My wife and I are participating in a group study of Dr. John R.W. Stott’s “New Issues Facing Christians Today”. It’s a very challenging and, personally speaking, very convicting book. I won’t get into the meat of the study, but I wanted to share something from the book. Stott argues that many well-intentioned Christians “prattle, plan and pray” but ignore the real need. He tells of a homeless woman whom a parish priest promised to pray for as a brush-off, and who wrote the following poem:
“I was hungry and you formed a humanities group to discuss my hunger
I was imprisoned and you crept off quietly to your chapel and prayed for my release
I was naked and in your mind you debated the morality of my appearance
I was sick and you knelt and thanked God for your health
I was homeless and you preached to me of the spiritual shelter of the love of your God
I was lonely and you left me alone to pray for me
You seem so holy, so close to God – but I am still very hungry and lonely and cold
ouch…
I was convicted because she could have very easily been writing that poem for me.
Matthew 25:35-36 says, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
I am reminded that as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. As the church, we are not only to hear the word, but to act on it. By “doing” we are following God’s will out of love and gratitude for our salvation.
That poem really spoke right to the heart of what is wrong with a ‘Sunday religion’, where we put on nice clothes and sit and think holy thoughts and then go right back to our real lives without applying christian values of care and ministry.
Meditation and prayer is certainly a part of a strong spiritual life but Christianity requires an active life of good work, not just holy weekends.
I think the above passage has a special application to how we treat God’s people- Israel.
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Thanks for this post, David. It is such an important reminder that our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ will show itself in the way we love our neighbors.
May the Lord’s blessings be with you today,
Scotti
“I think the above passage has a special application to how we treat God’s people- Israel.”
As opposed to other people?
We are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and love our nieghbor as ourself…
how often do we forget our neighbor is the person near us, wherever we are at any given time?
May the Lord help us all to have His heart.
Blessings to you,
Susan