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repeat…over the course of the final fifteen days of 2009, i’m going to let you in on fifteen things that need to change in my life in the coming year. fifteen decisions that i am making that reflect things that are important to me.
i’m going to go waaay out on a limb. i’m going to give you my best shot at honest transparency, in an attempt to be held accountable. some things will be about my spiritual journey…others are simply improvements to the life i walk. either way, they are important to me…and here’s the next one on the list:
change number ten
most modern bible scholars and researchers would agree that the bible contains over 2,000 verses that make reference to poverty, justice, and god’s heart for the poor.
over 2,000! way more than any other subject…even the ones we luuuuuv to focus on.
these verses range from old testament prophecies…to jesus’ radical, life-altering teachings in the new testament. and all of them are screaming at us to pay attention…make changes…live differently…
instead of living in obedience to the life and teachings of jesus…and to the spirit of the entire written word…it seems like we constantly try to find ways to ignore god’s priorities, de-emphasize one of the most important doctrines of scripture, and even create a more comfortable theology to justify our pursuit of health, wealth and prosperity!
and on top of it all, we continue to find ways to literally turn our backs on the poor, the oppressed, the disconnected, the broken…the losers and failures and needy who intersect with our daily routines.
this is where some change needs to happen. i want god to soften my heart more and more to the needs of the poor in my world.
as a result of the life journey that i have walked over the course of 55 years, it has been my privilege to live and work among the poor.
whether growing up in a neighborhood near the us-mexico border of my childhood…to my first job in a low-income boy’s club…to being a student in a true ethnic and economic melting pot of a high school…to leading numerous mission trips in economically underdeveloped countries…to working for a mission agency that served the poor in mexico…to being part of starting a brand new church in a low-income, multi-ethnic community…and raising my own family there!
god has certainly provided a rich and diverse life! but in spite of all of the incredible experiences, i can still find myself erecting walls…walking to the other side of the street…sometimes even hoping that i won’t have to stop at the corner where the poor guy is reaching out for a buck or two.
really…am i that shallow? uh…yeah.
having a heart for the poor is complicated and messy and difficult. but anybody who wants to truly follow jesus has to be willing to wander down the road that most are unwilling to travel. that whole WWJD thing? i think i need to ask myself that question way more than i have been doing, lately.
it’s already started. a couple of days ago, i was driving down the frontage road, in front of whataburger. as i approached main street, i realized i was going to be face to face with a guy asking for money. wow. a three-minute opportunity to do what jesus would do…
so i talked to him. i asked him a couple of questions about his life. he asked me a couple about mine. he liked my jeep and made fun of me driving it without the top on in 45 degree temperatures. i couldn’t fix his life problems. like i said…it’s messy and complicated.
but he was a real person looking for a little dignity, just like the rest of us.
i gave him a little money for a fast food meal. i’ll never know if he used the money for that or not. but that’s not my problem. i wished him well and found myself praying for him as i drove to my next meeting. i am different because of my encounter with him.
i am determined to see people the way jesus would.
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