Yesterday I heard a great sermon. I have been going to a church in the city center. I am not really sure what denomination it is, but I really enjoy worshipping there. The sermon was about the good Samaritan. Many of us have probably heard a sermon or two about the good Samaritan, but how many of us have taken time to allow this story to challenge us? Who are we in this story; the thief, the religious man/woman, or the Christian? Are we always wanting more for ourselves or doing things for our benefit, are we seeing and knowing but not doing, or are we looking for the needs of others and trying to meet those needs? I think a lot of times I fall into the seeing and knowing but not doing.
In my last post I mentioned that we had a sleep out to raise money and awareness for street kids. One of these projects is called The Micah Project. The Micah Project falls into seeing the need and striving to meet the needs. It was powerful because many of the project boys worshipped with us yesterday. These boys were the Jew who had been left for dead until their good Samaritan came along and bandaged their wounds and gave them a place to stay. Would I have walked right by these kids? How many street people do I walk by every single day? What am I doing to make sure I am loving my neighbor as myself?
At the sleep out a couple weeks ago I experienced a small slice of Heaven. How is sleeping outside on a soccer field Heaven? It is the interactions of the rich and the poor coming together playing soccer, frisbee, basketball...praying together and for each other. We weren't Pinares students, teachers, Micah Project boys, Transition Home girls, band members, rich, poor, we were/are all children of God laughing and playing together. We laid hands on each other and prayed for each other. Each one of us having different needs, and God hearing all of them. It was powerful.
I am left thinking about all of the kids who still need a home like Micah Project provides. UNICEF reports in 2007 there were 170,000 kids orphaned in Honduras. That is just in Honduras. These Micah Project boys left their families to live on the streets, many of them while living on the streets became addicted to sniffing yellow glue. These boys had nothing. These boys were and are loved. They were hungry and were fed, they were thirsty and given something to drink, they were naked and given clothes. Am I loving my neighbor as myself?
"'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?' ...'The one who had mercy on him.' Jesus told him, "GO and DO likewise."' Luke 10:36-37
In my last post I mentioned that we had a sleep out to raise money and awareness for street kids. One of these projects is called The Micah Project. The Micah Project falls into seeing the need and striving to meet the needs. It was powerful because many of the project boys worshipped with us yesterday. These boys were the Jew who had been left for dead until their good Samaritan came along and bandaged their wounds and gave them a place to stay. Would I have walked right by these kids? How many street people do I walk by every single day? What am I doing to make sure I am loving my neighbor as myself?
At the sleep out a couple weeks ago I experienced a small slice of Heaven. How is sleeping outside on a soccer field Heaven? It is the interactions of the rich and the poor coming together playing soccer, frisbee, basketball...praying together and for each other. We weren't Pinares students, teachers, Micah Project boys, Transition Home girls, band members, rich, poor, we were/are all children of God laughing and playing together. We laid hands on each other and prayed for each other. Each one of us having different needs, and God hearing all of them. It was powerful.
I am left thinking about all of the kids who still need a home like Micah Project provides. UNICEF reports in 2007 there were 170,000 kids orphaned in Honduras. That is just in Honduras. These Micah Project boys left their families to live on the streets, many of them while living on the streets became addicted to sniffing yellow glue. These boys had nothing. These boys were and are loved. They were hungry and were fed, they were thirsty and given something to drink, they were naked and given clothes. Am I loving my neighbor as myself?
"'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?' ...'The one who had mercy on him.' Jesus told him, "GO and DO likewise."' Luke 10:36-37
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