go there, and it might be a rough
neighborhood or a local homeless shelter, you will learn that the men, women
and children there are people not so
different than you or me. These are men
and women who once had hopes and dreams but had them crushed or delayed. You will meet moms who deeply love their
children and have dreams for them doing better.
They will complain about the cost of milk, the latest sports blunder and
look forward to the next blockbuster film.
Additionally, they live on the edge and as
a result have developed some incredible survival skills. Over the years of working with them I have
become amazed at their ability to get a high tech cell phone, keep food on the
table and clothes on their body with no income to speak of. They will be able to tell you all of the
free things that are out there in the world that can be yours if you just
ask. They are more than willing to tell
you about programs in your community that they like, don’t like or have heard
things about. Very few will hold back on
their opinions.
The ingenuity of those in
poverty is outstanding. On any given day
they can take ordinary objects and turn them into tools. With a phone call they can find someone to
help them through a short crisis. Again
and again they will make calls and be rejected; yet keep going on. There is a fire within them that simply needs
to be kindled.
Many will say that education is the key to
getting these men and women out of poverty.
However, among the poor you will find people with no diploma, high
school diplomas, bachelor degrees and all manner of masters and doctorate
degrees. You would not know this unless
you sat down and got to know them. Those
that hold that education can save them are like an eye doctor who after the
exam simply hands his glasses over to the patient without testing or even
conversation. The odds of those glasses
being the exact right prescription is long; yet these educators are making that
call without taking time to get to know those who are living in poverty. They believe that somehow a diploma will make
a difference. As you get to know those
in poverty you do learn that education is a key, but not in the school and
higher education form. Instead those in
poverty must be educated to know that they are valuable to society when they
contribute. They must be taught a love
of learning and a passion for life.
Education is important and multiple studies
show the earning power that a degree can get people. But if someone feels that they do not have
value then an education is not going to lift them out of poverty. They will not even seek an education. School is full of negative memories of
failures and boredom. Help them find the
passion within them and they will learn and grow and be set free.
Studies continually show the lack of
reading that takes place outside of school.
Why is that? Men and women don’t have
a passion for learning. We live in an
information society. Our world moves
fast and if you don’t take time to learn you will fall behind very quickly. What I often tell people is take time to
discover what your passions are and dive into books on that topic. Take time to watch videos on that topic and
attend seminars. With a little bit of
effort you will quickly become an expert on that topic. I read once that if you read more than five
books on any topic you will know more on that topic than 90% of the world. You can only help those in poverty discover a
passion for learning if you get to know their passions.
All people have strengths and
limitations. For too long we have
allowed people in our society to get away with the excuses that their
limitations create for them. I have met
men and women who have incredible disabilities where they are missing
limbs. Yet these men and women work for
a living. Others have mental
disabilities and though it is unlikely that they will be doctors or lawyers
they can use their strengths to overcome their disabilities. Yet, social workers will often focus on the
weaknesses that will get them the most hand out. There is a common thought that if you focus
on a weakness the weakness grows stronger.
If you focus on the strength the strength will grow stronger. We must help the poor learn what their
strengths are and how to use them to succeed in our world. Again you can only do this if you take time
to get to know these men and women.
Currently in society there is a fascination
with death. Zombies, skulls and other
symbols of death permeate the clothing and decorations of the poor. Where does this fascination come from? There are many culprits. The media for one has developed a blood lust
in movies and television. At any given
moment you are permitted to view a killing, a rape or some other horrendous
scene. For many in poverty television
and movies is the great escape. They
cannot afford to go see theater or listen to symphonies. Television gives them a break from the pain
of reality. A second culprit is abortion
providers. In most major cities you will
find the abortion provider focusing on serving those in poverty. They love to take the lives of these babies
and call it choice. Because these
services are directed to those in poverty they continue to develop a taste for
death that haunts them from the cradle to the grave. All life is special so let us reach out to
these men and women and show them the value in life and what roles they can play
in it. We can only show them the joy of
life by spending time with them.
The point of this section is that we must
go to them. That includes politicians
who want to vote for or against spending plans and are working on bills that
will impact those in poverty. The
politician who votes either way without going to the people they believe they
are impacting should be voted out of office and replaced with someone who is
truly educated on the plight of the poor.
This includes the well meaning social worker and the local church
pastor. Go to the people, learn from
them. The truth is that these men and
women are the real experts on poverty, because they live with it every day.
Seeing
the Poor
He
saw the man (Luke 10:33)
I am sure that you have seen them, the guys
in scruffy clothes with a poorly constructed cardboard sign offering to work
for food. Many times I wonder if they
really would work for a sandwich. It is
easy to judge these folks and assume that they are lazy, drug addicts or con
artists. It is also easy to assume that
they represent the homeless and the poor of America. But with all of that going on in your head,
do you really see them. Can you look
past the judgments and look into their eyes and see the human being that is
standing there? For most of us we look
away, we don’t want to see the hurt.
Maybe it is because we realize that we are all one or two choices away
from being there ourselves. Maybe it is
because we don’t want them to ask us for anything.
We long to be invisible and if invisible not
responsible for the hurting in our community.
But in order to ignore them we must assume that they are less than us,
less than human. Now I am certain that
if I were to ask you if you felt that way about those in poverty that you would
deny that accusation. I am not trying to
be difficult here. But do you not look
away? Do you silently hope that they
don’t see you? You may even silently
thank God that you are not in their shoes.
You are not evil; but I would say that you are unfortunately far too
normal. To see the man is to become more
than the priest or the Levite.
Regardless of the reason that the man or
woman is there we must look at them as human.
They are a human that is in need of proof that he or she has value and
is important. Too often the homeless are marginalized to such an extent that
they feel that they are not even human.
If they get to this point of feeling like an animal the thought becomes,
“Why not act like an animal?” It is
amazing that when a person is recognized as a person that they are much more
likely to act like a human.
Additionally, we need to recognize that
these men and women do not represent all of those that are in poverty. They are a minority of those in poverty. Many more are filling our shelters, couch
surfing or living in places not meant for habitation. Many of these are struggling and hoping for
more from life. But how can you know
that if you don’t stop and see these men and women. Look into their eyes and see the hope that
you will see them. All humans long to be
known and accepted.
Don’t get me wrong we don’t have to accept
the excuses or any immorality. What I am
calling us to do is to accept that this is a human that is in need of a kind
word, polite affection and at the least a smile. Later we will address the issues of
immorality, but realize the immorality is in full bloom in all levels of
society.
What does it look like to see those in
poverty? It basically begins with not
looking away. Now that you have gone to
them, go learn about them. Hear their
stories without judging truth and lies.
As relationships build you can address discrepancies in their
stories. Simply listen to their
upbringing, pay attention to their language.
The words they choose can give you a glimpse of life as they know
it.
Recognize that we feel uncomfortable with
things that are suddenly different or sound out of the ordinary. These men and women are the same as you and
me. Maybe to you getting up, going to
work, paying bills and sometimes learning to keep your mouth shut is
normal. To them your “normal” may feel
freaky or weird.
Seeing the poor is also different from
feeling sorry for them. Many in our
government will fall prey to this tactic.
Programs our developed and in this nation our government has decided
that these men and women cannot run their own lives so they have taken over as
absentee parents. They control and
manipulate these men and women and make them slaves to a system that is cruel
and poverty building.
When we look at the poor we will see a
strong and proud people looking to be set free.
But to get free they will need to learn new skills and be given the
encouragement that they can achieve their dreams. But to get to their dreams they will need to
drop away from the feed table of the master.
NOTE: Some that are living in poverty have become
so embarrassed by their situation that they will do what they can to look like
monsters. This is so that you will
definitely look away. The more someone
disfigures themselves the more that we should strive to honestly see them.
He
had Compassion
He
had compassion (Luke 10:33)
For much of our nation’s history
compassion was seen as a virtue. Maybe
we have been fatigued from all of the world’s needs. It used to be you might have heard about
hunger in Africa. Eventually these men
and women and children got faces through television. But still these were presented in
infomercials and could easily be avoided or turned off when we had enough. Today we are bombarded with needs all over
the world. It is nearly impossible to
avoid the stories of disasters and suffering in the world. Add to that, the fact that some stories are
exaggerated or even made up and it is easy to see how many have become
overwhelmed.
Some of these are crises; others have been
painful for these people for years. With
all of these desperate faces our there around us, what are we to do? My heart breaks for people in remote parts of
the planet. Shouldn’t we do
something? What can we do? The needs are too great. So we do nothing. The common man is paralyzed by the
overwhelming needs and turns on the heater a little warmer, looks out at the
snow outside and praises God that he is warm.
But
shouldn’t the man or woman of God do something.
Sure some will send money. This
is needed and many non-government organizations deeply appreciate the
help. Most of these agencies cannot
function without your financial help.
Unfortunately the money is more like a compassion stoplight. We hear about the needs and we send money to
ease our consciences. It stops us for
just a moment, a distraction in otherwise comfortable lives. Eventually the light turns green and we go
about our everyday lives. We are no
different.
Even though I consider myself a
compassionate person, I find it difficult to find compassion for hundreds or
thousands. But I do find it easy to find
compassion for John, Mike or Sue. I can
ignore the damage from a storm unless I know someone that is living in the path
of that storm. I can feel sorry for
those affected; but to experience honest compassion I must know the victims.
Compassion though requires a change. We have gone to the people, we have seen the
need and now compassion demands that we do something. This is different than feeling sorry for the
poor or homeless. They do not need our
pity. They need our compassion. We reach out to them and recognize these men
and women as human beings with innate qualities that the world is losing out
on. We seek to compassionately show them
their value and call that value out of them.
We love them where they are at, but we also love them too much to let
them stay stuck where they are living.
This compassion shows itself in terms of
respect and politeness. We do not fake
this belief in these men and women. We
really believe that inside of the dirty coat, beyond the outward appearance is
a human being that is struggling to come out and change the world. I believe that cures for the world’s worse
diseases and problems are sitting in the mind of a homeless man or woman that
has been rejected by society. I believe
that we, the people, are losing out because society has rejected these men and
women. Compassion demands that we
politely lead them to the truth.
“We don’t have
a soul. We are a soul. We have a body.”
-George Macdonald
The truth is that there is incredible value in every human soul. At one time we understood this. Ancient ship manifests counted the number of
people on board in terms of souls. A
soul is of great value. Compassion means
that we must remind people of this great value.
Now this is the difficult part. In the story that Jesus shared, we know next
to nothing about the man that was robbed and left for dead. The only thing that Jesus gives us is that he
was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Maybe this guy was a murderer running away to Jericho. Maybe at home the guy beats his wife and
views pornography consistently. Just
maybe if we knew who this guy was we would secretly be happy that this man got
what he deserved? What if the man was
Muslim, or a devil worshiper or a homosexual?
Should the Samaritan stop and help?
Would we? Jesus tells us nothing
about the man except that he had a need.
That is all that matters.
Christian love demands action.
Faith requires action.
He went to Him
He
went to him (Luke 10:34)
It is actually pretty easy to feel sorry for
some people. You see the wounds, hear
the agony and can sense the desperation.
When you see a homeless person at the stop light you might feel the
compassion. But how about interacting
with the poor and the homeless?
If one of you says to
them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their
physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it
is not accompanied by action, is dead.
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have
deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds James 2:16-18
Once, in the neighborhood where I lived,
medics responded to a woman who showed all of the signs of a drug
overdose. To back up this hypothesis
there was drug paraphernalia all around the room where the woman was
laying. From a distance what should be
done for her was obvious to the medics.
That was until they got up close and examined her. That is when they discovered that she had
been shot.
From a distance many lawmakers and social
workers will make decisions that sound wise and helpful for the poor. There are many ideas on how to best help the
homeless. But if you don’t take time to
study the issues and more importantly to look at the long term impact of the
laws and programs that are being supported you could be making the problem
worse.
The need to look long term is a failure in
our nation. Bills are passed with the
idea of being reelected in just a few years.
What if bills were passed with the future in mind? One example from the state of Washington is a
housing program that I read about online.
The idea was that instead of paying rent for a season; the program paid
the same amount into the mortgage of a house for these men and women. The funding was decreased over time similar
to a standard housing program but when the family took up payments at the end
they were moving toward ownership. The
beauty of the program was that the next generation could eventually move into
the paid off house. Again long term
solutions. The programs offered over the
past several years are more of a band aid to the problems than a real cure.
The point is that we must up close and
personal with the issues and the difficulties of living in poverty. Try to see the world through their eyes. One way to pull this off is to try to live
one week on what you get from a food bank or one month on what you get in food
stamps. Try warming your home on a
poverty level budget or try to simply live your life for a week without a
car.
Going to them is doing whatever it takes to
understand their world from a lens of poverty.
We must quit looking at these problems from the lens of middle class or
the wealth class.
He
bandaged his wounds (Luke 10:34)
In this generation simply calling 911
makes it is easy to pass the work onto other people and walk away feeling as if
we have done our part. Many will like a cause on social media and wax eloquent
on the evils of our world without ever being involved. The Samaritan in the story was involved. It would have been unlikely that he had a Red
Cross approved first aid kit on his donkey saddle. No this man ripped his own clothing in his
attempt to offer care to the man beat up and left for dead. It cost him something. In modern terms this would be giving up a
coffee twice a week so that you can donate ten dollars to help those
experiencing hunger, homelessness and hopelessness. I know that it would hurt you do so. If all the Samaritan did was to bandage the
wounds, maybe I would say that you sacrificed enough. But the lesson of the Samaritan includes
going into his stock pile of wine and oil and using them for the man. He gave
him what he needed. He cared for the
real needs because earlier he had stopped and really looked at the man. As he looked at him he would have looked for
evidence of life, he would have sought out what was actually wrong. Maybe the person in poverty needs someone to
believe in them. Possibly they need
someone to give them a ride to a job interview.
Often times what those in poverty needs is a friend who can mentor and
coach them forward. We often become like
the people that we hang out with, who will they become if they hang out with
you?
Does a man need food when he is flying the
sign with a cigarette in his hand? He
likely does, but he is unwilling to sacrifice himself. Your bandages will be wasted on him. The Samaritan only bandaged his real wounds. This gets tricky because for many in poverty
they like to demand their rights. They
fail to understand that you also have the right not to help them, unless they
also are willing to be a part of the solution.
He
brought him to an inn (Luke 10:34)
The Samaritan put him on his
own donkey and took him to the inn.
There does not seem to be a moment where the Samaritan asks himself,
“Should I be doing this? I just had my
donkey detailed and he might throw up on the upholstery.” There seems to be little concern for the
obvious issues that will possibly present themselves. He is totally focused on helping this man and
making sure that he will get every chance of survival. There is no guarantee that the man will even
make it to the inn. If he dies did the
Samaritan waste his time and resources?
Some would say yes, but Jesus is telling us no. We must do the best we can with what we have.
While it is critical that love and care for
folks must start with us, it cannot stop there.
We must introduce them to experts that can help them with the things
that have caused them to experience the crisis.
In this age of specialization it is unlikely that any one person or agency
will be able to offer all of the help that this person will need. They may need mental health help, spiritual
development help, physical health help and much more. This person may very well need help with an
addiction, overcome legal issues and may have some family issues that will need
help. This is why it is imperative for
agencies, churches, government and businesses to work together. Every echelon of society can play a part in
the healing of this person. In essence
the inn is a central place that can bring all of these Good Samaritan inn
keepers together as needed.
Even beyond these specialists we must
realize that we are all in this together.
If we really want lower taxes, lower crime rates, better customer
service and in short a better community we must sit down together as a
community. This will not be easy, as
many will come with their own agendas. I
have an agenda and everyone else in the room will come with theirs. The key though is that we define what we want
to accomplish and listen to one another.
Results will come quickly when we all put our hands to the plow
together.
Application
Questions
What are some other versions of the” guy beat
up alongside the road” that you can think of?
What does real help look like? (Do to, do for, do with?)
What are the barriers within your community
that may prevent agencies, businesses or churches from working together?
What are the most common versions of the “man
beat up alongside the road” look like in your community?
All of our efforts toward
ending poverty must begin and end with the individual in need. Yes, there are many things that we must do as
a society, but while we striving to make those things come to pass, we know
that very real people are living and dying on our streets. Others are living way below a standard that
most of us would find acceptable. We
must start with the individual and get that person help, and then we can focus
on society.
On one occasion an expert
was stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher he
asked what must I do to inherit eternal life?” -Luke
10:25
Jesus responds with one of the best known
and least understood of all his parables.
The story of the Good Samaritan has become a rallying cry for many who
would want to come together to help the hurting, the lost and the forgotten. The critical task that Jesus gives in this
passage is that we must do something. Over
the years I have been in multiple church services in a wide array of
denominations and often there is a time of prayer and or a message that tells
us that God loves the poor. Too often
these messages are met with polite nods, a smile and a look at the watch to
determine how long we need to wait until we get to the buffet.
If one of you says to
them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about
their physical needs, what good is it?
-James 2:16
Action is what impacts
lives. Many cannot and will not hear a
message of salvation because their stomachs are growling too loudly or they are
shivering too much from living out in the cold.
Jesus encourages us, even goads us to step up and take the risk to serve
those who are in poverty.
Through words and actions
what we must communicate with those in poverty is that God sent His only
begotten Son to earth and then Him (Jesus) living obediently even to death on
the cross and then being raised from the dead to get us a shot at
paradise. But what happens to us when we
accept that truth? If it does not change
us; was it real? Jesus made the point
that salvation should so overwhelm us that from deep within wells a feeling of
compassionate action that impacts those around us. The action does not get us into Heaven. The action comes from within us like the tiny
stream in Minneapolis that ultimately becomes the Mississippi. Jesus starts this process and journeys with
us through the process. Along the way He
will introduce us to people who will shape us and change us and help us to see
Him more clearly. This is the quest of
the man or woman of God.
If the man or woman of God would rise to
the occasion than the church would be seen in all of its glory and society
would be better. Instead the church of today builds big buildings, develops
great programs, entertains the masses and then pats itself on the back. Consider an alternate version of Acts 2 that
is played out in many churches today. If
you remember, in Acts 2, the apostles are all in the upper chamber and the Holy
Spirit comes upon them all. A great
worship service happens as the Holy Spirit shows up, prophesies and truth is
spoken. In the original story they tell
the truth to the people who gathered because of the sounds coming from the
upper room. Over 3000 are saved that
day, most of which did not come to the church service and did not intend to be
a part of the events of the day.
But consider this version, the service goes
on and the people gathered in the upper room are touched and blessed. Afterwards, they all rush out for a nice
lunch and an afternoon of watching football.
Over the next several years people who were at the service chat about
that great service way back when. What a
waste that would have been. We should
gather in our churches, be refilled with the Life of Christ and then expend all
ammo to share the Gospel with this world; when necessary use words.
Better yet, consider the
following. What if the man or woman of
God took Jesus’ model of the Samaritan seriously and rose up in compassionate
action? While Jesus said that the poor
will always be among you, He did not mean that people would always be
homeless. He meant that not all would be
believers, remember the poor in spirit?
There will be the downtrodden, the hurting and the confused within the
body of Christ. Those are the poor. Let us take compassionate action.
The Original Model for Ending
Homelessness
“Who is my neighbor?” Maybe the question was asked to limit the
scope of who needed to be helped. For
others maybe it was a very real question.
Should we help anyone and everyone?
Curiously, Jesus searched the faces of
those around Him. Some were focused and
hanging on whatever words that He might use next. Others were just passing by and seemed to
hardly notice that He was even there.
Others were obviously watching very carefully hoping to catch Him in
something that He might say that they could use to bring Him down. Friends and enemies were all around Him as He
carefully chose what story He would use to illustrate His next point.
“A man was traveling on the road to
Jericho. Along the way robbers attacked
him, stole what he had and left him for dead.”
The crowd nodded. Most had heard
about bandits along that road. Some
considered how foolish it would be to go along that road alone. Others waited for the story to continue.
“While the man lay there
bleeding, a priest happened by and passed by on the far side of the road.” This made sense to many of the crowd. If a priest were to touch this man and if the
man died, the priest would not have been allowed to participate in the
sacrifices. “With the priest far up the
road a Levite also happened by and saw the wounded man. He too passed by on the far side of the
road.” This also made sense to the
crowd. Levites were focused on duty and
did many unpleasant tasks. He too would
have been rendered unclean should the wounded man die on him.
“But along came a Samaritan
who saw the wounded man and had pity on him.
His heart broke as he surveyed the damage on the man. Reaching into his bag he pulled out some oil
and wine and used them to begin cleaning the wounds. A short conversation ensued but little the wounded
man said made sense. The loss of blood
was getting to his brain. Ripping his
own clothing, the Samaritan worked to stop the bleeding improvising bandages
and putting them in place. By the time
he was done the Samaritan was a mess. He
had dirt and dried blood all over him.
Using a piece of cloth that was on his donkey he wiped his hands as
clean as he could get them. Quickly, the Samaritan laid the man across his
donkey and took him to an inn. At the
inn he cared for him. A thought simmered
in his head that he needed to get his business done so he paid the inn keeper
to care for the man. He let the inn
keeper know that he would be back and would pay him for any extra
expenses. The inn keeper happily
agreed.”
Jesus looked around at the crowd. Several were still showing the shock of a
story where a Samaritan was the hero.
How could that be? Samaritans
were traitors and half breeds. But
Jesus did not care for their racism and hate.
“Who was the neighbor to the wounded man?”
The only answer that anyone
had was to say that it was the Samaritan.
“Go and do likewise.”
This story has been the lynch pin for the
social Gospel. How can we hear the heart
of this story and not long to be the Samaritan?
Oh I want to be the hero that works to rescue the hurting man! But how often do I fail like the priest and
the Levite? I choose duty. Responsibility is right and good. If I stopped and helped every needy person
between my home and work I would rarely make it to work. How often do I become annoyed when traffic
stops because someone’s car has broken down instead of pulling over, getting
out and helping? It would only take a
few moments. It would feel good and I
might actually get home faster. But I
would be inconvenienced. I might get
dirty. But maybe that is the point of Jesus’
story. His great grandfather David told
the men around him that he would not present a sacrifice that cost him
nothing. Helping people will get you
dirty. It will make you tired. It will cost you something. But it seems to me that taking some time is
loving your neighbor.
What is clear in this story is the
definition of who is our neighbor.
Anyone who is hurting, lost, confused and hurting is our neighbor. This includes people of different faiths,
different cultures and different nations.
Based on other portions of Scripture this also includes our enemies,
people who would like to hurt us and people who would like to knock us
down. There is no thought by the
Samaritan about the morality of the man.
All he saw was that there was a man in need and bent down took time and
helped the man.
What is not as clear is what does it look
like to love your neighbor? Let us look
at some of the basic patterns of this challenging expression of love.
He came to where he was (Luke 10:33)
He saw the man (Luke 10:33)
He had compassion (Luke 10:33)
He went to him (Luke 10:34)
He bandaged his wounds (Luke 10:34)
He brought him to an inn (Luke 10:34)
He set him up for future success and left him (Luke 10:35)
Join us for next week’s blog where we will examine each of these areas.
There is a strong temptation
to start with a discussion of the causes of poverty. However, this tends to
lead to debate and argument about who is to blame. Typically these discussions will focus on two
areas. First it is the fault of the
poor. If they just tried harder or got
off of drugs or countless other things than there would not be poverty. In many cases this is true. No solution to poverty can ignore personal
choices that lead to poverty. Choosing
to skip work in order to drink alcohol or if your work performance is
negatively impacted by drug use than yes you will be poor. If you are lazy you will not be able to
maintain a household and relationships, much less a job. However, it is too simple to blame people for
their own pain. We will need to address
personal choices in whatever plan that we institute. The second area that gets much attention is
the environment or the society that is to blame for poverty. This too is valid. Racism, the restructuring of the family,
businesses moving overseas and other environmental and societal issues are all
a factor in creating poverty in this nation.
A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the
hands to rest—
and poverty will come on
you like a thief and scarcity like an armed
man.
-Proverbs 6:10-11
Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction with
it, and our fathers could find no food.
-Acts 7:11
These are both valid
explanations. We will explore solutions and ideas around both of these areas around
this issue; it does not benefit us too much to debate and argue over the
causes. While the debate is happening,
the next generation is hungry, and ready to join the masses of men and women
who are experiencing poverty. Instead of
starting with the causes, let us start with the issues right in our face.
William Booth the founder of
the Salvation Army believed that if you were going to end poverty you needed to
provide people with food, shelter, work and hope.
FOOD
While we will discuss this
further when we talk about nutrition, we must start with an understanding that
people need to eat. Think about how you
get when you are hungry. How is your
energy level? How about your mood? How productive are you at work? I once read a study of decisions made by appeals
court justices. Because of great
documentation of the processes, we can tell what time all of the decisions were
made. The study noted that in the
morning the defendants were more likely to get a favorable decision the earlier
in the work day that their appeal came before the judge. As the morning wears on and the time gets
closer to lunch the decisions tend to be more negative for the defendants. The same thing happens right after lunch. The
justice is softer with a full stomach than when he or she is hungry. Maybe part of any trial lawyers’ tool kit
should be candy bars. This hunger factor
does not just impact judges, people tend to become more negative when they do
not have much to eat. Food is a critical
piece of the solution. We must make sure
that all of our people eat.
Food needs not only to feed
the stomach. Food banks are full of
canned foods and other foods that have been donated because they were
approaching the end of their shelf life.
They also have a wide variety of foods that common folks don’t eat. We give this to those who are living in
poverty and expect them to be grateful.
Additionally our shelters, soup kitchens and other free eating sites are
overwhelmed with an assortment of processed foods. Because of the difficulty in gaining funding
these foods must be served. The problem
is that these foods will lead to health problems. Those with health problems have trouble
keeping a job, have trouble functioning in a society that worships good health
and youth and will ultimately create health care costs for all of society.
I once read that there is
junk and there is food, but we really don’t have junk food. I have come to agree. When we get to the section on nutrition we
must try to figure out how to get more healthy foods to those in poverty.
Food will give energy and
health to those in poverty. That is
where we can start to make a difference.
People are hungry. Can we find a
way to feed everyone? We will explore
this throughout the book. But consider
that our current system of food stamps does not seem to be working. We have way too many abuses and we have
caused people to become dependent on the government to supply the
resources. Since we are a government by
the people and for the people if we are to supply food for everyone we will
need to take it from someone else.
Taxpayers often balk here. They will correctly state that they work hard
for their money. They ask why they
should give away what they have earned to those who are lazy. That is exactly what is being done when you
pay your taxes so that the government can pass it on for you. How can we feed the hungry people that will
encourage them not to sit back and simply treat it as a handout? How can this
be done?
There is a Biblical concept
called gleaning. Throughout the Old
Testament the rich were commanded not to harvest to the edges of their
fields. They were commanded not to go
over their fields twice. The idea was
that the poor could go out and gather for themselves and be fed. Yet, the food gathered through gleaning was
healthy and good for you. The work in
the outdoors was also beneficial. Beyond
that the concept is brought out that those that are currently wealthy by
manmade standards need to share with those that are experiencing need.
What
caused the great depression?
An investigation into the
causes of the great depression will show that greed was one of the primary factors
that led to the suffering of millions, worldwide. Selfishness does not look pretty in society. Yet we see this often as businesses try to
squeeze every penny out of their enterprise regardless of who it hurts.
Our goal must be to honor
these men and women by allowing them to work for their food in some
capacity.
A solution to our hunger
problem?
This gleaning concept seems
to solve our problem. At first glance
this is a great idea for those who are hungry.
They get fed and the wealthy are not greedy. But wait it’s not that simple. What about those who have disabilities? They may not be able to go out to the
fields. If they have families they can
help. Families are a part of the
solution. We will discuss that more in
detail later. But in our current
discussion, what if there is no family?
Also consider that if a man or woman is out picking fruits and
vegetables all day they are not looking for work that will help them not need
to go out and glean. If we are not
careful we will entrap folks in the world of poverty. Also at issue is that currently most of those
experiencing poverty are living in urban settings. Growing foods may not be very common and so
opportunities to glean may also be lacking.
We will explore solutions to this problem when we discuss some promising
opportunities around hydroponics and community gardens. One final challenge comes to us in the form
of those that really are lazy. Some will
simply not go out to gather the food and then expect others to come through for
them. There are those folks who will
work really hard to show that they cannot work.
What do we do with them? Do we
simply sit and watch them starve? What
about their children? This is a
difficult problem with no easy solution.
Shelter
Once men and women are fed
they are ready to be concerned with security and stability. There is a tendency to believe that shelter
is all about a roof over their heads.
While that is part of the story, we must look deeper. We focus on temporary solutions and wonder
why people are unstable. We offer rental
subsidies, rescue shelters or tent cities or other short term, unstable answers
to the housing problem.
“Everyone then who hears these words
of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the
rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and
does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.
And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and
beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
–Matthew 7:24-27
This temporary mindset
carries over and suddenly folks begin to look at things differently.
One example of where it
impacts people at work as this mobile mindset carries over and they are always
looking for the next job. They feel the right and privilege to do a poor job,
be rude to their supervisors and give less than their best. Why not, they can just change jobs. It won’t matter all that much. When they get fired it is the boss’s fault or
the company is crooked. Never is it
their own fault.
Poor is he who works with a negligent
hand, But the hand of the diligent makes rich.
-Proverbs 10:4
It can even be argued that
this same mindset carries over to family life as flexibility becomes the rule
of law. There is no need to be
respectful of family if you can leave at anytime and couch surf or shack up
somewhere else. There is no need to heal
relationships because they will accept you as you are and take your side down
at the tent city or the local rescue shelter.
Better
to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife.
-Proverbs
25:45
Values also are impacted by
this as folks waver when they are not in a long term permanent home. If you are only living in the temporary and
tomorrow does not matter who cares if you lie, steal or cheat? A person has to do what they have to do to
survive don’t they?
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness
for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
– Isaiah 5:20
Our target needs to be a
home, not simply a place to lay their head or leave their belongings. A home is
stable and is also passed onto the next generation. The stability is felt and understood by
children and it will benefit them for many years. How do we get there where everyone is stably
housed? Building smaller homes that
those experiencing poverty can afford is a step in the right direction. This could take the form of tiny houses or
small cottages. The difficulty comes
when we think that we need to house them first and then deal with the issues
that cause someone to become homeless.
Without the incentive of living on the streets or in a shelter we have
seen clearly that most will not make new choices. They are secure in their dysfunction. If we want to develop a sustainable housing
plan we must deal with the issues that cause folks to become homeless
first. That would require dorm like
settings in rescue shelters where men and women can be re-parented with right
values and right work ethics.
Work
“Whoever
works his land will have plenty of bread, but he who follows worthless pursuits
lacks sense.” Proverbs 12:11
Work is about more than a
paycheck. If the only benefit was the
paycheck than the welfare systems that have been in place since the New Deal
would have done wonders for our nation.
Work equals purpose. Work gives men and women a reason to get out
of bed and impact their place of business and their communities. Work gives a reason to shower, to dress in
ways that connect them to society and strive to get along with others. This purpose is also carried over to
families. A strong work ethic leads to
cleaner homes and students who study harder.
I have known men and women that graduated college because they wanted
better jobs than their parents. It is
the work ethic that really changes the hearts of people.
“Whatever
you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from
the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the
Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24
At work you will forge some
of the best friendships that you will ever experience. While on the clock you learn the discipline
of knowing when to speak and when to shut your mouth. When you work you learn manners and how to
talk respectfully to those in authority.
Work gives you projects that will be completed even if it is only the
conclusion of a sale with fries there is completion. Completing things is good for our minds as we
realize there is a reason for our efforts.
A side benefit of work is that for at least a set amount of time it
keeps folks out of trouble. The old
saying that says that idle hands are the devil’s workshop often proves to be
true.
Having work does of course
come with the benefit of a paycheck. But
now that check has meaning. When you are making a purchase of a movie ticket
you no longer think of that movie costing you ten dollars. You think is this movie going to be worth an
hour of work? When you go buy a one
dollar candy bar is this worth ten minutes of work? That changes how people shop. Consider how you spend money when you receive
it with a card for your birthday verses how you typically spend a
paycheck. Work makes us think
differently about how we spend our money.
So how do we get people back
to work? Long forgotten programs that
were part of the New Deal could be resurrected for the benefit of us all. Money that is allotted to welfare programs
could be combined with money set aside for building roads or state parks could
be combined to reform the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) or the WPA (Work
Progress Administration). A revised CCC
would take men and women who have demonstrated a lack of discipline and put
them into a military like setting and put them to work taking care of our state
and national parks. We will dig into
this deeper later. The WPA style program
would be for those who are disciplined, have special skills and can provide
work that will benefit our communities.
Here again we run into
difficulties. Unions have fought for
higher wages, what happens to those wages when we take work from the union
workers? Again, no easy answers. Another difficulty does deal with those who
have physical or mental disabilities. What
do you do with them? I would suggest that everyone who is drawing
breath can do something to benefit our community. There is no disability that can stop a person
who is willing to work from performing an admirable job.
As many take time to
complain about the growing gap between the rich and the poor I wonder how many
have taken time to consider the truth that many of the government programs
might be feeding the gap?
Hope
One time I was playing
Monopoly with my kids. They have a
standard policy not to negotiate with dad because when I negotiate I tend to
end up with property that will enable me to win. As the game progresses and the kids own all
of the properties and I am unable to build any houses or hotels I realize that
it is only a matter of time before I will lose.
That lack of hope makes the game lose all of its luster and fun. Now imagine a life where you believe that the
odds are so stacked against you that you can never hope to win? For many in our nation this is a sad
reality. If we can even dream of a
nation without poverty than to be successful we must give men and women
hope. As a Christian I believe that the
only lasting hope comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything else that might give hope is
temporary. A job is temporary, family is
temporary but Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. He does not change. That is hope that I can believe in.
Jeremiah
29:11For I know the plans I have for you,”
declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to
give you hope and a future.
Even if they or you reject
this form of hope you must enable them to dream again. What did they want to be when they were
kids? What happened to that dream? What part of that dream can we bring back to
life? How do we help folks get back in
touch with who they were created to be after a long season of neglect? These are all challenges that we must address
and not surrender until we find a solution.
Optimism
is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and
confidence.
-Helen
Keller
Many of the men and women
that I work with will tell me all of the things that they cannot do. While I do care about these things, it is not
particularly helpful. No one will hire
you for what you cannot do. My question is always the same. “What can you
do?” If they can breathe and force a
smile on their face there is hope for them.
Help these men and women in poverty consider the things that they are
capable of and watch what happens.
My
father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed
in me.
-Jim
Valvano
Within everyone there is
something that is often sitting there, stagnant waiting to be called up when
needed. I have been hearing the term
grit more often than before and this is that something that is often lacking in
lives without hope. We need to stir up
grit within folks and motivate them to rise up and live courageous, heroic
lives.
Over
time, grit is what separates fruitful lives from aimlessness.
-John
Ortberg
Service
An additional element
discovered by that Catholic Priest in Paris is the importance of service. Even those with fewer financial resources are
strengthened when they serve others. As
we develop our programs we must strive to empower those who are currently
experiencing poverty to find someone to serve.
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13
This might be serving our
senior citizens so that they can live their final days at home instead of in
the overpriced, understaffed and hopeless environment of most nursing
homes. This might include those
currently homeless in the cleaning of our streets, parks and empty lots instead
of standard employees. The possibilities
are only limited by our imaginations.
Give people purpose and they will never cease to amaze us.
So we have begun this journey together. I hope that you will go onto the next chapter and continue on in the adventure. In the meantime consider the following questions and discuss them with others.
Application
Questions Chapter 1
What is the mental image that I conjure up when I think about poverty?
What are my emotions around those in poverty?
Where do I fall on the personal choice cause or environmental cause debate?
What am I willing to sacrifice to really help make poverty vanish from my community?
What benefits can I think of for our community if we were to end poverty?
Being poor might actually be
the oldest profession. I mean Adam and
Eve did not even have clothing until after the fall. That is when God intervened and conducted the
first sacrificial offering to help those in poverty. Many over the ages have noticed the plight of
the poor and were touched by God to do something about the issue of
poverty. Yet, it is still here about
7000 years or so after creation. What
can we possibly do about it? Of course
most of us feel bad about people sleeping on sidewalks, under bushes and
otherwise not eating good food. If we
think about them while we are sitting down to dinner in our warm homes
surrounded by loving family with lots of laughter we might feel a twinge of
guilt. It is easy though to shrug it off
and say, “Well they made choices.” Many would then add in a wide assortment of
labels for these men and women like addict, bum, hobo or any wide range of
derogatory terms and then we feel better about enjoying the blessing of our
home and hearth.
We might think, “Well I can’t do anything about it so why even try.” I know that I have felt guilty sitting at a banquet with servers bringing me refills of tea or coffee while I hear a presentation about the plight of those in poverty. It is not my intention today to induce guilt. That guilt is already there. Isn’t that part of the reason that you don’t look at the panhandler at the intersection that is looking at you while the light refuses to change to green. While it is not our intention, we hurt for our fellow man but just simply feel unequipped to actually do something about the crisis. The purpose of this book is to encourage you to do something. Take action today toward this quest of ending poverty in this most wealthy and powerful of nations.
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what
it says.
-James 1:22
Note: I do recognize that even doing the best that
we can to help; some folks will simply reject true love and will continue to
live in poverty. But let that not stop
us from giving all of mankind a chance to experience abundant life. Everyone
deserves a chance to succeed.
The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have
me.
-Matthew 26:11
The idea of a quest to end
poverty seems a bit insane. This feat is
beyond the wisest of men and animals and it seems impossible so why even
try?
I want to point out that it
has been done at least twice. In the
first case after many years the people forgot what they did to end poverty and
it returned. That is why, once we
succeed, we must build museums to remind us of the suffering that can take
place when we refuse to bring justice and peace and hope to our fellow
humans. In the second case those living
in poverty had no one living below them economically to serve.
Ancient
History
One from ancient history society
that ended poverty started as a small impoverished village. This village was so poor that if they had
kept statistics like we do today over ninety percent of the population would
have been living below the poverty line.
Things were looking bad. In
addition to abject poverty and uncertain opportunities for food, the people
also had to be concerned about raiding parties from empires and nations around
them. Fear was very real for the
citizens of the village. The village had
many things going for it. Among the
population were many highly intelligent and creative people. After many generations of rough living the
people were hardened and strong. But the
one thing that would ultimately help the people the most is that they were part
of a kingdom that had a very wise king.
As the king considered the state of the village he knew that there was
potential for so much more. This king
loved his people and they loved him too.
Unfortunately love does not fill the belly or warm the body. Like I said, though, this king was very wise.
Calling his court to his
side he launched his plan. First he took
each family of the village an olive tree.
He simply gave it to them with the understanding that someday they would
pay him back. Wise men came and taught
the villagers how to plant the trees and care for them. The climate was perfect and the trees prospered. Throughout the process the people were
visited by wise men that helped them continue the care of the trees and ensure
that the people were always knowledgeable about olive trees. Stories, myths and legends would be told that
made the trees seem almost magical. The people were hopeful but they did not
know why. Soon the olives had their
first budding and then in the blink of an eye it was time for harvest. Again trainers descended on the village and
the people were helped along. When the
harvest was complete others were responsible for taking the excess olives and
taking them to other villages. The
people sold the olives and the village was not as poor as before. Over time things like olive oil and other
olive based products were created and the market grew. Olive products from the village were
traveling many miles and the village became prosperous. After just a few short years the king was
reimbursed for the original trees.
Experts continued to be available but for the most part the olive
growers could do things on their own. It
became obvious to the villagers that they would need better roads and other
things to help the trade to continue to prosper so they happily paid taxes that
were put to good use to create these things.
When rumors of foreign armies were heard they joyfully paid taxes to
build an army and navy. The village grew
and prospered many years. Eventually the
people were able to specialize into those who made tools, made olive oil,
warriors and the arts came into being.
Now the village had wealth and there was no poverty among them.
NOTE: They had slaves that
they had bought from foreign lands.
While I would say that these are poor they all had a roof over their
heads and food in their bellies. This is
not to excuse them. Life without freedom
is not worth living.
This village I am sure you
have heard of is Athens, Greece. Too
many years of wealth and prosperity took place and they were no longer the
hardened people from the early days.
When the Persians came they could not stand. With war came famine, infighting and
disaster. Instead of working together
they lived divided by artificial factors like politics and family lineage. Poverty returned with a vengeance.
There are a couple of things
to point out here about this ancient story that are important to take note of
and we will come back to later in this book.
If the King had simply gave the people food they never would have
prospered. He helped them get started
and offered training and other helps along the way. But each family only had success in
accordance with their level of work.
Handouts will destroy civilizations.
Handouts are only appropriate after a disaster and only for a short
season. We must empower those who are
experiencing poverty. They have value
and skills. Let them use their ability
for the forces of good. Secondly,
society had to work together. When
enemies threatened they had to work together, pay taxes and encourage
others. We must begin to see others as
valuable to our own growth and prosperity and work together to face the
difficulties that will come.
Our role in the church and
in society as a whole when it comes to issues of poverty is to offer those in
poverty a ladder. It is up to them to
climb it.
A second case of success
took place in Paris, France in the early 1950s.
A young priest walking through the city after church one Sunday noticed some
men that were experiencing homelessness going through trash. Curious he began a conversation with the
men. They told him that they could take
the bottles to one guy who would give them money to eat. Another told him about another guy who would
take bricks and other items for scrap. They would travel taking a few bottles
to the bottle guy and other items to others who would buy those items. At the end of the day, each man would have a
little bit to eat that night. In that moment the priest had compassion on these
men and he set out to organize these men.
He gave them assignments. Some
collected nothing but bottles and another nothing but bricks. When the day was done all of the men came
back together with big smiles and plenty of money for them all to eat well. Again the priest organized the work party and
they went out again. Soon they made
enough to rent a small place they could all live. Eventually they were able to buy a building
and they managed it themselves. The
priest continued to teach and train them on how to handle conflicts with each
other. He helped some learn to read and
how to do math. Most of all he taught
these men to serve one another and also to serve others who were
struggling. The city was getting cleaner
and the small group continued to prosper and their numbers swelled. Some would leave the group to pursue
education or other careers. But service
was embedded in their hearts. One day the priest noticed there were no more
homeless in Paris and he became concerned.
He knew that if these men did not have someone to serve that they would
become arrogant and proud. They had to
serve someone or poverty would return just as in the days gone by. The priest went to third world countries to
recruit folks to come to Paris, but it was too late. Without someone to serve the men returned to
bad choices and men were once again to be found living on the streets, feeding
themselves by going through garbage. Returning to their selfish nature and
experiencing the loneliness and pain of life alone, the great experiment came
to a screeching halt.
The
priest built these men a ladder and for a season they chose to climb it.
Service is an important
key. I don’t drink or gamble. It is not my purpose here to debate the
merits of that choice. But I don’t drink
or gamble because I want to be fully available to serve others. If I am drunk I am not of much service to
those in need. If I lose my money to
casinos I have less to share with my fellow man. Service must be what shapes our character and
inspires us daily.
I have often been surprised
throughout my years of working with those in poverty how the men and women in
poverty tear each other down, steal from one another and attack those who are
making changes in their lives to get out of poverty. They remind me of the story of crabs. If a fisherman goes out and catches one crab
and puts it in the bucket he must put a lid on the bucket. However, if he catches two and puts them both
in the bucket he does not need a lid.
The two crabs will prevent each other from getting out.
Don’t be a crab.
In both stories also notice
the important role of inspirational, revolutionary and inspiring
leadership. Every community has someone
with a voice that is filled with truth and grace. Those voices must be supported and encouraged
or the silence will drive people into poverty.
So it has been done. What do
we do? Where do we start? That is what this book is intended to
do. That is, start something of a
movement. Find your piece of the action
and get involved. Each of us has God
given passions. We must find our role
and move forward. This book does not
have all of the answers or all of the solutions. It is meant to create conversations and to stoke
the fires of passion for our neighbors.
This book will discuss patterns and ideas and they are debatable. You can refute them, argue them but even in
that there is conversation and if that happens I will consider this book a
success. Strive to add a verse to this
book so that we can make progress.
Note also that this blog is written from a Christian world view and many illustrations and patterns that will be discussed will reflect that view. If you believe in Christ as your savior, this book will enhance your knowledge of Him. If you are an unbeliever, I ask you to not to throw out the whole concept because of your prejudice against people of faith. This book has much to say about humanity and the process needs your help so stay with it and you too can add to the story.
Poverty is complicated and
too many times policy makers and people of good intentions have begun a good
work but have lost energy. That is why
it is only TOGETHER that we can do this.
We must forge an alliance with others who also want to do their
part. No one part is any more important
than any other part. The Bible teaches
us that if we are united nothing will be impossible. That is the reason why I think this is
possible.
The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they
have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for
them.
-Genesis 11:6
By together I mean that we
must also include those in poverty in on the discussion. After all they are the subject matter experts
on what life in poverty is like. My
feeling is that they can identify the difficulties and the challenges. For those in middle class and above I charge
you to listen to their wisdom. I have
learned more from these men and women than I have from most of my college classes. These are incredible survivors. They make meals out of next to nothing. They
can fix broken things without tools.
While they should be open to learning from you, you need to return the
favor. My experience is that when you
listen to them, they will make more sense to you.
Wide or narrow attack?
It was toward the end of the
World War II, the allies were approaching the German borders and a great debate
began. Some felt that the allies should attack with a select front throwing
every resource on a small area in the hope of piercing the front lines of the
enemy? Others believed that they should
take on a wide front and engulf the enemy.
Ultimately, General Eisenhower chose to go with the wide front. Many commentators believed that his decision
extended the length of the war. Most
likely they are correct. The Germans
were in disarray and the Allies could have easily driven straight up to Berlin
with little resistance. Going with the
wide front enabled the Germans to regroup and ultimately to make a final push
through the Ardennes forest. While some
point a finger of blame at General Eisenhower for allowing that to take place
and say he should have listened to General Montgomery and others who believed
in the small front; it is important to
look at the big picture. Ending the war
too quickly would have enabled Germany to get out of the conflict with little
impact on their homeland. Another man,
maybe worse than Adolf Hitler, could have arisen and gained power. The quick fix would have been a
band-aid. Ultimately it is the wide
front that ended the insanity.
Most of the projects and plans for ending poverty have been done on a small front and has enabled poverty to simply be rearranged on the plate and not defeated. Wins are often made in the short run but nothing is ever sustained and the numbers of those in poverty actually grow. This book will argue for the wide front. We must attack poverty on all fronts with an aim to restore individuals, families and communities to health. Together moving in many areas with one voice and one purpose we can win. Again there will be many areas discussed but as time goes on we will learn of more contributing factors. We can’t keep waiting to find them all before publishing this book. We will move forward with the best we know today but the conversation must be a living organism of its own. Let us talk and share and see what we can do. This generation can end poverty in America. Let’s get started.
A Jewish man had two sons, the story
goes. He loved his boys intensely and
worked to raise them with the traditions and the moral values that had given
him his own success. One day the younger
of the two came to his father. “Father, I know that someday I would inherit a
portion of this land and of your belongings.
I would like that now.” The
father was saddened by this mindset and broken hearted that this son of his
would so reject him. Yet, with a heavy
heart he gave the younger son his share of the estate. A short time later the son sold off all of
his share and left to explore the world.
Each and every day the father went to a small hilltop where he could see
the road and look for his son. Day after
day he was disappointed and returned to his home to pray, fast and hope for the
best for this son of his. The elder son
was dutiful and cared for the family business and tried to keep his father’s
spirits up.
Meanwhile, the younger son was living large
in the big city. With a large purse of gold
coins he was the life of the party. At
first it was difficult for him to overcome the moral teachings of his father,
but eventually his heart was calloused to such old fashioned thinking. Each night he would drink until late in the
night and each morning wake up with a different woman. Rarely if ever did he even remember his
family back home.
Day after day the father continued to go to
that hilltop and look for his son.
Travelers coming through would share with the elder brother about the
wild living the younger was doing in the city.
The stories were always told in whispers so that the father would not
hear and be even more broken hearted. Bitterness,
and to be totally honest, a little bit of envy came over the older
brother. Each day the elder brother woke
up with the sun and would work all day.
“Why should he get to have fun and have no responsibility?” Despite the bitterness the elder brother
continued to do his work and served his father faithfully.
After a particularly long losing streak the
younger brother realized that his change purse was getting lighter and lighter. As the purse shrunk so did his list of
friends. Soon he found himself broke and
alone. With no money the young man
noticed that his stomach that had been enlarged with rich foods was shrinking
quickly. But with the famine raging in
the land there was little work to be found.
Local businesses chased him away from their front entrances knowing that
he had no money. The young man was
desperate.
A well worn path know showed the route the
father took day after day to his hilltop look out, hoping and waiting for his
son to return.
One day as he looked through some piles of
garbage hoping to find something to eat, a man took compassion on him and took
him to an inn and bought him a nice meal and gave him a few coins to “help him
get on his feet.” The young man was
ecstatic and ran off to gamble and multiply his good fortune. Over the next several days his purse expanded
and shrunk until he was again broke, alone and hungry. Again wandering the street and looking for
garbage behind a building that was used as a synagogue the local rabbi came
along and took pity on the boy. He too
bought him a meal and gave him a few coins.
Again the excited young man took off and gambled the windfall and
repeated the process. Week after week
and month after month, the now aging man would expend his life in wild living
and someone would take compassion on him and he would survive. He was always grateful and typically
polite. He had learned where to hang out
in order to get the best meals and the most money when he again experienced the
loss that he learned was just a normal part of life.
The father continued to wait for his son. Some days he felt hopeful and some days he lost all hope. However, the youngest son was never going to return home. The son would never feel the consequences of his choice. People with good intentions kept feeling pity for him and rescuing him. Unlike the original story the younger son never made it to the pig sty so that he could “come to himself” and return to his father. Ultimately the father died broken hearted. The younger son died on a cold night before he could be rescued. He was buried in an unmarked grave because nobody knew who he was.
While
this nation has many flaws and has failed in so many ways. It is still a great nation. People from around the world still want to come
here and be called citizens. The people
of this nation routinely donate money to help people for a wide array of
causes. Among those causes that often
are given focus is the homeless. Great
passion is expressed in churches and among the social workers that we must help
these people who are living on the streets.
Businesses are hurt by people begging in front of their store
fronts. Incredible government programs
are developed to get them housed and out of our sight so that we might not be
burdened by the sight of these dirty, ragged masses of humanity.
Unfortunately, most of these
programs only provide handouts and temporary reprieve. These programs take on multiple names but are
typically the same. Churches
particularly reach out to the homeless and advocate for them to get help. Social workers go to lobby congress to give
more money for program to help these men and women.
There is one fatal flaw with all of these good hearted intentions. They all prevent the person in poverty from returning to the father. They never get to feel the shame of being a Jewish man working in a pig sty. They are given resources that enable them to continue in the lifestyles that led them into poverty in first place. As a result the numbers of those who are in poverty continue to multiply.
Imagine a ten story
building. On the tenth floor of this
building are the ultra wealthy. The second floor is filled with those that are
living a stable and moral life just above the poverty line. In between those two extremes is where most
of us live. Between floors there are
stairwells that enable people to move up or down between floors. The stairwells going up represent hard work,
education and healthy relationships. The
stairwells going down are representing laziness, lack of education and choosing
unhealthy relationships. Within this
building are elevators. There are some
with special skills (think athletes and artists) who use those skills to
quickly rise to the top. Most do not get
to use the elevators but they are there.
On the ground floor is where those that are
living in poverty live. Because it is
the ground floor there is much instability there. People come and go and crime is common. Nobody really enjoys the ground floor and
most dream of winning the lottery and getting to live on the top floor. Alas, there is no elevator or even a
stairwell from the ground floor even to the 2nd floor. There is only a rickety ladder. Many are paralyzed by fear of climbing the
ladder. Often people in society shake
the ladder if they even try to climb until they fall back to the ground. (Think
Jim Crow and similar laws). Even others
living in poverty shake the ladder if they attempt to climb. They are like lobsters who when caught and
put in a bucket must be secured with a lid if there are only one but have no
need of a lid if there are two. The
lobsters pull each other down if they try to escape.
The last group that keeps
them on the ground floor are the incentive stealers. Those on the ground know about the stability
of the ground floor and if they get hungry enough or feel unsafe enough will
make new choices so that they can climb.
While the others who are knocking them off of the ladder are mean and
cruel, these are loving and compassionate.
But the result is the exact same.
In this series we will explore what can be done to greatly reduce and even end poverty in this great nation. We will look at how our society often keeps people in poverty and consider what we should do to actually help these men and women climb the ladder out of poverty.
There will be disagreement and that is good. We need to have discussion without calling each other names or demonstrating hate. We just simply see things differently. Let us work together to make a difference. Let us work together to complete this quest of ending poverty in America.
Welcome
back! If you started on June 6 when we
kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 78.
This will complete our journey together serving
you as you strive to live the Warrior Life.
I welcome your feedback and
encourage you to contact me and let me coach you toward greater success.
Part 1: Be the Leader:
Discipline:
Definition:
Destiny:
Part 2: BE THE WARRIOR
The warrior takes the small things seriously
The warrior must be a student of history.
The warrior must live by a code.
Part 3 Be the Storm
Risk:
Take Action:
Resolve to never give
up:
Every run,
every project gets to a moment where you feel like throwing in the towel. The warrior does not quit at that point. My experience is that if in that moment, you
push through, and you will start to feel different. In that moment you will cross some line and
what once seemed dark will suddenly come alive and you will win. But only if you don’t give up.
You, my
friend, are called to change the world.
You may not be destined to change the whole world but maybe your piece
of it. The real problem is that the
world does not want to change. They know
the pain and fear that your might introduce them to a pain that they don’t
know. Men and women work diligently to
avoid change in their lives. The good
news is that if they can feel the pain, and keep from medicating it, they might
hear you.
As you
propose the change initially they will call you insane. They will break out all science and human
wisdom they can find to discourage you.
Some will do this out of spite.
Ignore them.
Others will
do this out of love. They will fear for
your pain or more often they fear that they will be required to do and be more
if you bring the change. These love you. Be gentle with them but resolve to continue
on the journey. Explain your
reasons. Share the journey. Invite them to come along. When possible fill them in on the details.
Even Jesus had family and friends that thought that he had lost his mind. His teachings are difficult. Yet many try to teach these things as if they are simple. I believe they are doing a great disservice to the Kingdom of God. I cannot explain everything. Most of the time, this God that I love, makes no sense to me. Yet I have resolved to follow Him to the ends of the Earth if needed. I choose to live for Him and if called up on to die for Him. I have resolved to never give up.
You,
warriors, what will you die for? You
might say family or friends. Make your
God given purpose a mountain where you can take your stand. Discipline yourself to know your purpose
intimately. Envision it. Breathe it in. Study yourself and anything connected with
your purpose. Look for answers to your
problems in unusual places. Just do not
give up! Do not give in! Just keep plodding toward your dreams. Live for your purpose.
Welcome
back! If you started on June 6 when we
kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 71.
Part 1: Be the Leader:
Discipline:
Definition:
Destiny:
Part 2: BE THE WARRIOR
The warrior takes the small things seriously
The warrior must be a student of history.
The warrior must live by a code.
Part 3 Be the Storm
Risk:
Take Action:
Storms test the integrity of structures.
Things that are fake or are barely holding on will not survive the
storm. I remember as a child living
through a tornado that ripped through our neighborhood. My neighbor across the street was hiding out
in his basement with his family when the storm hit and when the storm was over
he bragged to his wife how the house had survived the storm. She had been complaining for years that he
needed to fix the porch and other maintenance tasks around the house. He always intended to get to it but never
took action. So when the storm was over
and from his view point the house was in order he felt vindicated.
That feeling
of vindication and victory only lasted about 20 minutes. They came out of the basement and everything
was dark. Initially, they believed that
it was just because the power was out.
My neighbor found a flashlight and tried to open the front door but it
would not open. This happened sometimes,
he had been meaning to fix it. Unable to
open the door he made his way out of back door and walked around the
house. That is when he discovered the
overhang from their front porch was laying across the porch and keeping the
door closed. In the morning other damage
was revealed. While the house survived,
much of the structure was shown to be weak.
That can
happen in our own lives. We can get by
day to day and survive but can your life survive storms? In order to build that structure you must
take action.
Teddy
Roosevelt as a child was reported to be sickly and weak. Doctors did not expect him to do much with
his life. Teddy could have simply rolled
over and lived off of his parents wealth and really have been forgotten by
history. That was not Teddy’s way! He began to exercise. He ignored doctor’s instructions; he overcame
most of his ailments. Those ailments
that he did not overcome he pushed through anyway. Teddy took action.
NOTE: I am
not advising you to ignore doctors. But
do follow up and see if there are other opinions or treatments if needed.
Too many of
us get bad news, we simply call it quits.
That will keep you from having any impact on the world.
When I was a
baby my very young parents were told not to expect too much out of me because
of complications at birth. The doctor
was very sincere so my parents believed him.
As I grew up I was sat in front of the TV and not much was
expected. That was my life until I was 5
years old. That is when I met Sister
Mary Gabriel. She told my parents that
was stupid and that I was just lazy. She
took action. At least once her action
included a paddle. She pushed me and
made me cry on multiple occasions. But
she demanded that I take action. She
would not accept my excuses. Ultimately
I not only completed first grade, but was fairly successful in school.
This week’s challenge: What is
holding you back? What can you do to
overcome those obstacles?
Welcome
back! If you started on June 6 when we
kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 64.
Part 1: Be the Leader:
Discipline:
Definition:
Destiny:
Part 2: BE THE Warrior
The warrior takes the small things seriously
The warrior must be a student of history.
The warrior must live by a code.
Part 3 Be the Storm
Today we begin the final section of this series. By now you are developing as a leader and as
a warrior. Those are important for your
daily life and purposes. If you do well
with the first two sections you will be successful but it is unlikely that you
will be remembered by anyone 2-3 generations after you meet your demise. In order to be a legend you must be the
storm
Risk:
Being the
storm is risky. There is no doubt. There will be people who will hate you and
despise you. They will talk about you
and even make up lies to smear your name.
This will always be true. Many
people are like crabs. If you go crab
fishing and you catch one crab and put them in a bucket you must put a lid on
the bucket. Once you catch 2 crabs and
put them together in the bucket, you no longer need to put a lid on them. If one tries to escape the other will pull
them back down. All people have their
own agenda and purpose and these crabs have as a part of their purpose to hold
you back.
Listen to
them, learn from what they are saying, but don’t let it touch your emotions. If they offer a way to accomplish your goals
that reduces the risk, take that into consideration. But do not let them make you afraid. Steel yourself against their attacks. Know that they are coming.
Abraham Lincoln, during his presidency, was often hated and despised. ½ the nation left to start their own country because they suspected that he would become a liberator of slaves. Those that stayed behind were angry at him for a multitude of reasons. Initially, he was accused of being too slow toward abolition. He took the risk to wait. Later when he had the Emancipation Proclamation, many said it was too risky. Every time he risked firing a general there were those waiting to lambaste him. Yet he continued to risk. Read the headlines of the papers of that era. They make the modern media look like they love President Donald Trump. Newspapers looked to crucify the man consistently. Yet he never failed to risk doing the next right thing.
However,
when he died he became a legend. He
belongs to the ages. Many want to be
like him, but they have forgotten the hate and ridicule he had to endure. Lincoln suffered mightily throughout his
presidency so that the nation could be united and the slaves set free. He was the storm. He was a world changer.
You can be a
world changer too. Consider what you
might do to impact the world.
This week’s challenge: Think boldly. If you had the power to change the world in one area, what area would that be? Don’t say something like, “That is just the way it is.” Lincoln could have said that, but took the risk. Pick an area and consider what a first step might be.
Welcome
back! If you started on June 6 when we
kicked this off, you are now on D-Day plus 57.
Be the
Leader: Just because we have moved on in our training does not mean that the
earlier lessons are done. A leader must
be constantly growing and learning.
Discipline:
Definition:
Destiny:
BE THE WARRIOR
The warrior takes the small things seriously
The warrior must be a student of history.
The
warrior must live by a code.
In the heat
of battle or for most of us when stress hits us hard we must have pre-decided how
we will react.
Consider
Joseph in the book of Genesis. He is a
hard worker. He is wise and loyal to his
master. Unfortunately, his master’s wife
took a special liking to him and worked to seduce him. Consider the temptation. Here is a noble woman who likely regularly bathed,
wore make up and the fanciest clothes of her era. Because of Potiphar’s position it is also
likely that he had his choice of beautiful and intelligent women so she is a
top tier girl.
One day this
cunning woman orchestrated some alone time with Joseph, and invited him into
her marriage bed. All of the external
barriers that might have helped Joseph overcome this temptation were gone. How
did Joseph not give into this temptation?
He made a vow before hand to not give himself to this woman. When the invitation came that was not the
time to debate the rightness or wrongness of the situation. His natural senses would have led him
astray. He was a young man with testosterone
running through his system at full tilt.
But he had made a vow at least internally to keep himself pure.
That same
sort of pre-decision can be made for many things in your life. You can seek ideas on the internet for
wording and ideas of things that you should include in your personal vows. But let me give you a few here in no
particular order that you might consider.
As
a warrior it is my duty to always lead from the front and not the rear.
I
will treat all people with respect and love because they are made in the image
of God.
I
will set myself as an example that others will want to follow. (Holistically)
I will push those that work with me toward
constant and never-ending improvement (CANI)
Pain
is required to release the beast within you.
I
do not need to like what God directs you to do, you must simply do it.
I
shall live my life with simplicity.
I
shall never assume that I fully understand a situation until I investigate fully.
I will focus on results, not methods.
Semper Gumby (Always flexible)
Never be alone with a woman in what would appear
a compromising position.
Honor God, first.
This week’s challenge: Consider where
temptation must come from and write out a personal code that you will live with
and apply in your life. Write them out
and then work to integrate them into your life.