Good morning Lord Jesus, I begin another week admitting I am weak without Your strength and I seek your Spirit to empower me to do your will throughout my day.
My reflection this morning is a little different as it is more of a personal reflection from a life experience this past week. Last week I got a call from another pastor who Is a good friend of mine. That morning she was driving back home with her children and she noticed at the CVS on a corner of her rout home a man sitting in a wheel chair outside. The man was alone and had bags by his wheel chair. She pulled in to talk to him. The man, we will call him Larry (not his real name) was someone she thought she recognized from her work at Manna House and downtown. Larry is homeless, and had been admitted into the hospital that is close by the day before for catheter issues and when he was released this morning he had no where to go so he rolled to the CVS. It was hot, so my friend bought him something to drink and some breakfast. The man needed a ride to the Manna house which is 20 minutes away, she knows how I minister in our community so she called me and asked if I could come get him and give him a ride. I told her yes and I would be there in a little bit.
When I got there I recognized Larry. He is a regular at the Manna House and I know him and have had many conversations with him. As I mentioned Larry is homeless. As I wheeled him to my car, helped him get in and loaded his wheel chair and bags in the car the strong odor of BO and urine filled my car from him and his chair. Once loaded we headed on our way.
As I said I know Larry. Larry is a veteran who served many years in the army. He was then a guard at gate 9 of the Arsenal. He was a volunteer fireman in his community for 27 years. When Manna House launched back in 2004 he work to help it launch and helped put up the steel racks used to hold the pallets of food and he served there. He was a productive member of society and helped others. Then Larry used and got addicted to crystal meth. His drug addiction led him to loose everything, his home and all he owned and iit destroyed his life and his health.
Why am I sharing this with you this morning? To remind you that in the midst of this season we are in with all the news and focus on the corona pandemic, fears about its effects, social isolating and the closing of churches, all the other social diseases that are destroying people’s lives and killing them are still there. Drug and alcohol addictions are actually getting worse. Addicts and those who use or at risk using drugs all got the $1,500 stimulus check. Many of them have lower income jobs in restaurants and service industries that were closed down because of corona. They got on unemployment and because of the $600.00 federal unemployment supplement the receive, their income has increased and some almost doubled. So they have more money to spend on drugs and their dealers know this. People are also out of work so they are at home, isolated, with more time and opportunity to abuse drugs and alcohol.
Addictions affect thousands more people a day then corona and thousand more die from it. And ministering to addicts and helping them, sharing with them the hope of the Gospel to break the chains of addiction, through church led Celebrate Recoveries, outreach ministries, and other programs is a major ministry of Christians and churches. So as drug abuse is going up now and more people need help, churches are closing their doors and programs out of corona fears. And those people caught in addictions, families affected by it, are finding themselves isolated with no help or hope.
As churches weigh the closing or opening status of their churches and the possible costs to their members, they need to consider the costs to their neighbors they are called to love. The Church and all Christians in them are the source of bringing the light and love of Christ into the world. As that source of love and light diminishes in the world, darkness increases. When we put the outreach and presence of the Church on hold until it is safe, we can’t assume that since we are putting church on hold, that addictions, depression, spouse and child abuse, struggling marriages, people needing food, evil, and all the needs Christ call’s the church to minister to in their community will also put themselves on hold until The Church starts back again. As the church weakens and lessens its presence out of fear, none of these things mentioned before fear or are weakened by corona, but and increasing because of it. The church was never created to be “safe” and an institution that protects itself from darkness but one that runs into darkness.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:13-26)
And since we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves, Jesus’s words also imply “For what will it profit The church if it remains safe and gains the whole world and forfeits his neighbors soul? Or what will the Church give in exchange for his neighbors soul?”
My family, I pray you will reflect on today as I am on your call to run with the light of Christ in you not away from, but into darkness, in Jesus’ name. Please pray the same for me. God bless you my friends!
Please post and share your thoughts, reflections, questions, or prayers with us in the comment box below.
Please support and partner with my self and my family as we serve those God crosses our path with in our community with your one-time or monthly financial gift by clicking link below.Become our partner and support us in our ministries by becoming supporting us monthly or with a one-time gift. Thank you!
