Not long ago I was given a Bible that highlights every scripture in the Bible that deals with poverty and justice issues. There are over 2000 orange highlights and I’ve even found a few they forgot to mark. One of those scriptures I found was in Proverbs 24:11,12… It reads,

Don’t fail to rescue those
who are doomed to die.

Don’t say, “I didn’t know it!”
God can read your mind.
He watches each of us
and knows our thoughts.
And God will pay us back
for what we do.

I think the verse that really grabbed me was verse 12… “Don’t say, ‘I didn’t know it!”

I’m amazed at how many people don’t know that poverty exists in their back yard. It really doesn’t take a lot of work to find, but it does take getting out. Out of our homes, offices, social clubs… Stop by your local elementary school and ask the administration if they know of any children who came to school today in need. I’ll bet a pretty penny they have a list of children who came to school with no breakfast and no lunch. I know some might want to begin to rant and rave about the parents, but I’m not talking about parents… I’m talking about children going hungry in our neighborhoods.

We’ve walked by to many in need and it’s time to slow down and see. God is watching.

In 2008 I was in Uganda, Africa and we set out to visit the “neighbors” next to the church property. I saw only one house. It was draped by the green leaves of banana trees which appeared to be a tsunami wave about to engulf it. We visited a grandmother who lived there. She begged for help with her two grand boys who refused to go to school. I was at a loss to provide that type of care, but several of the locals promised to visit and become the Uncle to the boys. After praying, we stood up to leave and dove into the sea of green. It was a jungle. It was nothing but banana tree after banana tree and then I saw a child playing… As we drew closer, I could see her home and her mother preparing dinner. They were over joyed to see visitors coming their way. I thought, “Where did this place come from?” I mean it was just there in the middle of nothing. We visited and moved again further into the bush and there we found people. We found homes full of life. As a matter of fact, it seemed as if the wave of green was now a sea of ebony. Laughter broke the silence and smiles appeared like stars appearing in the early evening.

Only steps into the forest there were so many people. You could never see them from the road as you traveled… only when you stopped to look in the most unlikely of places.

When I returned home, I saw those banana trees. I took a “different” route to work. I walked different paths…

If you are looking, you will find it. If you can’t see it, give me a call and we’ll take a trip together.

peace.
johno~

Thanks to Desiree for giving the encouragement to write this. Her name will be entered into the contest twice today.