The Least of These ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

We live in a world where there are many in need.  It is taxing on our spirit when our needs exceed our ability to meet them.  We all see those in need if we only look up and observe.

In the next days we will begin to hear of efforts to feed the poor and care for is want.  In a little over a month the Salvation Army kettles will appear and we will notice them or we will not.  Reminders of the poor are now and will always be all around us. 

I must not let a day pass that I do not express gratitude for all that I have and be aware of those in need.  All that I have is by God’s grace and provision.  It is given to me to care for not to possess.  It is not mine to own but to care for and manage. 

All that I truly possess is intangible.  The Father’s love and grace gives me life and feeds me.  It provides for my needs.  Everything I have to use or consume is intended to help me see that love and grace.  It is also intended to help others see the provision of the Father in our lives.

As I move on to other topics that are part of this journey, I must do so with the understanding that the Father wants me to see the needs of others and meet them where I can.  He desires for me to depend on him for my needs so that he can show his power and love through provision.   Jesus made it clear that whatever we do to those in need we do to him.  What are we doing to Jesus today?

The other day someone asked me how I was doing financially.  My immediate response without thinking was, “God provided for me for today.”   Should that not be how we always respond Dear Reader?  Is ii not our obligation to depend on our Father every day?  As we move on to other thoughts and questions more aligned with the seasons, can we agree to see those in need as we do and promise each other that we will help where we can?

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

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The Least of These ~ Widows and Orphans

Greetings Dear Reader,

Please put on your steel-toed shoes before you continue.  I have no intent to step on toes today but this part of the dance is awkward for me at times.  I love you and wish you no harm.  Remember that I am looking in my own heart and sharing it with you.  If, however, the conviction fits…

Yesterday I talked about the need for fathers and the Father heart of God.  Today I want to address the least of these that we create when we are not faithful loving husbands and fathers.  We create our age’s version of widows and orphans.  We see droves of single mothers working hard to provide for their needs and to care for their children. 

When I failed my wife and sons one of my friends rightly told them that he would serve them as if she were a widow and they were orphans.  When a father abandons his family on any level he creates this.  Those who claim to follow Christ do not do enough to care for these needs.  We have no true faith if we do not care for the needs of widows and orphans.

Too much of our effort goes to things that do not matter when we could stand out to those in need by our generosity and care.  We cannot hope to think that we are faithful if we are not faithful to this.  We let jealousy, greed, judgement, and our own interests get in the way attending to this command from Christ.  We all know someone who is a single parent and could use some kindness and support.

If we know a single mom and are not doing something to ease her burden then we are not taking care of our modern-day widows and orphans.  There are so many ways to help and all we have to do is make that help available.  If we offer our help those in need will come.  It is never too soon to recognize the need to practice true faith Dear Reader.  I know that I can do more.  How about you?

Don’t Tell Them Jesus Loves Them – Steve Camp

Oh, the suffering souls

Crying out for love

In a world that seldom cares

See the hungry hearts

Longing to be filled

With much more than our prayers

And a young girl sells herself on Seventh Avenue

And you hear her crying out for help

My God! What will we do?

Don't tell them Jesus loves them

‘Till you're ready to love them too!

‘Till your heart breaks from their sorrow

And the pain they're going through

With a life full of compassion

May we do what we must do?

Don't tell them Jesus loves them

‘Till you're ready to love them too!

All the desperate men

Are we reaching for the souls,

That are sinking down sin?

Oh, cry for the church

We've lost our passion for the lost

And there are billions left to win

And another 40,000 children starved to death today

Would we risk all we have

To see one of them saved!?!

Don't tell them Jesus loves them

‘Till you're ready to love them too!

‘Till your heart breaks from their sorrow

And the pain they're going through

With a life full of compassion

May we do what we must do?

Don't tell them Jesus loves them

‘Till you're ready to love them too!

Why have we waited so long

To show them Jesus lives

To share salvation's song!

Why have our hearts become so proud

That we fail to see

To love them is to love God!

And a young girl sells herself on Seventh Avenue

Hear her crying out for help

What will we do?

Don't tell them Jesus loves them

‘Till you're ready to love them too!

‘Till your heart breaks from their sorrow

And the pain they're going through

With a life full of compassion

May we do what we must do?

Don't tell them Jesus loves them

‘Till you're ready to love them too!

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

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The Least of These ~ The Fatherless

Greetings Dear Reader,

I have discussed this relative to my own journey.  I have just begun to correlate it to the bigger picture in a way that is vital to the overall journey.  The idea father is one of which I realize that I have so little understanding.   Someone told me recently that I cannot father well until I learn how to be a son.  My understanding of good fathers is so limited.

Our culture has lost the idea of real fathering.  Too many of us have a poor concept of what a loving father is.  We have too many fathers who have abused and abandoned their children.  We are a fatherless society in desperate need of fathers.

The relation to this topic is that so many fatherless are seen as the least of these.  Fathers failing to be there emotional, mentally, and physically for their children have created a poverty that is unparalleled.  It is not only one of physical need but it is a psychological, emotional, and faith poverty that leaves us destitute orphans.

We are supposed to be representing the Father to the world in all of his love and grace.  We are meant to show the Father heart of God to the world.  When we do not show this love by helping those in need, we hinder their ability to see the Father.  We all need to see this.

Attending to the needs of others; really helping the fatherless is a way to see the Father more clearly ourselves.  In helping the fatherless with their needs, we get to see the impact of the Father’s love in real action.  We are benefited by both the giving and the observation.

The idea is for us to become conduits for the love that the Father wants us all to share.  When we see the needs of others through a father’s eyes, we find that we have more compassion, more desire to help, and the motivation to give.  We can abandon selfishness.  We can become better children of the Father.

This terrifies me.  I must admit that it also is evident that I am in the midst of learning how much the Father loves me and wishes to be a Father to me.  I am learning and having to own how poor a father I have been.  I must focus on learning before I can ever hope to be an example to others. 

I do not know what the Father has in store for me.  I am trying to let him Father me.  I am ready to learn.  It is taking a full reset of who I think I am.  It requires that I trust in ways that I do not know how.  I can see how this past year has required me to lose so much to begin to learn this.  Please keep praying for me Dear Reader.  I am praying for you to see the Father and all his love for you.

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Novels on Amazon             

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The Least of These ~ But what about…Part 2

Greetings Dear Reader,

I feel poor.  I have not had a real job in a year and a half.  I worked briefly over the summer but there is still nothing for work that sustains me.  It is not for lack of trying.  I continue to focus on my writing and marketing it.  But there is more.

We always ask when we discuss the needs of the poor, “What about my needs?”  I am in the position where I have to weigh every penny I spend.  I do not know where my ability to meet my needs is going to come from.  I am learning what it means to depend on the Father for all my needs. 

Yet in the midst of that I have this yearning to give.  I long to be able to help others.  It saddens me that I do not have enough to share with those in need.  I realize that any day someone could pick up one of my books and make it an overnight best seller.  In light of that I have a plan, written down, of how I would help others.  I want to always have a heart to give every moment.  I do not want to be someone who is guilty of worrying about my own needs when the Father points me toward the needs of others.

The least of these are always with us.  There is always someone who has greater need than me.  There is always something that I have to give.  I write this blog mainly for my own walk with Christ.  I also put it out there for you Dear Reader in hopes that you benefit from my journey and that perhaps you can journey with me from time to time.  I hope you see it as the gift I mean it to be for you.

We are required to consider those in need.  We are obligated to listen to that voice that tells us to help.  When we feel the pressure of our own needs the Father promises to meet them.  He promises that he has great plans for us.  He promises to supply all our needs through Christ according to HIS riches and glory.

If I truly believe that the Father will care for me, then I dare not think “What about my needs” when I feel the needs of others in my heart.  I cannot afford to neglect that the Father is my source and wants to help others through me.  Perhaps this writing will help you be free to do that as well Dear Reader.  There is no one so poor as those with abundance who will not give to those in need.

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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The Least of These ~ But what about…Part 1

Greetings Dear Reader,

I have a friend who has been my friend since I first found Christ and actually before I made the choice to follow Jesus.  His family was good to me when I was determined to destroy myself with drugs, depression, and anger.  He asked the following about yesterday’s post. 

“So well said! So, we pull up to an intersection where an individual displays a sign of homelessness or hunger - we face a couple of decisions! 1- is this a real needy individual? 2- should I play a part in helping. I can speak for myself in that I don't always know what to do ....” (Glenn)

I am going to take a couple of days to respond to this because I wish to be sure that I am honest, introspective, and do not just give a pat answer.  I also think it will take a couple of days to ensure that I cover the entire answer. This may hurt if you have tender toes or like easy answers.

First, I will begin by addressing the exact situation that Glenn mentions.  Having lived in a town where a group of people formed a cooperative to stand on the corner and seek donations as a full time avocation, I understand his question.  There reasoning was that “working” the corners paid more than working a McDonald's.  In the gentlest way possible I want to point out that Jesus addressed this. 

Mat 5:42 “Give to everyone who asks you for something. Don't turn anyone away who wants to borrow something from you.”  I have read this in many translations.  In none of them are there qualifiers.  There is nothing that says “unless you think they are an addict or a drunk.”  No matter how we address it this is a command from Jesus. 

Does that mean that the guy or gal at the stoplight is asking me directly?  I do not know. I do know that what is done with my gift of kindness is between the receiver and God.  If I give a gift it is no longer mine to manage.  I never wore the bright brown mustard yellow wool sweater that my aunt gave me.  It was a gift for me to use as I saw fit (which it did not).  Two years after I received it a friend commented on how much she liked it when she saw it in my coat closet.  I gave it to her.  My aunt’s gift to me was never used by me but it was used by someone who loved it.

I am not saying that we are to be irresponsible with what God provides but we see over and over that the Father wants us to be generous, liberal givers.  Consider these words from Solomon.  “Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor.” (Proverbs 22:9) I would rather spend my time having an eye toward the needs of others than worrying about their motive and machinations.  Solomon also says this.  “The one who is gracious to the poor lends to the LORD, and the LORD will repay him for his good deed.” (Proverbs 19:17) There are very few places where we can assuredly say that the Creator of all things is indebted to us.   I want to embrace the idea of the Father owing me something with humility and grace.

But wait! There is more.  You see, we are not simply supposed to give to the poor and needy.  Paul instructs Timothy carefully.  “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate.” 1 Timothy 6:17-18

Not only are we supposed to be ready and willing to give liberally to the poor.  We are required to be willing to communicate with them.  If we look at the meaning of the word translated “communicate” we find this:

Communicate, koinōnikos

1) social, sociable, ready and apt to form and maintain communion and fellowship

2) inclined to make others sharers in one’s possessions, inclined to impart, free in giving, liberal (Thayer)

We are required to be sociable and make those in need part of our community.  We are to commune with them.  We cannot do this if we drop the thirteen cents from our six-dollar Grande cup into the homeless guy’s empty one without making eye contact.  We ignore opportunities to be generous and establish community every day.  We trade generosity and community for hot milkshakes. 

So how do we apply this?  For me I must realize that even though I am poor right now I am not excused from giving where I can and being good to those in need.  (I mean this.  As blessed as I am I have no income and cannot seem to get a job.  If you feel generous and want to help you can through my Patreon page. www.patreon.com/aramisthorn)  I do not know what it means to you and I will get on to more of this tomorrow.  What it means to me and for me is that I must look for opportunities to be generous and kind to the poor.

We have so much more than we realize.  It is in giving that we find our true richness.  It is in seeking community that we find our desire to give.  When we see those begging for food perhaps we should picture Jesus with the basin and the towel washing the feet of the man who would deny him.  Perhaps that image will become more important to us than the motivations of the guy on the corner with the cardboard sign.  No matter what we imagine, it always becomes a matter of our heart to give over another human’s failings.  It is our love for the Father and our neighbor that must move us.

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Novels on Amazon             

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Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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The Least of These ~ Unity

Greetings Dear Reader,

When we consider the poor in our lives, how do we think?  Do we see the homeless and needy as part of our community?  Do we love them as neighbors?  If we follow Christ do we see them as part of our church?

Forgive me if this makes you uncomfortable.  I am not trying to create guilt or pressure.  I am trying to recall my own obligation relative to those who are poor and in need.  The least of these in every community are not the sole responsibility of the local government.  We are not allowed to relegate them to the fringe or marginalize them as people we can ignore. 

Those in need are our business as much as any other good endeavor.  The danger is that if we neglect those in need we damage our own unity in Christ.  We become unable to function in the manner we are intended to just as if our physical body had a traumatic injury or loss.  Instead of being able to follow Christ we limp along believing that we are following. 

We fail to follow when we create the disunity of neglecting the poor in our community. I cannot claim to be seeking unity and to love all humans if I do not seek to help the poor where I can.  Even now, when I am down to near nothing I need to be aware of ways in which I can give to the needs of others.  My prayer needs to be that I have enough to give to those in need.  I cannot create unity and peace if I neglect those in need.  There are so many with greater needs than mine.  The call is to community and I am supposed to include everyone.  Do you agree Dear Reader?

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Novels on Amazon             

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Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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The Least of These ~ Socialism that Works

Greetings Dear Reader,

In the second book written by Luke, Acts, he explains that the early church held all things in common and that everyone was given freely whatever was needed.  When social welfare is based on the belief that God owns everything and that he will supply all that we need, it can work.  I have yet to see that enacted by anyone who claims to be a socialist in our society. 

The problem with modern day socialism is not the idea of social welfare.  It is trying to enforce it out of obligation or law instead of love motivating it that works.  I am not here, however, to rant against secular socialism.  I want to focus on the idea of being socially aware of the needs of others.

If I am going to really consider the needs of the poor then I must limit what I own.  It is not wrong to have things that I like.  It is not that the Father does not want me to have good things.  In fact, it is just the opposite.  He wants to give us what our heart desires.  He provided for this in the Law, mentions it in the proverbs, and promises in the epistles.

It is in seeking him first that it is conditional.  We are to pursue Christ and consider all “things” lost for the sake of doing that.  When I share freely and liberally with those who have need then the Father is free to give us what we desire that falls in line with following his Son. 

If we truly desire to follow Christ then we need to realize that all of mankind is our responsibility.   The church should be known for its generosity and provision for those in need.  Instead we build gold domes and crystal palaces.  If we hope to transform the world we need to get past the ideas of greed and possession.  We need to embrace the idea that if anyone is hungry we will sacrifice what is needed to feed them, even our enemies. 

What is the impact if we depend on the Father for all that we need and desire and consider all things available to those who need?  If we give to those in need no matter their station and status we lose nothing.  It is in this giving that we find freedom from things and the power of mobility to follow Christ.

I must approach the season of giving with the heart of one who only has Christ as a possession.  “With Jesus our only possession then giving becomes our delight.”  In a world that has lost respect for the church and sees it as callus and greedy, perhaps a dose of social welfare is exactly what is needed.  I know that I need to have that approach with everyone.  Perhaps we can talk together as we journey Dear Reader and discuss how we will lighten our burden by sharing with the poor. 

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Novels on Amazon             

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Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

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The Least of These ~ Opening Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Halloween is a couple of weeks away.  Harvests are mostly gathered in the Northern Hemisphere.  Spring planting and promise of harvest is renewed in the Southern one.  The world is ready to turn toward the season of celebrations and winter or summer.  In the United States there are already reminders of Thanksgiving and Christmas in the shops.  Our Canadian neighbors have already had their Thanksgiving.  Churches and social services organizations are gearing up for their campaigns to aid the poor.

I want to spend some time pondering the poor and who they really are.  I feel that we have set aside too much of our responsibility in helping those who are in need.  It seems to me that we do not really take care of each other.  I am not doing this because I want to shame or chastise anyone else.  Rather, even though I am struggling with my own needs, I have to make sure that I do what I can to help those in need.  I must not forget that part of my seeking the provision of my needs to ask that I have enough to help the poor.

It troubles me deeply that we need to think about this at all.  It should be our nature to care for those in need.  It should be part of our common practice to feed our enemies when they are hungry.  Instead we argue about it and point to our own fear as justification for it.

Please walk with me among the bright colours of Autumn in our hemisphere and the growing warmth of Spring in the Southern one.  Let us reason out how we can always have an eye out for those in need as we journey.  If I have little it does not free me from caring for those who have less.  When I have abundance, the responsibility is to understand and live out that I can do more.    I do not wish to fail whilst I am struggling to have the right heart, mind, and actions concerning those who are also in need.

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Contacts for Aramis Thorn:

Support Page on Patreon: www.patreon.com/aramisthorn

This BLOG:  http://aramisthorn.blogspot.com/ 

Novels on Amazon             

Web Page:  www.aramisthorn.com

Bookings at aramisthorn@aramisthorn.com

Facebook      Google +   

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Kids BLOG

Modern-Day Lepers ~ Closing Thoughts

Greetings Dear Reader,

Everyone is in need at times.  Some needs are greater than others.  Nothing people like me experience compares to the injustices that rage throughout the world.  Instead of being always driven by compassion for others we allow or even support the ills of the world.

We cannot call our lives good if we treat others with disdain.  We cannot be good e and relegate anyone to the gutter.  We cannot traffic in humans be humane.  We cannot reject those in need and think we are compassionate. 

It is my obligation to see the needs of everyone for justice and care as equal to my own.  There is no social need that is not my responsibility.  The idea of following Christ means that every human is my responsibility.  Every situation where humans are degraded, oppressed, or in need is a situation Christ followers must address.

I need to assess my heart and actions over all of these situations and assure that my responses are relative to his values.  It is what defines us.  It is what shows the world the my faith has any value.

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Modern-Day Lepers ~ Cargo

Greetings Dear Reader,

I can still see the horror in the eyes of people who claimed to be Christian.  The girl was young and had no clue about modest dress and Midwestern behavior.  For the past ten years she had been told what wear, how to act, and who to service.

The catalog of bondage and abuse is long and horrifying.  I watched the Christians horrified because her clothing choice did not fit their standards.  I saw them whisper to each other in judgment.  When I called them on it their excuse was, “We have never had to deal with this.”

The scene replays in differing timbres and tones all over the plant.  We see men, women, and children who have been bought and sold.  We investigate the stories with lurid curiosity.  We also find reasons not to get involved.  We explain away the needs with the presence of organizations that meet them.

Worse there are those of us who pretend to care about these victims of human trafficking only to use them for our own purposes.  Some of those entrusted with helping further the abuse.

This is one of those areas where there is too much passive cooperation.  We allow the trafficking of human beings.  We even promote it even if from the gallery.  Any instance of forced labor or unwilling pornography that “benefits” us is participation in this vial practice.  The use of products produced by child labor is participation in human trafficking.  Any custom given to businesses that benefit from human trafficking in any form is participation in it.

We must see that no human is property for possession or designed for another’s use.  Every soul matters.  Every life is precious.  Any tolerance of human trafficking in any form is, well, inhumane.  Shine a light a slavery.  Recognize the problem and stand against it.  I cannot follow Christ if I do not.

End It Movement – Shine a light on Slavery

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Modern-Day Lepers ~ God Bless You

Greetings Dear Reader,

Since I spend the bulk of my day in the Petri dish we call an office I encounter coughs, sneezes, and sniffles daily.  Too often the response to these is for people to back away from the “offending” individual.  This is followed by the person doing the backing away expressing his worry about becoming ill.

This is simple.  I have real trouble seeing Jesus responding in this way.  What the sneezing, sniffling person needs is compassion.  What needs to be expressed in the moment is fearless kindness.  What the person needs is to be cared about and cared for by the people around him. 

Instead of treating the sick like lepers we must show compassion and care.  We need to not distance ourselves or wave the sanitizer as a weapon.  We must love and risk.  I must not create feelings of isolation and disregard. 

We must offer the person more than a blessing from a distance.

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.”

(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Modern-Day Lepers ~ Two Great Lies

Greetings Dear Reader,

Let me start by being very clear.   I do not hate anyone.  I believe that every human should be seen as deserving of compassion, kindness, and respect.  Every human should be seen for his or her gifts.  Everyone should be loved and valued.

Instead we are asked to believe two great lies.  The first is that if I disagree with your morals and values then I must hate you.  This is not true.  I admit that those who represent Christ poorly have evidenced this throughout the centuries and do so today.  If I claim to follow Christ then I am required to love you no matter what you think, believe, or do.  To hate anyone is forbidden me. 

The second great lie is that if I love you and have compassion for you then I agree with everything for which you stand.  That is not true.  First, no two people agree on everything.  Second, I do not have to agree with you to love you.  I can think that you are absolutely wrong in any position you hold and still love you.  I am required to separate my thinking on an issue from my love for my neighbor, brother, and enemy. 

Instead of living this difficult path many choose to treat people in communities like the LGBT one like lepers.  The systematic denial of things like healthcare as a social unit is wrong.  To deny someone common needs based on issues with his or her morality is completely opposed to how Christ tells us to treat others.  One cannot treat anyone as inferior based on morality and pretend to be following Christ.  It never works that way.

I will never agree with some things being right.  I cannot violate my own morals and values.  This also means that I cannot fail to love and care for anyone even if I feel that they are wrong in their lifestyle.  I must accept the human in whatever state he is and with humility and grace live a life that shows him love and respect.  To do less is to fail in my commission.  To do less is to reject the Christ I follow.

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.”

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Modern-Day Lepers ~ Our Tarnished Colossus

Greetings Dear Reader,

“Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name,

MOTHER OF EXILES. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

‘Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!’ cries she

With silent lips. ‘Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!’”

For those of you who do not recognize this, it is the poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty.  It is titled “The New Colossus”.  This was a gift given to us because of our habit of taking in those who needed freedom and refuge.  It was an acknowledgement of our care for those who needed a safe place to stand whilst they got their footing.

I think we have forgotten that we need balance in all things.  We need to allow those who cannot harm us to have that refuge with as little difficulty as possible.  We need to vet everyone carefully without harming them in the process.  We also need to remind them that with freedom comes responsibility.  We need to assure that we protect our own without violating the needs of those seeking sanctuary.

We have reacted to betrayal and treachery with too broad a stroke.  We see to it that anyone who needs care gets it.  Once again, we are so wealthy that we can afford to find a way to help.  We also need to assure that we protect and care for our own in the process.  Instead of finding reasons why we should not help we need to stop seeing them as lepers and seeing them as humans who are to be loved and valued.

Those seeking aid must also remember that it is a privilege to be taken in by us.  We are obligated but they are as well.  They need to value their culture without trying to destroy ours.  We need to honor the differences and work toward the common good.  It all sounds idealistic but it is also possible.  Perhaps if we saw the common ground and the common needs we could find the common good. 

We need to remember we are supposed to be a united people not clusters of sects.  Our infinite diversity can combine to make us a stronger unified people if we allow it.  We can all rise together if we choose to.  We can stop treating other cultures who need us as lepers if we wish.  It could become our habit to be good to everyone.  Under her tarnished green patina lies bright bronze beauty that we can rediscover if we wish. 

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.”

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Modern-Day Lepers ~ The Homeless

Greetings Dear Reader,

Almost every weekday I pass a spot where a few homeless people gather.  There is some shelter nearby for the cold nights and their few belongings are untouched during the day.  On sunny days there are tables where they sit when they are not searching for food.

Many people pass this area moving between the office buildings that are adjacent to the plaza.  I sat at one of the empty tables one afternoon enjoying a rare free hour of lunch and sunshine.  I observed that as people traversed the plaza they moved to avoid proximity to the table where the homeless men sat. 

I spent the hour watching as people in nice clothes carrying premium coffee and freshly purchased lunches carved a wide berth between themselves and men who obviously were in need.  On that warm spring day it saddened me deeply.

I spent a second day at the table observing.  During my lunch hour I counted the number of people who passed the table.  It was over two hundred.  If each of them were to donate a dollar to the needs of these me each day (less than the price of their artisan coffee each day) these men would be able to eat and be healthier.  I am not saying that this is the answer.  It is just an example.

The homeless, in public are modern day lepers to us.  I will not say how I have responded to this need I have observed.  It is not my place to talk about what I do.  The Father sees it and that is enough.  I will say that like the priest and judge on the road to Samaria I see too many people pass by “on the other side of the road”. 

I cannot say how to address the problem of homelessness.  I can say that if everyone did a little it would have a massive impact.  If we found a way to think of them less as untouchable and more and humans that deserve our love and kindness it could change things.  None of them started out with a dream to live on the streets begging for bread.  Let that sink in whilst you listen to a great song from Men at Work.

Touching the Untouchables – Men at Work

Hello to you, my sweet young friends

Have you got money perhaps you could lend?

I wash my leather face in the afternoon sun

My shirt's turn my time's near done

Touching the untouchables but they don't know

Respect the disrespectable's, but in the end you know

You turn away, what can I say?

Spend my nights in the telephone booth

I make sure I leave the phone off the hook

There are no Jones' and I pay no rent

I have to stand straight because my back's so bent

Tell my secretary I ain't takin' any calls,

And if you want to find me, just ask the boys

Down at the wall that's where I'll be

Oh

Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

Park bench and cigarettes

Can you help me get off this fence?

Can't you see, I'm just an old man

Tryin' hard, do what I can

Touching the untouchables but they don't know

Respect the disrespectable's, but in the end you know

You turn away, what can I say?

You'll never, never know

You'll never know

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.”

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