Which is it??

When I embarked on my journey into the city almost 14 years ago I would have told you that all the kids needed was Jesus. Having been a youth pastor in rural New Hampshire for 2 years, worked at Christian camps for three years, and spent a year training in England as a youth person my context was that you bring Jesus in Bible studies and worship services. If the Holy Spirit could just "show up" then the basic needs of a person would and could be met.

In contrast my experience with the "social justice" world were people who didn't care about a person's soul at all. Having attended an extremely "liberal" college, there was a rally or an outcry on the Student Union steps almost daily. Rodney King happened when I was in college as did Desert Storm. We were a country poised against war and injustice. Yet, if I dared breath the name of Christ I was seen as narrow minded and prejudiced.

Well, now so many years later I have seen, felt and experienced so many things. I still believe that all we need is Jesus. However, the good news that is preached to the poor I have come to see is one of hope. Hope is not merely about our souls... Hope is that we know that we have a Savior that full takes care of us. From the inside out and back again. He cares that we have peace in the midst of everything. Yet, it also matters when we hurt, when we are hungry, when our basic daily needs are not met. He cares about social justice because he cares about our souls. When you walk in relationship with someone then you care about everything in their lives. You care about is all, the social justice and the soul.

"He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Thes 5:10 and 11.

Christ wants to be with us when we walk in the land of the living and when we go to heaven to live with him there. Eternal life offered starts the moment that we walk with our Savior. If this is true then, he cares about it all. He cares when we are oppressed and captured and blind and hungry and thirsty. While we must learn to be thankful in all of it and treat this world like it is not our home, the promises by God are not all figurative. He tells us not to worry about what we will eat or drink or what we will wear, because He will take care of it, not because He will ignore it.

""Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?
26. Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
27. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life ?
28. "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31. So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'
32. For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. " Matthew 6

We should not be chasing after these things because we are seeking first the kingdom of God. For the heavenly Father knows waht we need. He uses earthly resources to take care of our earthly needs. He uses the body of believers. The churches that Paul wrote to took care of His physical needs. When the Apostles in Acts were overwhelmed with the needs of the widows and orphans they did not ignore their needs so that they could go out and preach more. Instead they prayed and anointed men who were focused so on the Lord that they were able to care for the physical needs of the people. These were people like Stephen and Philip who in the midst of waiting tables were speaking life into a hurting and dying world.

All of this to say that I do not understand that why as a body of believers we have come to a place of it being either the gospel or the needs of the people. I have been there. I thought well other people will teach kids to read, but no one is offering them the truth. However, then I realized, if the point is to shine my light at all times in all things- why would I send the kids to someone else to learn to read while I only get time with them for Bible study? Maybe I could bring the Gospel while I teach them to read? In contrast there are those who say they are doing it for Jesus but are petrified that it is not loving enough to tell someone that you are afraid that they can not do it in their own strength. They need some help. Christ when he ascended sent us a helper in the Godhead. He is the Holy Spirit. It is not just about providing systems or fixing laws. The Good News is that we have a Savior who cares for it all. Why can't we come together and be about the full power of Christ?? It is not either or, It is and...