Do Your Part

Thus says the LORD: 

“ For three transgressions of Israel, and for four,
      I will not turn away its punishment,
      Because they sell the righteous for silver,
      And the poor for a pair of sandals.
       They pant after the dust of the earth which is on the head of the poor,
      And pervert the way of the humble.  – Amos 2:6-7

Today’s Reading: Amos 1-3; Revelation 6

I work in downtown Los Angeles. In the midst of the skyscrapers, fancy restaurants and high priced lofts are the residents that no one talks about.

The homeless

They are almost part of the landscape. If you were to walk the three blocks on Flower St between 5^th and 7^th you’d probably see several folks hidden in the margins. One to the right under a storefront trying to get those last few minutes of sleep before the security guards shoo him away. And there is another, wandering about trying to make eye contact with passers by, looking for the slightest bit of encouragement to beg for the morning’s meal.

After years of working downtown it’s something that I’ve gotten used to, but, what does that say about me?

What does it say about me that I can walk by that person and do nothing? I always feel something. I always look the person in the eyes and give something if I feel led to or politely decline if I don’t. But you know what… the whole situation isn’t cool. Of course most folks look at the situation and conclude that the problem is too big for them to fix or blame the homeless for being homeless.

In some respects both might be true.

But I wonder what God thinks as he looks down upon the scene. Can he say the same for us that he said for Israel thousands of years ago? Where is our compassion? Where is our sense of justice?

Sure, as individuals we may not be able to solve the problem but we can choose to take actions that may provide a little bit of help.

We can do our part.

This is a new approach for me. I used to look at the glass as half empty. If I can’t solve it then I shouldn’t do anything about it. Now I see that all God asks me to do is to do my part.

So that is what I am going to do.

Food for Thought:  Are there any people in your community, nation or world that really touch your heart? What can you do to do your part to help them? What are you already doing?