Do You Remember the Forgotten? Why the Church Shouldn’t Ignore the Poor
Check out the featured post and read more here: https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/guest-commentary/do-you-remember-the-forgotten-why-the-church-shouldnt-ignore-the-poor.html
They stand on the street, begging for money. Maybe they live under bridges or at the neck of the woods in your neighborhood. Others hide in plain sight, sleeping on benches and wandering into stores like lost pets. If we’re not careful, homeless and impoverished people pass by without our notice, but should they?
Sleep Out, a global movement to end youth homelessness, challenges individuals to give up their beds for the night, raising funds to donate to homeless victims in the process. Every night, thousands of young people face homelessness; in fact, according to Sleep Out, 4.2 million young people experience some form of homelessness each year in the U.S. On November 20th, participants can raise and donate $125 for homeless teens to seek shelter at Covenant House. In exchange, participants sleep outside in a legal location:
“The important piece is thinking about what comforts you will give up for the night. Your bed, of course, but also consider going without a pillow or blanket, comfy pajamas, or your usual nighttime rituals. Sleep Out is much more than an uncomfortable night’s sleep. Your [help] adds to meaning and makes you a better advocate for youth overcoming homelessness.”
While dozens of Bible verses point out the importance of helping the poor and impoverished around us, here are a few of my favorites:
-Proverbs 19:17: “Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed” (ESV).
-Proverbs 14:31: “Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him” (ESV).
-Acts 20:35: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive'” (ESV).