A number of you are familiar with the young family that we were able to help out last week. She was a young lady with three children aged 10, 3 and 2 that was in a tough situation. She had just arrived in Fredericton and was desperately looking for a place to move in to.
I became aware of her situation as she had called the church. She was not asking for much, just a hand up! She needed a place for her and her small family to stay. Her only option was to sleep in her car overnight if she couldn't find a place to lay their heads down. As long as I could do something I would. We were able to bless her through the help of two local churches to provide three nights in a hotel until she could get things sorted out.
This morning I got a phone call from her expressing her sincere thanks for truly helping her. I know she worked very hard to provide for her family by making phone call after phone call to local churches both here and in Saint John. I asked her what she discovered as she called churches and here was her response, "I called over 130 churches in these two cities asking for help with my situation and only 3 churches were willing to help." In truth it was four churches because she didn't know that I had gotten a donation from First Wesleyan Church and Morning Gate Church.(she thought it was from one church). She also said that the other two only got involved because I was willing to help her and that they were willing to partner with us.
How sad is that? I am disgusted actually. I apologized to her for the way she was pushed away by the "Christian church". I know that churches are involved in various projects, but the response is inexcusable. What kind of an example is that to people? If you had a son or daughter that was struggling to provide for their children and they needed help, wouldn't you hope someone would step up and help?
One church responded that they would have helped her but they had people in their church that needed help. All I have to say to that is, "seriously!" How will we ever reach a lost world if we are so consumed by ourselves?
If we read the Parable of the Good Samaritan we see the real heart of God. It isn't to only provide for those who are "on the inside" it is to help the hurting that are different than us. I do believe that this Samaritan reached down and got dirty and then paid the price to help bring healing to the hurting, even though the Jew was outside of his "family".
I know this sounds like a rant, it is! It is time for the church to step up and start doing more than talking. Talk is cheap! God warned us in scripture when he said, "when you didn't do it unto the least of these you didn't do it unto me."
I know we can't help everyone, but I am not sure how 126 church that were contacted couldn't even give $20 towards this incredible need. Where is your heart, is it for buildings and nice furniture or for hurting people?
Thanks to the four participating churches. You know who you are and you know who you aren't!
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