I just got home from a tense community meeting regarding a proposed temporary housing encampment for homeless persons. The city of Seattle welcomed the neighborhoods surrounding the proposed site to come hear about the plan and to express their (our) opinions.
There was a lot of "not in my backyard" talk and some subtle accusations that if a person didn't support the camp then that person is letting people die.
Just to be clear, no one communicated (out loud, anyway) that they wanted people who did not have shelter to die. Except for a few unreasonable people who voiced their opinion and then did a "mic drop" and left the building, most people had meaningful things to say that most people would agree with.
Many neighbors shared about how we should follow "the golden rule" and we should "be kind" also giving practical steps to help people in unfortunate situations. Yes, we could all be there soon. Yes, we should look at another person in an affectionate love that acts to help.
But, I felt something was missing. Something deeper. We want to really love and really help people. That may mean we focus our attention away from the immediate need (as important as it is) and take a risk that the only way to solve the problem is to see the real problem.
When the woman "wasted" the perfume on Jesus, the man carrying the money got self righteously indignant and made the point that that expensive ointment could have been sold and given to the poor. Of course, that was right. It could have helped some poor, but it would not destroy the root of poverty. Jesus said something that would have been shocking at this meeting tonight: he essentially said that treasuring him is more important than giving to the poor.
I could not have articulated that in the time allowed each speaker to speak tonight because it sounds (at first) so unloving.
But, what if it is more loving than our plans? What if it is more practical than our programs to really, deeply and finally help the poor?
What if the real issue of homelessness is not a monetary issue but a heart issue? What if the root cause of poverty is not (merely) lack of resources or an abundance of systemic oppression?
What if the root cause of poverty (and therefore homelessness) is the poverty in our hearts because of our sin? The systems that oppress are created by people in power who use that power for selfish gain. There are thousands of individuals who have made self absorbed choices and have ended up losing their livelihood. There are many who have had their livelihood stolen from them because another person was treasuring their own life over loving their neighbor as their self. Sin complicates everything and it is never quite as simple as we would be comfortable with.
One way or another, poverty is born from a sinful heart and only if those hearts are transformed by the love of Christ will poverty really go away. Only then will we be able to see the end of homelessness.
What Jesus was saying wasn't "I don't want you to give to the poor," but only when we have a heart that treasures him will we ever really, deeply and truly have the heart for the poor. A disciple of Jesus has that kind of heart and the only way we will ever have that heart is if we are transformed by the good news that Jesus died for the sin that gives birth to poverty.
I want to have the same heart for the poor that Jesus does. That scares me because it will cost me in ways that seem too much now, but if I had his heart it would be a joy. I want to look at my poor neighbors and see not just a man who is down on his luck and needs food and shelter (as important as that is), but a man who is precious beyond my imagining and needing much more than a temporary home.
He needs shelter, but he also needs good news. He needs to see that Jesus is a treasure. He needs to see that God's kingdom comes with every new life transformed to treasure him and to repent of systematic oppression.
He needs his heart's true home. He needs an eternal home with Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment