Christian Responsibilities

Christian Responsibilities

I heard an interview some time ago on the Focus on the Family radio broadcast with Mike Yankoski who along with another guy went homeless for 5 months back in 2003 in 6 different U.S. Cities, Denver, Washington D.C., Seattle, San Francisco, Phoenix and San Diego. He has since written a book "Under the Overpass." It is a real eye opener for the church in America. It gives practical insight into real Christian responsibilities. We have taken "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel" to mean send missionaries to foreign countries while we stay in our comfortable church building collecting the money to send them. (Nothing wrong with that) but Mike and his partner show how we are failing in America to reach the homeless and "the least of these." Not only are we failing to reach them by going to where they are but also by not welcoming them into where we are (unless they are like us.) I hope that interview and Mike's book changes me forever.

Jesus, who is to be our example, spent little time in the Synagogues and much time with the people. Jesus and the early church revolutionized the world in that day with that formula. Today we have abandoned that formula and wonder why America is in the condition it is. You can't bake a cake using a mud pie recipe.

I could expound on that thought a lot but I won't because I believe in trying to build up rather than beat down which is what would happen if I elaborated extensively. Let me just say let's get back to basics. Help the hurting, whether it be the poor, the young, the elderly, the grieving or the broken. People have often misspoke saying "God helps those who help themselves." In reality God helps those who can't help themselves and often He uses people to do it. Let's use the church building for worship and let's get the gospel (good news) out into the streets where it belongs.

Jesus also gave us the parable of the good Samaratian for a reason. The injuried man was not in a temple or synogogue and neither are most of the hurting in our society. Look for ways to help the less fortunate and disavantaged outside the wall of the church. That is where you are most likely to find them. You don't shop for groceries in a used car lot.