Radically Different

As I prepare to start The Do Something Walk tomorrow some thoughts come to mind. I have heard and experienced a great deal of support from so many and it has been overwhelming. There are those who are supportive to a point but also question why you would help those who don't seem to be helping themselves and made poor decisions to create their situation. I'd like to talk about that today.

You know there is a logical, human side that says those folks are right. Sometimes people have made decisions that have created at least a portion of their problems. Sometimes they don't do things to dig themselves out of that hole. That is all true for some people. Logically we can say that we shouldn't help people who are making these poor decisions or aren't meeting us half-way to change it. I am sure that has been my mentality for more situations than not. However, I think the love that Jesus taught us is radically different.

Does it really matter that folks have made poor decisions? We all make them and have had to deal with the consequences of those decisions. Does that mean that we should not lend a hand, help, be compassionate? My thinking now is we help regardless. I'm called to make a difference, bring hope to others without condition. I truly believe that. Jesus hung out with those who made those poor decisions, who weren't meeting him halfway, who even scoffed at the thought that he was the Savior. Yet, there He was in the midst of all those people. In fact, the righteous, pious crowd was somewhat mocked and scorned by Jesus because of their hypocritical lives. Now there are no promises that our efforts, care and concern in these situations will permanently change the lives and worlds of those who are hurting around us. One thing is for sure, if we don't make that effort their is no chance for change, at least by doing something, even for those who seem undeserving by human standards, there is a chance of change, of hope, of a better world. If we look at this from just our human view then it is easy to ignore that pain and hurt. We can blame the people for their choices to create that situation. We can say I'll be here when you move my direction. Jesus never waited for that, He went into the crowds, He didn't judge but forgave, He didn't put conditions on the forgiveness and grace, He just did it.

This radical thought process has really hit me the last few weeks. I've looked into the eyes of the homeless and there is this blank, dull stare in the front but deep in the back of the eyes is a flicker, a dim light of hope. It is my passion, my goal to find a way to bring that light of hope to the front of their gaze. There will be failures and God-willing successes on this journey. The issues we can choose to be involved in are endless and all of them have merit. Mine is no better or worse than the others. It just happens to be my passion and for once in my life I'm choosing not to sit back and hope someone does something. It's time for me to do something. I like being a radical even if this isn't how I thought of it in the past. When we wonder why a foreclosed house is such a disaster and curse the fact that someone would let that happen, I think we need to think how we would act if our lives seemed completely hopeless and lost. Would cleaning our house or any menial task seem worth it at that point? I think not. It's easy to judge those people and situations, God knows I've done it a hundred times, but the radical thing to do is go clean anyway. It's a huge paradigm shift to think that way. To think, wow, they messed up and are doing nothing, I think I'll go help. WHAT! I firmly believe that if we can shift our society to that way of thinking, we will radically change our world in a powerful, positive way and there will be far less people with these needs and far more people changing our world for peace, hope and love.

My challenge to you is find your passion and don't just express it but do something. Maybe it is just a visit, maybe it is volunteering, maybe it takes 5 minutes, maybe it takes 5 days, maybe it seems fruitless or meaningless, maybe it seems overwhelming and daunting...do it anyway. We all have the gifts to do something. I've tried to find some deep, theological Bible passage or sermon type thought but it really comes down to this..whatever you do for the least of these. So go, do, be it, live it!