By Val Walker, World Church Ecumenical and Interfaith Team, co-chair
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
One of my tasks as pastor in Portland, Oregon, was serving on the neighborhood community board. This group represented those living and working in the neighborhood and worked to build community relationships between homeowners, renters, local businesses, and churches.
One evening at an association meeting, a houseless person came into the building. Some whispered that he really shouldn’t be there. Another spoke up and suggested that he was a member of the community, sleeping on the street or not and, therefore, had every right to be present in a group that was seeking to improve our neighborhood. I found an empty chair and gestured to him to have a seat. It was obvious that he had been on the streets for a long time and in desperate need of clean clothes and a shower. He listened for a few minutes, and then jumped up accusing us all of hypocrisy and that we had no idea what people like him needed to be healthy and whole. He then left the building.
I remember this incident any time I see a houseless person and wonder how I can possibly help with such a large problem. And yet there is…the Portland congregation joined a network of congregations sheltering houseless families with minor children each for a week at a time. During the day at a day center, the families receive counseling and assistance with finding housing and jobs while the children go to school. In the evenings, various churches and community groups host them for meals and safe places to sleep.
After our first hosting week, we asked the families over dinner how we were doing compared to other hosting locations. Their comment: “You guys aren’t ‘end-of-the-ladle Christians.’” They said we didn’t just stand behind a counter dishing up their plates. We dished up our own plates with the same food and sat with them at the same table. We asked about their day, checked in on their progress toward a stable home, helped their kids with homework.
We built relationships. We shared faith and works.
Prayer Phrase
“Love your neighbor as yourself” (Romans 13:9).
Spiritual Practice
Healing for Broken Spirits
Begin with quiet prayer. Ask God to help you detect some “sore places” in the body of Christ and God’s creation. Become aware of people who feel separated, wounded, or left out. Reflect on or write a short journal entry of healing words to at least one person who comes to mind. Ask God for words that will touch this person’s broken spirit like healing ointment. Keep this person in your heart and prayers today and act on any ideas that come to bring blessing and wholeness.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.