Opened Eyes
How well do we know our communities? When was the last time you looked around and actually payed attention to the people who live around you? I have been going to my church for a long time now (about 6 years) and I just realized that I don’t know squat about anyone or anything in that community. I didn’t realize that the train station just a few blocks away was a sort of center for drug use and dealing. I had no idea that there were kids who’s backyards are filled with gangs and junkies. The apartments right up the road have families tormented by alcoholic and abusive parents. There are kids who spend all there time at the local skate park just because they don’t want to go home and deal with family life. And then there is our church, New Hope Community Church.
I knew that there were problems in our churches neighborhood, but it wasn’t until this past Wednesday that I actually saw it. During our weekly elders meeting we went on a prayer walk through the community. This was the first prayer walk I had ever been on so it was quite new to me. While we walked toward the train station Our pastor told me all these things I mentioned, but I wasn’t really understanding the whole picture. I just walked and took it all in as the other three prayed. They prayed for the firefighters that worked in the fire station right down the street from the church. They prayed for the police officers and paramedics in our city. They prayed for the families and for their protection. As we came closer to the train station the prayers started getting deeper. They prayed for the families who had to deal with gang activity in their apartments. They prayed for the alcoholics as they came out of the local liquor store. They prayed for the families who deal with violence and drug abuse. Then we arrived at the station and Pastor Mike asked me to pray, to start off the second leg of our walk. I looked around and prayed the only thing I could pray. I prayed that God would open our eyes to these people. These are the people Jesus went to, these are the people Jesus died for. These are the people Jesus told us to go to. These are the people we are afraid of. These are the people I avoided. I let Jesus down.
Matthew 25:33-46
He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
“He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
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