“The poor are always with you” (Matthew 26) was the verse that Rev. Faith Fowler of Cass Community shared with the congregation of Court Street United Methodist Church while I served there as an Associate Pastor. As Rev. Fowler gave this particular verse new life, she focused on the importance of each word. Those who came to hear her message understood that as much as we do for “the poor”, there will be other persons who need to know of God’s love and how the Lord is at work in their lives.
“Always” is a very long time. No matter how much we accomplish, there will be another generation, another person or another place where more will be required of us. Seeking to help the poor among us is not a 9:00 to 5:00 kind of job. What we do for those in need comes from our vocation, dedication and obligation to be our Lord’s hands and feet for the world.
“With you” invites us to journey beside those who are most in need in our neighborhoods and our faith communities. We are not called to separate ourselves from those who need our help. The Lord invites us to share a meal, our resources, and especially our very selves, so that we may make a difference in another’s life.
Our work is difficult. We may never learn how much we do will transform or has transformed a life. We may be so focused on the next person entering the door, hoping to be helped, that we begin to wonder why we committed ourselves to this work in the first place. We may be dismayed because the words of this Gospel passage are so very true.
These are the words from Luke Chapter 4: 8-19: ………he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
We are the Good News of the risen Savior. We are still the church. We are still called to reach out to those who are poor, in body as well as those who are poor in spirit. Our mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world is ever before us.
I ask and encourage each of us to consider these verses as we wrestle with the voting outcome of General Conference. I also ask us to remember the towels that our Deacon brothers and sisters presented to us as a gift at the 2018 Michigan Annual Conference. I want to close with the words written on those towels:
“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”
And Amen.