Helping the Poor

With the exception of people who are hungry, what if what we call "poor" is just really living simply? When I went to Costa Rica a few years ago, I got to go to an island that few Americans go to. We were told that the people there would be poor. Having little material possessions. When I got there, I saw farmers and fishermen. No one was hungry, but few had electricity. But they didn't mind - this is how they had lived for a long time. I also saw people who laughed easily, extended hospitality and who were not materialistic. We had been instructed to bring toys and clothing to give away. But no one there was naked and the kids played with sticks, rocks, built forts in the woods and enjoyed games like tag. I actually felt like we were insulting them by assuming they needed the things we brought to be truly happy.

Someone recently told me, that with the exception of hunger, clean water and shelter, we should judge what we call "poverty" by the standard of "how does this person live compared to his immediate community?" instead of "how does he live compared to me back in America?". I am still processing how I feel about this, but after my Costa Rica trip, I wonder if this might be a better way to look at aid.

My mother grew up "poor" in what was once an "off the heated path" part of Hawaii, but she always says that she never knew she was poor because everyone in her part of Hawaii lived the same way. She has memories of fishing and climbing coconut trees and not wearing shoes to school or anywhere until she was about 12 and feeling like she had a great life, even though money was always tight. She lived the way everyone around her lived, so her poverty was her "normal". It wasn't until she went to the University of Hawaii in Honolulu and heard how people talked about her section of Hawaii and saw how others grew up that she found out that she had been considered "poor".

So, if someone has shelter, clean water, basic clothes and food, and lives in a rural environment where everyone lives simply, are they poor?

Is it Sinful to be afraid?

There are some Christians who treat all fear as sin.  The line of reasoning is that since the Bible says multiple times "Do not fear" then people are sinning anytime they feel fear.  This never made sense to me.  What if a car is about to hit me?  I shouldn't feel any fear? 

I had always read these passages more as God saying, "You do not need to be afraid, my child. Trust me.  I am here.  I can give you peace in the midst of a storm."  The passages, to me, were encouraging exhortations rather than blunt rebukes. A call to faith and trust in Him.  A reminder that we don't need to be afraid and anxious all the time.  We can trust God!

Following is a video by Ed Welch from CCEF in which he speaks about these passages.  I hope it encourages you.

http://vimeo.com/67671530

The Singing Servant God

"One of the most amazing truths that I ever discovered...was that God’s greatness is displayed not in His gathering slaves around him to work for him, to show that he has enough authority to get workers, but rather his greatness is shown in making Him — Himself — available to work for others."  John Piper

The very essence of the gospel is that God, in the person of Jesus Christ, has done ALL of the work for us.  He has lived for us, waited on us, died for us and conquered death for us!  What a different idea from how I thought God to be when I was a child.  I used to imagine him as just putting up with me.  Even now, I sometimes struggle with verses like Zephaniah 3:17 which says to those who trust Him:

The Lord your God is with you,

    the Mighty Warrior who saves.

He will take great delight in you;

    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,

    but will rejoice over you with singing.

Wait a minute, God has not only done work for us, but, according to the above verse, also enjoys us?  And, if God works for us, why does the Bible talk about us working for and serving God?  Well, I believe that our "service" to Him is meant to be a delight not a drudgery.  It is not like we are trying to appease Him.  In fact, because of Jesus, God has been appeased!  

Imagine if someone did something amazing for you - like pay off a $100,000 debt.  In response to this lavish gift, you cook a meal for them, and write a thank you note and tell people how wonderful this person is.  It wouldn't feel like WORK to do these things, but, rather it would be your pleasure and joy to do these things for that person.  That is how it is with God.  Serving Him is meant to be a natural outflow and response to what He has done for us.  A delight, rather than a duty.

And the wild thing is that what God has done for us is so much more than paying off $100,000!  He has provided us with eternal joy, peace and salvation through His own pain and suffering!  And He has done it with delightful, sacrificial love!  And if I look back at that verse in Zephaniah, He actually rejoices over those who have received this gift of salvation.  He sings over us!  Not because we are so wonderful and deserve all of this, but because HE IS SO WONDERFUL and has a lavish love for us.

I am undone by this thought.  I am in awe.  The God of this Universe, whom I have sinned against in so many ways, is not just putting up with me.  Rather, in His love, He will no longer rebuke me, but DELIGHTS in me, rejoicing over me with singing.  Amazing.  Humbling.

Meditating on these thoughts brings forth grateful tears of joy.  How I love this Singing Servant God!

I have no more words.  

The Subway Samaritan

Last Saturday morning, I woke up and had some time with the Lord, praying and reading the Word.  Then,  I headed out to go to where I minister to South Asians.  I live in Manhattan and need to take a subway to Queens in order to do this.  As usual, I was running late.  

At the subway station, the subway was running late.  "Great, just what I needed!", I thought sarcastically.  While waiting for the train, I overheard a lady on her cell phone.  She was making a call to someone with whom she had an appointment to explain that she would be late.  I remember thinking that, even though she disliked being late, she sounded patient.  Patient Lady seemed like a nice person.

Well, the subway finally came and it was kind of full, but Patient Lady and I both got on.  She went one way on the train and I another.   There were only 2 available seats and they were next to each other.  Right next to one of these seats was a drunk man.  His empty whisky bottle was sticking out of his coat pocket, his hat and glasses were on the subway floor near his feet and he was completely passed out.

Thankful that I did not have to sit directly next to Passed Out Drunk Man, I sat one seat over.  After sitting I realized that he was swaying with the motion of the train.  People sitting across from the man were watching him sway towards me.  All I could think were things like: "I hope he doesn't fall onto me!" or "What if he vomits, or has lice or something?  I can't go do ministry if I am dirty."

Then it happened!  He fell onto me!  Even though we had one seat between us, his head fell right onto my shoulder!  I winced and gently pushed him back up.  He briefly woke up, looked around and passed out again.  Now, I was living in fear of him falling again.  Everyone was looking at me.  I imagined that some looked at me with pity and others with mild curiosity.  No one spoke.  They all just watched my little drama and I knew they all could tell what I was thinking because I had zero poker face.

At the next stop, one of the girls sitting across from me left the subway car, I immediately got up and grabbed her seat.  Then, something amazing happened.    Patient Lady came down to our side of the train and sat RIGHT NEXT to Passed Out Drunk Man!  She picked up his hat and glasses and gently spoke to him, "I believe these are yours.".  As he sleepily awoke, she handed him his things.  He took them from her and passed out again.  She then laid a hand on his shoulder - yes she voluntarily touched him - and she appeared to be praying!

During the remainder of my subway ride, he fell on her several times - as he had done with me, but  she would gently sit him upright and continue sitting there and pat his arm with her hand.  Patient Lady looked like she was in absolute peace.  Our eyes met briefly, and she looked at me with total peace and zero judgment.  This made me feel really bad - I felt like I deserved a judgmental stare for being so self-consumed, not a patient, peaceful look.

And THAT is when Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan came to mind.  You know the parable  where the beat up man is in the gutter and all of the religious people - the priest and rabbi - walk to the OTHER SIDE OF THE SUBWAY- I mean, the other side of the road?  And I suddenly realized that I was Religious Lady running off to "do ministry" who was too busy to be contaminated by a drunk man.  But Patient Lady - who I now call the "Subway Samaritan" - was also late for a meeting, but she took time to show love and care to Passed Out Drunk Man.  

I realized that I had just lived a parable but I was playing the role of the ugliest character!  I didn't want the Passed Out Drunk Man to touch me; Subway Samaritan willingly touched him.  I didn't want to sit  near him; Subway Samaritan willingly sat RIGHT NEXT to him.  I was too selfish to think about him; Subway Samaritan let go of herself to show kindness to him.  And Subway Samaritan did not look at me with judgment.  She treated me with the same patience she showed to Passed Out Drunk Man.

So, my prayer is that I would be someone who lives ministry instead of someone who does ministry.  I want to be someone who sees opportunities that God gives me to love and care for people.  I pray that I would especially take notice of these opportunities when they do not fit into my schedule or when they are unpleasant or risky.  

And I thank the Lord for showing me that I am often not like the Good Samaritan, but more like the busy religious people in that parable. And I also thank Him for looking at me gently, just like the Subway Samaritan did.  I thank Him for being just as patient with me as she was with both me and Passed Out Drunk Man.

I pray that the Lord would keep Transforming Tammy into the image of His Son!  Amen.