Today’s scripture: Matthew 18:10-14 (ESV-text and audio) (KJV) (The Message) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (David Zier):
During my internship for my ordination in 2010 at West Richmond Friends, I worked with Open Arms Ministry. Open Arms supports people in need in many kinds of situations — homelessness, coming out of incarceration, unemployment, people on disability but barely making ends meet, people with high medical costs, or the working poor who are struggling.
With the variety of people and needs that would walk through the door, I learned that there are many services for various populations, but everything is limited. There are only so many places to go for shelter, for food, for job training, and for help. Some organizations help pay utility costs, but can’t pay reconnection fees. Open Arms tried to do all it can to help connect people to the right resources. At times, I would find myself bending the rules a bit based on the specific need, especially when there were children involved.
One day, a man and his daughter with Down Syndrome came to the Open Arms Ministry Office because the apartment they were living in was infested with bed bugs, and his daughter had to sleep in the bathtub. Most of the furniture to sleep or sit on had been ruined. The landlord was not cooperating in doing the extermination, and other units were also infested with all kinds of things. (Yes, this was one of those slumlords!) This was the only place they could afford, and they relied on the local pantries and food stamps for food.
The father’s unemployment had run out and he had not been able to find work. This was back in 2010 after the economy crashed. He was laid off from a manufacturing job that would never return. And this story is just one among many.
When I think of taking care of the little ones, there are so many people who really have nowhere to turn. Many organizations do the best they can to help those with all sorts of needs. But people still fall through the cracks. There are so many who make a very modest living, and they only qualify for minimal help, yet they fall farther and farther behind. Sometimes we tell people that they should help themselves, but the opportunities are not as plentiful as we want to think.
These stories we rarely hear about. They are not quite homeless, but on the edge of being there.
I like to think that I can make a difference, but in some of the circumstances I have seen, I can see and feel the hopelessness.
Today’s passage says that we should be seeking out those little ones. I admit I do not like the term “astray.” I think I would use the term, “slipped through the cracks.” It is almost as if the 1 in 100 that slips and goes astray from the others goes unnoticed in our world today. Maybe we just don’t take the time to find them, or we think, “Jesus said there would always be the poor.” But Jesus also said that – ‘how we treat the least of these, we do unto him’.
So, I pray that we can see the little ones, or those who slipped through the cracks, a little more clearly, so that we can spend more of our time, money, resources, and prayer for those who are in need. God help us so that we can help each other do better, live better, and have what they need.
Prayer for the day: God, please help me see others who may be slipping through the cracks. Strengthen my own heart so that I am able to reach out more, and be more courageous in answering Jesus call to go out and find those who are becoming more invisible. I pray that I can see Jesus in all people. Amen.
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