Getting involved – 25 February 2010

I will help later, when I’ve sorted myself out.  Have you ever said that?

“and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” Isaiah 58:10 [NIV]

If you have time you might like to read the whole chapter of Isaiah 58.  Isaiah is saying that our healing is linked to helping the poor.  Conventional wisdom says, I would like to get involved, but I have to get my life together first.  Isaiah says, feed the hungry, help the oppressed and the gloom will lift.

Another anecdote from Faith Works:

“Chuck said, ‘ After my wife died, I got very depressed, I missed her so much, and life just didn’t seem very good to me any more.  But I was coming to church, and that’s how I met Wanda over there.  She was homeless then… I had space and decided I could take her in.  Now I’m too busy to be depressed any more!’”

Dear Lord, I’m sorry for all the times I’ve been self obsessed and made excuses not to get involved.  Give me courage to do something concrete next time the opportunity arises.  Amen