Things I Need to Own – Homelessness

Greetings Dear Reader,

I often ponder what it must have been like to grow up with Jesus as an older brother.  It is clear that Jesus had brothers and sisters.  We have seen human examples of a good child versus a mischievous one.  Imagine what it must have been like to have an older brother who really never did anything wrong.

One of Jesus’ brothers, James was very concerned with the needs of others.  In his letter to those who follow Christ he talks about the importance of faith having hands and feet. 

James 2:14-18

My brothers and sisters, what good does it do if someone claims to have faith but doesn't do any good things? Can this kind of faith save him?  Suppose a believer, whether a man or a woman, needs clothes or food and one of you tells that person, "God be with you! Stay warm, and make sure you eat enough." If you don't provide for that person's physical needs, what good does it do? In the same way, faith by itself is dead if it doesn't cause you to do any good things.  Another person might say, "You have faith, but I do good things." Show me your faith apart from the good things you do. I will show you my faith by the good things I do.

It troubles me greatly that there are churches that sit empty for most of the week when there are homeless men and women sleeping in the cold.  Instead of complaining when the homeless set up a tent city why are we not bringing them in out of the cold?  Why are the followers of Christ not known for their care of those with next to nothing?

I must own that we fail at this when we have a message from our God that says we are clearly responsible for it.  How can I hope to share the Gospel when people freeze to death for want of shelter in a city where there are hundreds of churches?  We make a big deal of the gestures we make.  Until everyone who wants to sleep in a bed has a bed to sleep in we have not addressed the issue.

I wonder if we would behave differently if Jesus were attending church with us.  We have a vast empty building and are dusting and cleaning the edifice.  We walk out and pass some homeless men sleeping at the bus stop.  We do not even pay attention to them as we leave behind our empty edifice.  This happens every day in every large city.  The buildings were built supposedly to honor Christ.  Would we pass by the homeless if Jesus were walking with us?  I know we would not if we were walking with him.

Would you leave Aqualung on his park bench?

Aqualung – Ian Anderson – Jethro Tull

Sitting on a park bench

eyeing up little girl

with bad intent

Snot running down his nose

greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes, hey Aqualung.

Drying in the cold sun

Watching as the frilly panties run, hey Aqualung.

Feeling like a dead duck

spitting out pieces of his broken luck, oh Aqualung.

Sun streaking cold

an old man wandering lonely

Taking time

the only way he knows

Leg hurting bad,

as he bends to pick a dog end

goes down to a bog to

warm his feet

Feeling alone

the army's up the rode

salvation a la mode and

a cup of tea

Aqualung my friend

don't start away uneasy

you poor old sod

you see it's only me

Do you still remember

December's foggy freeze

when the ice that

clings on to your beard is

screaming agony

And you snatch your rattling last breaths

with deep-sea diver sounds,

and the flowers bloom like

madness in the spring.

Sun streaking cold

an old man wandering lonely

Taking time

the only way he knows

Leg hurting bad,

as he bends to pick a dog end

goes down to a bog to

warm his feet

Feeling alone

the army's up the rode

salvation a la mode and

a cup of tea

Aqualung my friend

don't start away uneasy

you poor old sod

you see it's only me.

Aqualung my friend

don't start away uneasy

you poor old sod

you see it's only me.

Sitting on a park bench

eyeing up little girl

with bad intent

Snot running down his nose

greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes, hey Aqualung.

Drying in the cold sun

Watching as the frilly panties run, hey Aqualung.

Feeling like a dead duck

spitting out pieces of his broken luck, oh Aqualung.

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."