Good afternoon…
Like me, you have probably seen yesterday’s haunting image of the migrant dad with his toddler daughter tucked beneath his shirt, laying dead on the shore, after trying to swim to freedom in America. Tragic. Disturbing. Gut-Wrenching. But what can I do in Atlanta about this humanitarian crisis on our border?
Then I watched America’s Got Talent last night, curled up, couch to couch, with our twenty year old daughter. One of the talented acts was a choir from poverty-stricken South Africa, a choir composed of kids who were orphans, homeless, left without hope. No hope, until a compassionate choir director in the community decided to discern with God his personal piece in the puzzle of poverty. He began gathering these kids from the streets, teaching them to sing together, growing belief that God is real, there is hope, and dreams in the heart are not put there to stay, with dreams in the heart God will lead the way. “You may come from poverty, but poverty does not define you,” encouraged this smiling man who called forth God’s voice from these despairing children. Energizing. Joy-sparking. Colorfully creative. The vibrant example of one man making a huge difference inspired me to ask, “God, what is my personal piece in the puzzle of poverty?”
As I ask God to reveal to me my piece in this complex puzzle, I am drawn the book of Deuteronomy. Using our hands, our voices, our creativity, God “…makes sure orphans and widows are treated fairly, takes loving care of foreigners by seeing that they get food and clothing,” says Deuteronomy 10:18 (MSG). “You must also give food to the poor who live in your town, including orphans, widows, and foreigners. If they have enough to eat, then the Lord your God will be pleased and make you successful in everything you do,” says Deuteronomy 14:29 (CEV). “Then you must pray: Our Lord and our God, you have said that ten percent of my harvest is sacred. I have obeyed your command and given this to the poor… foreigners, orphans, and widows,” says Deuteronomy 26:13 (CEV). “‘Cursed is anyone who denies justice to foreigners, orphans, or widows.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen,’” Deuteronomy 27:19 (NLT).
Scripture continues to empower us as caregivers for the vulnerable. Exodus 22:22 (CEV) says, “Do not mistreat widows or orphans.” Psalm 146:9 (NLT) says, “The Lord protects the foreigners among us. He cares for the orphans and widows, but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.” Isaiah 1:17 (CEV) says: “Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.” James 1:27 (NIV) says, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
Jesus himself says, “For you always have the poor with you; but you will not always have Me, face to face, eye to eye” (Matthew 26:11, AMP). The poor in our midst offer us a tangible opportunity to serve our Creator, as Jesus explains, “Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear or visit you while you were sick or in jail?” The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me” (Matthew 25:37-40, CEV). Before leaving this earth for heaven, Jesus promises, “I tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do the same things that I am doing. You will do even greater things, now that I am going back to the Father” (John 14:12, CEV).
God is teaching me very personally through His Holy Word: each of us has a choice to make today, as stark as the difference between the picture of the dad and daughter face down in the water and the singing exuberance of a choir of orphans. Will we retreat into Job 22:5-9 or will we say “yes” to the invitation of Psalm 146:3-8?
Will this be said of us? When people came to you for help, you took the shirts off their backs, exploited their helplessness. You wouldn’t so much as give a drink to the thirsty, or food, not even a scrap, to the hungry. And there you sat, strong and honored by everyone, surrounded by immense wealth! You turned poor widows away from your door; heartless, you crushed orphans (Job 22:5-9, MSG).
Or will Psalm 146:3-8 (MSG) define our days? Don’t put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing of life, of salvation life. Mere humans don’t have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them. Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in God and know real blessing! God made sky and soil, sea and all the fish in it. He always does what he says— he defends the wronged, he feeds the hungry. God frees prisoners— he gives sight to the blind, he lifts up the fallen. All of us are capable of harnessing the power of God’s Holy Spirit, as we do our part to defend, feed, free, give, and lift up, day after day.
Today, my personal piece of poverty’s puzzle is to research Scripture and write about the root system beneath our ongoing opportunity. Choice by choice, I need to envision the results of my decision, “Will my response to the hopeless, the helpless, the vulnerable in my midst leave people feeling dead on my shore or experience the joy of harmonious singing together with our God-given voices?”
…Sue…
P.S. If you feel drawn to do so, please prayerfully ponder the piece you are playing in the puzzle of poverty, and share with me the ways you feel empowered by God to make a life-giving difference in your corner of the world.
