Tuesday, January 12, 2016

I'm Tired of This



I had a conversation of sorts with a gentleman on Facebook yesterday.  Now, it’s not normally the kind of conversation I have with folks on that social media site.  We were talking about the homeless situation in Wichita, in the context of what churches were doing to help mitigate that issue.  The man is not a Christian (he said so), and was asking me what churches will open their doors TONIGHT (his emphasis) to house the homeless.  The way he said it and the context he said it in led me to believe that he was trying to make the point that churches do nothing to really help.
I responded that I wasn’t privy to the information he wanted, and that he could contact Interfaith Ministries, who coordinates these efforts, to find out.  That wasn’t evidently good enough for him, as he continued to belabor the point that I wouldn’t tell him which churches would be open TONIGHT.  I also asked him if he was homeless and needed help, or if he wished to volunteer and be part of the solution.  He didn’t respond to that.
Although I don’t know this man, the tone of his comments and his line of thought was that he wants to blame the churches for having buildings, but not opening them to the homeless.  In other words, they do nothing to help.  Now, I know I’m putting words into his mouth, but I’ve had these conversations before, and they take a familiar pattern.
I’m tired of people who aren’t Christians, aren’t part of any church organization, don’t volunteer, and have no compassion for the down-and-out disrespecting churches and those who are members of them.  These people don’t have a clue what REALLY (emphasis mine) happens within a church body in terms of compassion, service, and giving.  Their “cure” for homelessness, using this example, is for churches to unlock their doors and let people in.
Well, let’s see.  Some churches (I use the term “church” loosely to mean, depending on the context, the people, the building, or the organization) don’t have adequate bathroom and shower facilities.  Some don’t have adequate volunteers to staff it all night.  Some don’t have the cots, blankets, etc.  And some don’t meet fire codes for housing people.  Some have liability insurance issues that preclude that kind of service.  Others may not have adequate kitchen facilities.  Buildings for churches generally aren’t built to house people, as in a motel.  They are built for meetings and gatherings.
Churches DO purchase and maintain other buildings for the purpose of housing the homeless.  Churches DO purchase motel room rental, serve food, and give away clothing and blankets.  Churches DO volunteer to staff other homeless shelters.  Churches DO contribute money for their support.  Churches DO pray for, weep for, and advocate for the homeless.  If churches wouldn’t do what they do, this issue would be multiple times worse than it is.
People who would rather pick at, poke, and argue rather than doing something aren’t on my favorite friends list.  And people who haven’t a clue what the real world is like when it comes to service, social issues, and those who are on the front lines battling Satan every day aren’t there either.
I don’t want people to pat me or anyone else on the back for a job well done.  We don’t do this in order to receive some kind of praise from others.  We do this because we know we are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ on earth.  We do this because we know it’s the right thing to do.  We do this because we are in a battle with the satanic enemy of God.  We do this because all people matter to God; and all people matter to us.
I’m tired of this.

Friday, January 01, 2016

Try It



Well, it’s the new year.  I suppose that I should be happy, happy, happy that the old year has been swept away and the prospects of a new year loom fresh and unsullied by the world…yet.  But I’ve been through enough new years in my life that I know the new will be mostly a repeat of the old, and that not much will really change regarding world peace, politics, or the human condition.
I guess we should always carry the banner of hope that THIS election year will be about the issues instead of insanities…that THIS year we will find the ultimate answer to the Jewish/Arab problems in the Middle East…that THIS year we will make peace with Isis and they with us...that THIS year Kansas will win the Big 12 football championship…that THIS year, well, you get the picture.
I am always amused at some of my Facebook friends who complain about their lot in life, but never seem to actually DO anything to change that.  They hate how they look, what they weigh, who they have a relationship with, where they live, or what they do for a living.  They have big ideas, big plans, and big dreams of change, and never seem to get started on them.  I think they enjoy complaining more than they hate all of the other.
I’ve been there, though.  I can relate.  It’s not easy to get out of the rut of life, even when that rut is less than comfortable.  There is a certain comfort in the uncomfortable.   There is a certain security in the known.  There is a certain relief in the torment.
I don’t know about you, but I’m more and more convinced that the human race is just about the most inconsistent, incompetent, and erratic kind of life form that ever has been or is.  We lack judgment.  We persist in tormenting ourselves.  We know what we need to do to get out of the hole we’ve dug, but we stubbornly refuse the offer of grace and salvation from ourselves.  Shall I say it?  We are idiots all!!
So, what are your big ideas and plans for the coming year?  And how many of those big ideas and plans in years past have you made and not seen come to fruition?  What do you plan to do differently this year than you’ve done in years past to make that outcome different this year?
Or are you finished with the big ideas?  You no longer make any plans.  You’ve just given up and given in on life as it is, and you want to just make it through another year relatively unscathed.
Let me offer you an alternative.  You’ve tried everything else…why not try Jesus Christ?  Test him.  Challenge him.  Dare him.  Put him on the front burner.  Let him have your life.  Give him your all.  What have you got to lose except the despair and hopelessness that you’ve known up to now?  Try it…I think you’ll like it.