From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin
One thing in our communities that remains a constant is that there have always been those who have lived in poverty.
Our food banks report steady increases to their clientele and the homeless population has soared since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
If we are not careful, we can get overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the problem and then do nothing to help.
It is Paul Shane Spear who is credited with this amazing quote: “As one person I cannot change the world, but I can change the world of one person.”
Somehow, by narrowing our focus to a more attainable goal, it becomes easier to muster up the motivation to spring into action on behalf of the poor and needy.
I like what King Solomon said about this subject in Proverbs 28:27: “He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.”
According to this verse, there is a cost to choosing inaction.
However, with a little bit of effort, we can make a difference if we are simply willing to try.
There are many simple things that could be done to incorporate helping the poor.
We can pick up an extra item or two at the grocery store and place in a box that can be delivered to the food bank at month’s end.
We can contact one of the many excellent organizations that does child sponsorship in poor countries.
World Vision and Compassion Canada are two that come to mind.
What about challenging some friends from work, or if you are a student, fellow classmates, to fast your lunch for a week.
Take the money you would have spent on those meals, pool what’s collected, and donate to a homeless shelter or local food bank.
Let’s do something today to help the poor – one person at a time!
