My friends, we need more red ties in America.
When I was in Assisi last year, I met a friendly monk. When he learned I was to become a pastor, he got very excited, promised to pray for me, and made the sign of the cross on my forehead (I was Catholic for the day). We talked for a bit, though the language barrier was tough. And as I was leaving, his final words to me were, “Remember the poor.”
This imperative comes from Galatians 2:10, when Paul is describing the Council of Jerusalem. The Council dealt with the first major theological break in the life of the church, having to do with Gentile inclusion in the church. Paul seems to indicate that despite their differences in both calling and theological leaning, everyone in the early church believed that care for the poor was an essential part of the life of the church. Caring for the poor is a central message of Moses, the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles. There are over 300 verses in the Bible that deal with the poor and the responsibility of God’s people to care for them.
This is why I am a bit concerned that both of our political candidates, both devout in their Christian faith, talk only about the middle class. I do care about Joe the Plumber. But what about Bill the unemployed guy, Sarah the single mother on welfare, and Jeff the schizophrenic? Are we committed to a society that cares for the least of these or one that ensures the perpetual comfort of the already comfortable? The middle class are the majority in America and their well-being is important to the everyone. But Isaiah 58 tells us we will not flourish if we do not care for the poor.
Historically, the poor do not vote. They don’t make political contributions and tend not to watch debates. They are not exactly a powerful voting block. So those of us who are middle class must be a voice for the voiceless. We must put poverty on the agenda. In a time of economic turbulence, we are tempted to vote for the candidate who can retain our wealth. But we must remember the poor. And we must urge our future president to do the same
well said.
The Scriptures do have have a lot to say regarding the poor and we need to teach and apply this in our congregations, communities, and personal lives.