Los Angeles County has an estimated 91,000 homeless. Orange County—a bordering, affluent county—has an even higher percentage of homeless. As I pray to not be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of poverty in my community, I have sought to embrace Mother Teresa’s wisdom: "I never look at the masses as my responsibility. I look only at the individual. I can love only one person at a time. I can feed only one person at a time. Just one, one, one."
A local Orange County youth group recently came on their annual CSM-LA weekend trip. One
morning, in seeking to live out Mother Teresa's wisdom, they were given a few dollars to take a homeless person out for breakfast. Christie and her son were with the group who enjoyed a scrumptious Irish meal (McDonalds) with Charles. Charles was an older man who was dressed in ratty clothes and female flip flops that were half his foot-size. After breakfast, Christie helped Charles pick out an entire new wardrobe from clothes collected at her church.
But the thought of Charles’ sandals never left her mind. She cried out to God for him all weekend. When her group left on Sunday, Christie told me that she was going to collect shoes and socks (which are like gold to the homeless) from her friends. Three days later, Christie and her sister loaded their Expedition up with the donations, and made their way back to downtown LA. She called me to ask for directions and to tell me that she had been praying all week for God to help her find Charles. I was touched by her act of compassion, but realized that finding Charles within downtown’s sea of homeless people was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
As Christie exited the freeway and began entering downtown, she saw a homeless man standing by the traffic light. At first she thought he was barefoot, but as she drove closer she quickly realized that this man was wearing size six female flip-flops! Charles was given new socks and shoes; Christie and her sister were blessed to eat another meal with Charles; and I learned a valuable lesson in the power of prayer.
Friday, April 28, 2006
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Compassionate Listening
What was the most compassionate thing anyone has ever done for you? The most compassionate times in my life have involved friends staying by my side when I have been heartbroken. I cannot recall any of their advice or sympathy cards. Their presence and listening ears are all I remember.
Here in Los Angeles, there are many people talking about the poor; however, there are few people talking to the poor. Youth groups that come on CSM trips typically have an opportunity to get to know some of the homeless by name. Some groups invite the poor to lunch, others hand out socks and blankets. These are small acts. But they are small acts done with great love!
And this compassionate love is what the poor remember. Last week, Nina, a homeless woman, approached my group and asked, "Are you guys the ones who come to listen to people?" Her comment made me cry. I am so happy that CSM groups are known for their listening ears. When the poor are ignored all day long by passersby, perhaps sitting down and hearing their stories is the most compassionate act we can do. May we continue to be known for small acts done with great love!
Here in Los Angeles, there are many people talking about the poor; however, there are few people talking to the poor. Youth groups that come on CSM trips typically have an opportunity to get to know some of the homeless by name. Some groups invite the poor to lunch, others hand out socks and blankets. These are small acts. But they are small acts done with great love!
And this compassionate love is what the poor remember. Last week, Nina, a homeless woman, approached my group and asked, "Are you guys the ones who come to listen to people?" Her comment made me cry. I am so happy that CSM groups are known for their listening ears. When the poor are ignored all day long by passersby, perhaps sitting down and hearing their stories is the most compassionate act we can do. May we continue to be known for small acts done with great love!
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Could It Soon Be Illegal for Churches to Love Their Neighbors?
There is a lot of talk these days in Los Angeles about illegal aliens. How to handle the growing masses of immigrants is quite controversial. Fortunately, the Bible has a lot to say on this topic as well. God repeatedly reminded Israel that an alien "living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt (Lev. 19:34)."
Many immigrants are fleeing impoverished, war-torn countries in Central and South America. When they arrive in the United States, they face a challenging process in order to legally work. Getting a green card requires three federal departments: Labor, State, and Homeland Security. Businesses must receive approval from the Labor Department before they can hire foreign workers. Due to a backlog, the process often takes three years. After this certification, employers must file an immigrant visa petition for the employee. Congress annually quotas 140,000 visas for foreign workers, but only 5,000 of those are set aside for unskilled workers! The foreign worker can then apply for a green card through U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. But workers here illegally must do so from their native country. However, if they have lived illegally in the U.S. for more than a year, they cannot reenter the country for 10 years. If you find the bureaucracy of this process to be long and confusing, imagine speaking no English! Immigrants have four other options: acquire a fake ID (but there are many scams out there), marry a U.S. citizen, apply for political asylum (risky because you get deported if denied), or work illegally (often at one of LA’s estimated 4,500 sweatshops).
But the Church can help…right? Not for long…at least legally. Already approved by the House of Representatives, Congress is close to passing legislation which would require churches and other social organizations to ask immigrants for legal documentation before providing assistance and penalizing them if they refuse to do so.
Cardinal Mahony oversees the Catholic church’s largest U.S. archdiocese, located in L.A. He made national news this week when he asked priests to provide aid without proof of documentation even if proposed restrictions become law. Handing out water or food to a dehydrated, starving illegal immigrant could soon be breaking federal law. Then again, so would serving communion.
A U.S. senator went on national news saying, "I am a Christian, and I know of nowhere in Scripture where it says we ought not to obey the laws of our land." Perhaps He forgot about Moses, Elijah, Esther, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and his three friends, all of the apostles, and Jesus (who was a refugee in Egypt)! "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge (Acts 4:19-20)." The first Christians were accused of being "these who have turned the world upside down….They are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus (Acts 17:6-7)." My prayer is that we may each continue to take the radical (perhaps often illegal) step of loving our neighbors (including immigrants) as Christ loves us.
[Since living in cities, I have begun to learn that many social justice issues are not as black and white as I once thought. As the discussions on immigration reform continue, please be praying for our country's politicians. They do not have an easy task. Pray that their goal is to know how we can be most loving to both our global neighbors and citizens.]
Many immigrants are fleeing impoverished, war-torn countries in Central and South America. When they arrive in the United States, they face a challenging process in order to legally work. Getting a green card requires three federal departments: Labor, State, and Homeland Security. Businesses must receive approval from the Labor Department before they can hire foreign workers. Due to a backlog, the process often takes three years. After this certification, employers must file an immigrant visa petition for the employee. Congress annually quotas 140,000 visas for foreign workers, but only 5,000 of those are set aside for unskilled workers! The foreign worker can then apply for a green card through U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services. But workers here illegally must do so from their native country. However, if they have lived illegally in the U.S. for more than a year, they cannot reenter the country for 10 years. If you find the bureaucracy of this process to be long and confusing, imagine speaking no English! Immigrants have four other options: acquire a fake ID (but there are many scams out there), marry a U.S. citizen, apply for political asylum (risky because you get deported if denied), or work illegally (often at one of LA’s estimated 4,500 sweatshops).
But the Church can help…right? Not for long…at least legally. Already approved by the House of Representatives, Congress is close to passing legislation which would require churches and other social organizations to ask immigrants for legal documentation before providing assistance and penalizing them if they refuse to do so.
Cardinal Mahony oversees the Catholic church’s largest U.S. archdiocese, located in L.A. He made national news this week when he asked priests to provide aid without proof of documentation even if proposed restrictions become law. Handing out water or food to a dehydrated, starving illegal immigrant could soon be breaking federal law. Then again, so would serving communion.
A U.S. senator went on national news saying, "I am a Christian, and I know of nowhere in Scripture where it says we ought not to obey the laws of our land." Perhaps He forgot about Moses, Elijah, Esther, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel and his three friends, all of the apostles, and Jesus (who was a refugee in Egypt)! "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge (Acts 4:19-20)." The first Christians were accused of being "these who have turned the world upside down….They are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus (Acts 17:6-7)." My prayer is that we may each continue to take the radical (perhaps often illegal) step of loving our neighbors (including immigrants) as Christ loves us.
[Since living in cities, I have begun to learn that many social justice issues are not as black and white as I once thought. As the discussions on immigration reform continue, please be praying for our country's politicians. They do not have an easy task. Pray that their goal is to know how we can be most loving to both our global neighbors and citizens.]
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