Reverend Warnock's young daughter once asked him why people had to sleep outside... It was during one of the many trips between their home and the Ebenezer Baptist Church that she had often seen men and women sleeping on those streets. He knew it obviously bothered her or she wouldn't have asked... He began to explain that they were some of the many who needed our help... I wondered as I read whether the little girl would understand...
Mainly because they were still out there on the streets...
A memory popped up into my mind and since it seems God has control of this post today--I was still debating on whether to write one this morning. I remembered when I was a young girl, this time I was coming out of the New Geneva Baptist Church, and I heard sirens--fire or police--it was the same response... I would briefly close my eyes and tap my fingers together 3 times seeking God's involvement with whoever needed help...As I think about that process, I can only assume that the three taps meant I was calling on the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit... As a child, I did a lot of thinking about meaning of words and how they were used... I remember I questioned the fact that "the Holy Catholic Church" was part of a statement that we had recited in church and I asked why that was included since we were Baptist... Be aware that children are not silently playing or thinking their own thoughts, they are listening and wondering... My most important question was "Why?"
And so when I next read that in 2023, 37 million Americans, about 11 percent of our population was living in poverty, I immediately heard "Why?" come to mind... Even though at least for the last decade I have been learning more and more how this could be happening in what is supposedly one of the greatest countries in the world...
The statistic that followed that number was meaningless since the numbers were so low... They were reporting those who were billionaires... millionaires... until I reached the final stat: 1% of Americans controlled 31%--nearly a third of our country's wealth!
Thinking in the larger numbers is almost an impossibility to me... Maybe for most of you as well. How do people accumulate this amount of money? And, how are they spending all that money? Most of us have never reached a point when the need for money was not a part of our lives... Now we see, for example, one man's rocket to outer space blows up and the only comment was that he would keep trying... We have another who is supposedly to be the first trillionaire... Yeah, the same guy that immediately closed and looted the USAID group which provided assistance to those in need...
Is this how somebody becomes very, very rich? By ignoring those who are living at the poverty level. Right now?
"WEALTH INEQUALITY IS UNSUSTAINABLE"
"IT IS A DRAG ON WORKER MORALE"
AMERICAN ECONOMY IS FUELED LARGELY BY EVERYDAY PEOPLE
IF AMERICA IS TO SECURE ITS FUTURE
"THOSE WHO SIT LOW MUST BE LIFTED TO HEIGHTS THAT HONOR THEIR HUMANITY"
"THOSE WHO OCCUPY LOFTY PLACES MUST GIVE SOME GROUND TO THE LOW"
WE ALL HAVE A MORAL OBLIGATION TO EACH OTHER
WE SHARE A TIED DESTINY
REPEATING:
AND IF YOU SPEND YOURSELVES IN BEHALF OF THE HUNGRY AND SATISFY THE NEEDS OF THE OPPRESSED
THEN YOUR LIGHT WILL RISE IN THE DARKNESS AND YOUR NIGHT WILL BECOME LIKE THE NOONDAY - Isaiah 58:10
There are around two thousands verses of scripture in the old and new testament about the poor and how we should treat them... Right now, we know that some who speak as Christians are on the wrong side of how we care for those who need just basic needs of living: food, water, shelter... This is true in all countries of the world. Specifically, those who don't claim to be a christian nation also treat their people with disdain or, worse, continue to turn away from their great need. So, what does that say, now, when some who speak against social programs, are still willing to fund billions of dollars to bomb other people, other countries... Or, spend millions of dollars grabbing people off the streets of the United States, and using violence against those who speak out and place them in detention centers even if not guilty of any crimes.
Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave. Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.
--Frederick Douglas, Writer
None of this is to assert that Americans or most people in other countries are slaves. To do so would be to make too little of the plight of slaves past and present. What I wish to point out is this: The writings of Frederick Douglass, one of our country’s most brilliant abolitionists, are not to be looked at solely through the lens of American history. Nearly any of the social reformer’s insights may be applied on a far grander scale as you ask yourself what it actually means to be free, and how the actions of your government can subject you to slavery – with your total complacency. --Frederick Douglas
https://reparationscomm.org/
Warnock shares the words of abolitionist Frederick Douglas who has written about the sins of slavery and Douglas is quite open to point out that he has learned about many slave owners and have found that those who are religious (christian) are the worst slaveowners. Adding, that they are the meanest, the basest, the most cruel and cowardly of all...
I remembered about the discussion of Thomas Jeffeerson writing about the rights of men in early years as the United States was being formed. That is, that he continued to own slaves and is even known to have had children by his slave(s)... In the context of talking about ten thousand verses to confirm how we are to love our neighbors, we can be very sure that keeping them as slaves and sexual activities would not have been supported morally...
“Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitude.” Frederick Douglass
And, Martin Luther King pointed out the injustice of the white christian churches... Including the christians who are quick to say that they blame black people for being poor! They speak out against immigrants, refugees, or strangers as the Bible calls them...
Of course, now we know that there are today those who claim christianity while supporting all the bigotry, prejudice, and destruction of our freedoms, right now, within and out of our government... Included in this section is a reference for Mike Johnson stating that he'd been praying about the Big Beauty Bill and then proceeds to list all those this administration has claimed to have prayed for and received "blessings" that were made... Especially all those elements that provide support to those in need, including public education, children's support, Medicaid, and so much more... that were deleted in order to provide higher ways for the rich to own even more of America...
Too many of America's poor are children...
~~~
The following reveals HOPE for our children
Yes, there is more to watch of this new Center...
Music provided to keep us singing today!
~~~
Isaiah 30: 20-21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it, ” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. 21 Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.
This is the Way; Walk in It!
May you listen to what God is asking of You...
Gabby
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