Homelessness

homelessness has been on my mind a lot lately. maybe because that's the issue i've worked most closely with. it's something that really gets under my skin and bothers me. i want to do more than the ordinary. but then i'm not so sure i'm capable (that i have the willpower) to do the extraordinary.

you know there are people out there who have given it all up - sold all their possessions and have given their life over to living with the poor. essentially, they're living like Jesus.

i'm just not sure i would be capable of that. i would miss my material things. and i know that's a bad bad thing.

what's funny is that what we consider to be radical - these people who give it all up - was ordinary back in Jesus' time.

people were constantly just living off of what they needed only, sharing with one another, and living as a community. and we think it's radical.

really it's just the way things are supposed to be done.

the United States is wealthiest and yet most miserable country. what does that tell you about material wealth?

it's so discontenting.

it's so disgusting.

it's so difficult to let it go.

and that's the reality. we can't let go of these material icons that have us so captivated. that have us living so comfortably. we've become used to a life of these material comforts.

it's so very sad.

we're so afraid of losing it all. but that's the way we were intended to live - to have it all in God, not in possessions.

funny thing is we're the ones who created poverty. not the Lord.

i mean, if we had just followed God's plan all along we wouldn't be in the pickle we are. He had it all set up so that everyone was providing for one another and no one would go without.

we screwed it up. in only the way that human ignorance and greed can.

Gandhi once said, "There is enough for everyone's need, but not for everyone's greed."

how true is that?

if we only took what we needed in this life there would not be poverty. God has provided in abundance and we have

just taken more than our fair share.

what a sad reality.

the thing is we don't want to take on full on poverty but being wealthy isn't going to cut it either because that's not

what God desired.

i think verses 30: 8-9 in Proverbs sum up what we need best: "Give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only

my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?'"

let's pray that we can get to a world somewhat resembling this. personally i pray for some work to come my way in which I can do something meaningful in the name of the Lord.