Reflections: What is this really about?

I've been intentional this past month about taking more time to read, pray and reflect on what we're doing, why we're doing it and how we're going about it.  It's easy to get so wrapped up in the details -- daily living, administrating, planning, preparing and organizing that we forget what it's really all about. 

In a third-world country where poverty and the effects of poverty are everywhere additional challenges present themselves.  There are needs everywhere - physical, social, emotional and spiritual.  As a follower of Christ, I have to ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit.  What is this really about?  Why am I here?  Is it about meeting people's physical needs?  Or do try to overlook the physical needs and attend to the spiritual -- attempting to lead people to a personal relationship with Christ?  Is it both?  When is it helpful to give and when is it not?  These are questions I ask myself on a daily basis.

As we look at the example of Christ.  He usually did both.  He attended to people's physical needs, feeding and healing them when they were hungry, thirsty, sick, etc.  He also took every opportunity to attend to their spiritual needs, offering them "the bread of life" and "living water".  He rebuked sin and called people to repent and be transformed by the love and grace of their Heavenly Father.

In their encounters with Jesus, people experienced something out of this world.  They exprienced love in such a powerful way that some could not imagine going on without it, living life as they did before.  They simply had to leave everything they knew - their old way of thinking and living, their posessions, their closest personal relationships...everything to follow Jesus and join Him in His mission. 

"If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.  For Christ's love compels us." 

~2 Corinthians 5:13-14a

When Jesus came to earth, the Jews had been living according to the Old Testament Law for centuries. "Do this...  Don't do that... Wear this... Eat that... Refrain from this...  Offer sacrifices for your sins."  God gave them the laws for a good reason -- they were to be His holy people who lived very differently from the surrounding nations who worshipped false, lesser gods.  Almighty God, Yahwey, is holy and powerful yet gracious and kind.  As His followers, the people were to reflect that in every way they lived.  Instead of leaving them to figure it out on their own, God in His kindness gave His people the law so they could learn how to live in the presence of a Holy God in a way that is pleasing and honoring to Him.   

The Jews studied and knew this law well.  Some were doing their best to live according to the law, knowing and fearing the judgement and consequences that would come if they didn't - from God and others.  Others fell away discouraged.  They had made so many mistakes and had given up all hope of trying to be "holy".  They simply stopped trying.  The law also made it crystal clear just how amazingly good God is and how hopeless we are without Him.

When Jesus came, He changed everything.  Jesus said, "I did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it."  Through His death, Jesus suffered the consequence for all sin.  He paid the price for all failures -- all shortcomings - past, present and future.  When we accept Jesus' forgiveness, we don't have to live in fear of God's judgement.

Instead of living in fear and trying to earn our salvation through good deeds, we can live with hope, peace and joy because of the promise of eternal life.  This is a gift for everyone, regardless of where we come from, regardless of our mistakes. It is Jesus' kindness that moves people to repentance, not fear.

Where am I going with this?  How does it relate to my reflections about working and ministering with people living in poverty?

Let me start with this: people are transformed by Jesus' love.  Jesus was able to really see into peoples' life situations and the condition of their soul.  He could see their physical and spiritual needs, and He responded.  If I want to have a real influence in the lives of the people here, I need to follow Jesus' example.  I'm certainly not Jesus.  There's no way I can meet everyone's needs or know exactly what's in their souls, but I can take the time to look and try to understand people's lives - how they think and feel, what they fear and what they hope for.  

One thing I'm finding is that we all have some deep wounds.  Many have been really hurt by people they are supposed to be able to trust.  We have been rejected, humiliated, abused and oppressed.  As I look at the challenges some of my friends face on a daily basis, I often wonder how they find the courage and strength to keep going day after day.

What is the appropriate response to all of this?  How can I make a difference?

Right now we are working to create a safe community for our team -- a place where they can come and be themselves, where we can learn together and grow together.  I want our team to feel like they can be honest and will still be respected.  They need to know that they are loved and appreciated.  I'm praying that we will continue to grow and that someday we will have a community where we can really trust one another in everyway. 

This is not easy.  We take turns putting up walls of protection.  Especially here, there is a deep understanding that if I want to survive, avoid pain, eat, and try to make a way for myself, I have to fight for myself and my family.  This leads to some behaviors that seem really selfish to me sometimes.  Jesus teaches us to put others first, to give and love without expecting anything in return.

And, Jesus modeled this for us.  He gave and gave and gave of himself all the way to the cross, shedding His blood for us.  There are times when you can give and give and give of yourself - time, energy and resources, and you don't know if it makes a bit of difference.  I'm sure there were times when Jesus felt this way, too.  I'm thinking of the 10 lepers He healed.  Only one went back to give thanks.  Praise God for the one! 

I've been thinking about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.  Realizing that I'm regularly talking to a group of teenagers and young adults about the plans God has for their lives and their role in the Kingdom of God (Self-Actualization).  This is nice and inspiring, but on a daily basis the majority of them are fighting for much more basic needs - for themselves and for their families. 

In our ministry, we're trying to meet some physical needs by providing a small offering to those who put in many hours of work.  I'd like to be able to increase this and appoint more leaders like Belkis for different areas of the ministry.  If any of you want to invest financially to help with this, please let me know!  We will also continue to work on the needs for safety (emotional & physical), belonging, esteem and self-actualization. 

There is clearly a deep need for healing and restoration.  I was reading recently in a book called "Working with the Poor."  There was a question in this book that has stuck with me.  "In our community, do we have a way of healing each other so we become agents of healing rather than multiplying hurt?"

I guess I'll finish my reflections (or ramblings) here and ask you to pray for us.  Specifically, please pray for healing, restoration and that God would form us into a community where we truly love, care for and trust one another.  

This was Jesus' prayer for all believers: "that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.."  John 17:21.