I am just so infuriated and disappointed at the lack of compassion and grace the evangelicals who claim to follow Christ have by blaming the poor for their situation. Based on my research and with hearing other Christians speak, they blame the poor for lack of morals, principles and virtues rather than systemic injustice or lack of help. They seem to expect the poor to get out of their deep ruts on their own without help and get a job.

At the very least people who call themselves Christians need to consider that the poor are most likely brokenhearted and hurting and should be given love and encouragement and need to be lifted up and empowered by letting them know they have worth and value and that they matter. They need grace and support to get back on their feet. No, we don’t want to enable them, but nine out of ten people who are particularly concerned about enabling the homeless really don’t care about the help that would truly change their lives for the better either.

I want to start a ministry that truly ministers to the homeless in a way that really changes their lives instead of just what is needed for one night, food, a bed or worse kicking them out of their tent cities. If a homeless person succumbs rather than overcomes, the Christians are the first to blame them for making the wrong choices. You cannot judge what is in their hearts. Only God can do that. 1 Samuel 16:7. The homeless need people to care about what is on their hearts, whether they were hurting their whole lives or are merely discouraged and depressed about being homeless or about what happened to them before they became homeless. They need to have their stories heard and then take the steps to really lift them out of poverty in a way that works.

The sad thing is that I have no idea what to do that would give the poor and homeless a new leash on life. I am crying to God to give me the idea and resources as well as the connections and education needed. I just know deep down that there is something wrong with the attitudes a lot of Americans including Christians have towards the poor. I am at risk of falling through the cracks myself. I have a hurting, broken heart myself. I have a good paying job that pays the bills, but too much can potentially go wrong in this society and brutal economy where people care so little about whether you have enough and/or think you do not deserve to be paid well. I know how it feels to be brushed aside as though I do not matter. I know how it feels to be alone and excluded. I choose to forgive those I deem to be heartless, uncaring, cold, mean, unloving etc. and those who hurt me personally. I was having peace about my own life, trusting in God’s provision and no longer fearful about my finances when God once again burdened me about the poor and homeless. In my last post I wrote about how I visited the homeless with Mercy.

What does God really want American Christians to do? Are they really doing what God commands in His Word? Why do top Christian leaders seem to support corrupt business practices since they think the little people do not deserve to be valued and treated better for a job well done for example when they should be allied with the poor and fighting unjust treatment against them? Why? My heart is crying about this and it hurts!

I was taught my whole life that Jesus cares for the poor in the church where I grew up. I have learned over the years more and more about how evangelicals feel about those who are not blessed like they are and the poor. I understand the principles of Solomon, but it makes me heartsick when Christians judge others for not following what scripture says about money and wealth before taking the speck out of their own eyes first. They may have followed the principles for wealth and God has thus blessed them for that, but they still don’t get the heart of God’s whole message. God expects those he rewards for good money management and hard work to also roll up their sleeves and get the poor what they need to get out of poverty as God also commands.

Anyway, I crying for hope. Hope that God will come intervene and lay it on the hearts of American Christians what the real compassionate gospel of Jesus Christ is and what it means to truly help people. I promise God I will do what I can to help the less fortunate when He equips me with what I need to do so.