"We gather together to ask the Lord's blessing;" (UMH, no. 131). This Thursday, families around the world will gather around tables to do just this: Seek the Lord's blessings and to share in bounteous goodness of God's love. Whether it's at a military base on the other side of the globe, or in family homes, Americans everywhere will celebrate Thanksgiving and to recall the many blessings God has poured upon us.
But many others will not celebrate in the way to which we've grown accustomed. Thousands will gather around tables in prisons or other places of incarceration. Still others will gather in churches as families to celebrate. I did that with my brother's family while in seminary. Some will gather in shelters such as Haven for Hope in San Antonio, or the Salvation Army. For them, this is a time to be thankful for the meal and a warm and dry place to get in from the cold and damp. You see, they are the homeless.
I can't speak for you but too often, while filling myself with the food on the table, I forget those who aren't experiencing what I'm enjoying. Their home is wherever they find it, and they know not from where their next meal might come. They are the unseen ones, those living on the margins of society. Some say they've fallen through the cracks. Others contend that many of the homeless have chosen that path.
I doubt the latter, but the former often is true. They don't "fit" the neat parameters set by governments, be they local, state or national, which define how they can receive help. Maybe we see them as no more than bums and beggars on the street. They're dirty and They're smelly. Why don't they get jobs, we might harrumph indignantly. While, yes, there are some who've chosen to be on the streets, the vast majority find themselves on the streets not on their own volition.
And some of the homeless are families who have been evicted from their homes because they've been unable to keep up with rent and utilities. Are these just lazy and won't work? Some, but many more have one of more of the parents working more than one job. For whatever reason, they find themselves unable to qualify for the help (adequate healthcare, education, housing, clothing, etc.) most of us take for granted. The PC ("politically correct" - don't you just love that term?) word for them is the working poor.
Jesus had an affinity for the widows, the orphans, and the poor. If he did, shouldn't we? aren't we to care for our brothers and sisters? Or do we go about with spiritual blinders, unable to see the unseen among us? This Thanksgiving, as you gather around a table filled with the bounty of God's love, offer your thanks for what God has done in your life. And lift up a prayer for the homeless, the poor, and those who live on the margins of life. Better yet, do something for them. They will be glad you did. May you have a most blessed Thanksgiving. See you on the road.
Grace and peace,
Mike
November 23, 2014