Being the Church With the "Least of These"
He has grass in his hair, a damp stench, and an overly filled backpack as he wanders into the place of worship. No one greets him. No one asks his name. He watches parents politely whisper to their kids to steer clear of him. They've deemed him a threat. He listens intently to the preacher dynamically proclaim about the all-inclusive and accepting love of Jesus, but he leaves feeling excluded and alone. He leaves thinking that the love of the One “who had no place to lay His head” must only apply to housed folk.
She hobbles into the back of the van. She'd just been picked up from the homeless shelter. They travel miles to the massive suburban church, only to be told to sit in the back - the roped-off section where all the "homeless" must sit. She obeys, knowing she's just a number, a mascot, a "feel-good photo", for their "thriving homeless ministry", helping these uppity Church folk get brownie points with the One who said, "the first shall be last, and the last, first". She notices the irony, knowing her God-given gifts will not be used in this place. She returns to the shelter thinking that even in God's Kingdom she's relegated to a second-class citizen.
He was embraced. He was accepted. Then he made a mistake, he got personal, he got real and told his story. They didn't like that! They didn't want someone who'd done 8 years, struggled with mental illness, and had rotated in and out of rehabs, hospitals, and homelessness. He got close, and now they saw him as dangerous, so they distanced themselves and the gossip spread like wildfire. The diversity he brought was no longer useful. He had reached his peak, now it was time to slide. Once again, he was a victim of the "same-ol', same-ol'". He was shunned. He was rejected. In this church the truth hadn’t set him free, it imprisoned and isolated him. He was left thinking he wasn't worthy of God's compassionate forgiveness and mercy.
Churches must fight against the relentless lust for prestige and fame.
What's with this partiality and favoritism shown to those who are deemed socially acceptable? It plagues us. We have been guilty of choosing and selecting certain people who will help us look good. We give preferential treatment to the elite over those from Nursing Homes, homeless shelters, and prisons in the name of helping our churches grow. We do this, despite James 2:1-13 forbidding favoritism - saying it is evil and worthy of judgment. In fact, James flipped it upside down by proclaiming that it's the poor who are rich in faith and will inherit the Kingdom. It's the rich and powerful who will exploit us, drag us into court, and who blaspheme the good name of Jesus. He ends this passage by proclaiming "mercy triumphs over judgment". As this Church was guilty of excluding the poor, we have often not heeded James' advice and followed suit. We still give the best seats to those who will make our Church famous, while regulating the seats at the back to those deemed unworthy.
Churches must fight against the relentless lust for power and dominance.
What's with this infatuation and worship of politicians and celebrities? It scares me how American Christians are bowing to the ones Cornel West rightly calls neofascist gangsters and neoliberal centrists. Those in power are tragically seen as messiahs, as saviors. Trump is worshipped and bowed down to by millions of Church-goers who believe nationalism and evangelicalism are inevitably linked. Jesus proclaims we belong to a different kingdom, where peace, love, and humility reign. He never pledged allegiance to Herod, Caesar, or Israel. Our authority and hope do not lie in these institutions, in these men, in this nation, in the flag, in the military, but in the One who gave up His own freedom and took the form of a servant. The contradiction screams in our faces; those in political, financial, and religious power were the very ones who tortured Him and nailed Him to the cross, yet so many churches today worship these gangsters instead of falling on our knees before the One who suffered for us, to make everything right! We can't do both!
Churches must fight against the relentless lust for money and wealth.
What's with this love of mammon and bowing to those with assets? It saddens me to see how money speaks in Church. It sneaks in and dominates decisions. It pretends it's good while ripping us apart. It speaks of being sensible while ignoring the power of the gospel. It causes leaders to question how a church will grow without bowing and submitting to the lustrious dollar. A gulf of inequality has been created by this relentless lust. It causes us to be enslaved, and Jesus knew the great power money has and that's why He used the term "mammon". Jesus even boldly proclaimed, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” The Bible sees Mammon as a principality that has enormous destructive power. One way we see this is how positions and status are primarily given to those with wealth while discriminating and failing to give opportunities to those who are poor, who are faithful, who are compassionate, who have gifts, who care.
Instead, we need to turn our attention to the Lord and fight for His Kingdom and Righteousness to shine through us...
We must fight for truth-tellers and truth-doers.
We need women and men who stand up against the fake showmanship that the Church has become known for. Our pastors, our teachers, our elders, need to not only preach a dynamic sermon on Sunday, but they also need to live out the gospel truth 7 days a week - leading their congregations to do the same. This means getting to know our neighbors and neighborhood. James spits out some truth again in chapter 2 when he says, "Faith without deeds is useless". The streets are crying for love, for hope, for compassion, for mercy, for generosity. The struggles and pain are real. Proximity counts. When Jesus saw the masses he didn't run and hide, "he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd". I truly believe the world will be truly impacted by the Kingdom of God when we take more interest in loving our neighbors than executing the perfect sermon, organizing the perfect service, or building the perfect sanctuary.
We must fight for the poor and disfavored.
Churches should be safe-havens and sanctuaries for those who are ignored, rejected, and harassed - a place they are advocated for, where they know people will even go to jail for them. Jesus said, "as you did to one of the least of these, you did it to Me." Jesus has undeniable love, mercy, and forgiveness for those the world has deemed unforgivable and unworthy. He not only embraces the "least of these", he tells us he "IS them" - this is a glorious picture of God's remarkable grace. He is the stranger. He is the hungry. He is the thirsty. He is the prisoner. He is the sick. He is the refugee. He is the homeless. He is the parolee. He is the naked. We need to ask, who is the "least of these" in our neighborhood and how can we show Christlike love to them? How about the young black men being harassed by the police and are victims of mass incarceration? How about the bruised and beaten transwoman who is experiencing homelessness? How about that suicidal veteran who lives next door, struggling with PTSD? How about those living with physical disabilities, mental illnesses, or cognitive struggles? If we, the Church, want to live out and follow the example of Jesus, we need to create a community where the "least of these" are not only accepted but are given opportunities to live out their God-given gifts and talents.
We must fight for diversity and equality.
The early believers met together to pray, teach, and break bread, but the Church was vastly different to how it is now. The rich gave away and sold their possessions for the sake of the poor. They viewed their wealth as not their own so that there was not a needy person among them. They were a diverse bunch united in the same cause. Masses saw the Spirit moving, liked what they saw and joined this revolution. Money wasn't controlling them, status wasn't winning, power was losing, and the poor and disenfranchised were being honored and respected as human beings. The power of this movement was that races and ethnicities, slaves and free, rich and poor, male and female, were all one in Christ Jesus. The authorities hated what they saw because it contradicted and challenged the social structures of the day. This revolutionary lifestyle resulted in horrific persecution and martyrdom, but Kingdom living will always have that result. For us to be salt and light in this twisted world, Churches must be communities where inequality is being eradicated and diversity is being celebrated.
Some of this was written during the Covid-19 pandemic. Pastors and Churches will use this time to do Kingdom work or they'll use it to their advantage to promote their church and agenda. Some will put on a successful online show, but will they also be willing to meet the needs of their neighbors and congregation who are sick, tired, old, and poor? Can we persevere In times of struggle, or will we burn up? Will love reign and be seen? In such times we can no longer hide in glass towers. It reveals who we truly are. The Apostle Paul spoke about building and enduring on the strong foundation in 1 Corinthians 3:10-14...
She hobbles into the back of the van. She'd just been picked up from the homeless shelter. They travel miles to the massive suburban church, only to be told to sit in the back - the roped-off section where all the "homeless" must sit. She obeys, knowing she's just a number, a mascot, a "feel-good photo", for their "thriving homeless ministry", helping these uppity Church folk get brownie points with the One who said, "the first shall be last, and the last, first". She notices the irony, knowing her God-given gifts will not be used in this place. She returns to the shelter thinking that even in God's Kingdom she's relegated to a second-class citizen.
He was embraced. He was accepted. Then he made a mistake, he got personal, he got real and told his story. They didn't like that! They didn't want someone who'd done 8 years, struggled with mental illness, and had rotated in and out of rehabs, hospitals, and homelessness. He got close, and now they saw him as dangerous, so they distanced themselves and the gossip spread like wildfire. The diversity he brought was no longer useful. He had reached his peak, now it was time to slide. Once again, he was a victim of the "same-ol', same-ol'". He was shunned. He was rejected. In this church the truth hadn’t set him free, it imprisoned and isolated him. He was left thinking he wasn't worthy of God's compassionate forgiveness and mercy.
These 3 different illustrations are all real, stories I've heard from those experiencing homelessness or who've been incarcerated. The love they experienced had limitations! Restrictions! Rules! They didn’t fit in, they were snarled at, they weren’t being set free, they weren’t being embraced and empowered, they were being cast out, ignored, and scoffed at!
The church (in America) has often become an exclusive club, tragically mirroring the world and its standards. It no longer stands as a unique community, causing revolt, causing unrest, bringing liberation and welcoming the outcasts and forgotten into their fold. It no longer speaks prophetically, challenging the status quo and abuse of power. The church is no longer hated and persecuted by the powers-that-be, instead, it has chosen the path of being loved and elevated by the very ones we should be opposing. Tragically the church now stands mirroring its surroundings, coveting the same desires.
Is there any difference?
Why do so many churches relentlessly lust for prestige?
Why do so many churches relentlessly lust for power?
Why do so many churches relentlessly lust for money?
The church (in America) has often become an exclusive club, tragically mirroring the world and its standards. It no longer stands as a unique community, causing revolt, causing unrest, bringing liberation and welcoming the outcasts and forgotten into their fold. It no longer speaks prophetically, challenging the status quo and abuse of power. The church is no longer hated and persecuted by the powers-that-be, instead, it has chosen the path of being loved and elevated by the very ones we should be opposing. Tragically the church now stands mirroring its surroundings, coveting the same desires.
Is there any difference?
Why do so many churches relentlessly lust for prestige?
Why do so many churches relentlessly lust for power?
Why do so many churches relentlessly lust for money?
As I view the church through the eyes of homelessness, poverty, race, and incarceration, I see all these contradictions it has with Jesus, with scripture, with the Kingdom of God. The church has seemed to flip the power of the gospel on its head. How can we impact the world and bring God’s liberation and His loving kingdom into our midst when the powers of racism, prejudice, and discrimination are so strong and dominant?
The soul of the Church is in grave danger. We need to fight against the evils that have seduced and ravaged the church and made it more compliant to power politics and white supremacy than being a movement that is "good news to the poor" and “sets the captives free”. Instead of being "poor in spirit", we have become prone to submit to "the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, the pride in riches" (1 John 2:16).
Jesus said, "Seek first His kingdom", that means not bowing to the kingdoms of prestige, power, and money. He also calls us to "seek first His righteousness" meaning we should be seeking to make wrongs right. "Justice should be rolling on like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream!" in our churches. If we want to be viewed again as counter-cultural, or salt, or light, or Christ-like, we must resist those destructive kingdoms', those self-serving desires, those wrongs, that are devouring our planet! Instead, we must humbly follow the example of the One we call our Lord and Saviour - the One, who through His loving Kingdom, death, and resurrection, liberates and makes all things right.
Jesus said, "Seek first His kingdom", that means not bowing to the kingdoms of prestige, power, and money. He also calls us to "seek first His righteousness" meaning we should be seeking to make wrongs right. "Justice should be rolling on like a river and righteousness like a never-failing stream!" in our churches. If we want to be viewed again as counter-cultural, or salt, or light, or Christ-like, we must resist those destructive kingdoms', those self-serving desires, those wrongs, that are devouring our planet! Instead, we must humbly follow the example of the One we call our Lord and Saviour - the One, who through His loving Kingdom, death, and resurrection, liberates and makes all things right.
Churches must fight against the relentless lust for prestige and fame.
What's with this partiality and favoritism shown to those who are deemed socially acceptable? It plagues us. We have been guilty of choosing and selecting certain people who will help us look good. We give preferential treatment to the elite over those from Nursing Homes, homeless shelters, and prisons in the name of helping our churches grow. We do this, despite James 2:1-13 forbidding favoritism - saying it is evil and worthy of judgment. In fact, James flipped it upside down by proclaiming that it's the poor who are rich in faith and will inherit the Kingdom. It's the rich and powerful who will exploit us, drag us into court, and who blaspheme the good name of Jesus. He ends this passage by proclaiming "mercy triumphs over judgment". As this Church was guilty of excluding the poor, we have often not heeded James' advice and followed suit. We still give the best seats to those who will make our Church famous, while regulating the seats at the back to those deemed unworthy.
Churches must fight against the relentless lust for power and dominance.
What's with this infatuation and worship of politicians and celebrities? It scares me how American Christians are bowing to the ones Cornel West rightly calls neofascist gangsters and neoliberal centrists. Those in power are tragically seen as messiahs, as saviors. Trump is worshipped and bowed down to by millions of Church-goers who believe nationalism and evangelicalism are inevitably linked. Jesus proclaims we belong to a different kingdom, where peace, love, and humility reign. He never pledged allegiance to Herod, Caesar, or Israel. Our authority and hope do not lie in these institutions, in these men, in this nation, in the flag, in the military, but in the One who gave up His own freedom and took the form of a servant. The contradiction screams in our faces; those in political, financial, and religious power were the very ones who tortured Him and nailed Him to the cross, yet so many churches today worship these gangsters instead of falling on our knees before the One who suffered for us, to make everything right! We can't do both!
Churches must fight against the relentless lust for money and wealth.
What's with this love of mammon and bowing to those with assets? It saddens me to see how money speaks in Church. It sneaks in and dominates decisions. It pretends it's good while ripping us apart. It speaks of being sensible while ignoring the power of the gospel. It causes leaders to question how a church will grow without bowing and submitting to the lustrious dollar. A gulf of inequality has been created by this relentless lust. It causes us to be enslaved, and Jesus knew the great power money has and that's why He used the term "mammon". Jesus even boldly proclaimed, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” The Bible sees Mammon as a principality that has enormous destructive power. One way we see this is how positions and status are primarily given to those with wealth while discriminating and failing to give opportunities to those who are poor, who are faithful, who are compassionate, who have gifts, who care.
Instead, we need to turn our attention to the Lord and fight for His Kingdom and Righteousness to shine through us...
We must fight for truth-tellers and truth-doers.
We need women and men who stand up against the fake showmanship that the Church has become known for. Our pastors, our teachers, our elders, need to not only preach a dynamic sermon on Sunday, but they also need to live out the gospel truth 7 days a week - leading their congregations to do the same. This means getting to know our neighbors and neighborhood. James spits out some truth again in chapter 2 when he says, "Faith without deeds is useless". The streets are crying for love, for hope, for compassion, for mercy, for generosity. The struggles and pain are real. Proximity counts. When Jesus saw the masses he didn't run and hide, "he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd". I truly believe the world will be truly impacted by the Kingdom of God when we take more interest in loving our neighbors than executing the perfect sermon, organizing the perfect service, or building the perfect sanctuary.
We must fight for the poor and disfavored.
Churches should be safe-havens and sanctuaries for those who are ignored, rejected, and harassed - a place they are advocated for, where they know people will even go to jail for them. Jesus said, "as you did to one of the least of these, you did it to Me." Jesus has undeniable love, mercy, and forgiveness for those the world has deemed unforgivable and unworthy. He not only embraces the "least of these", he tells us he "IS them" - this is a glorious picture of God's remarkable grace. He is the stranger. He is the hungry. He is the thirsty. He is the prisoner. He is the sick. He is the refugee. He is the homeless. He is the parolee. He is the naked. We need to ask, who is the "least of these" in our neighborhood and how can we show Christlike love to them? How about the young black men being harassed by the police and are victims of mass incarceration? How about the bruised and beaten transwoman who is experiencing homelessness? How about that suicidal veteran who lives next door, struggling with PTSD? How about those living with physical disabilities, mental illnesses, or cognitive struggles? If we, the Church, want to live out and follow the example of Jesus, we need to create a community where the "least of these" are not only accepted but are given opportunities to live out their God-given gifts and talents.
We must fight for diversity and equality.
The early believers met together to pray, teach, and break bread, but the Church was vastly different to how it is now. The rich gave away and sold their possessions for the sake of the poor. They viewed their wealth as not their own so that there was not a needy person among them. They were a diverse bunch united in the same cause. Masses saw the Spirit moving, liked what they saw and joined this revolution. Money wasn't controlling them, status wasn't winning, power was losing, and the poor and disenfranchised were being honored and respected as human beings. The power of this movement was that races and ethnicities, slaves and free, rich and poor, male and female, were all one in Christ Jesus. The authorities hated what they saw because it contradicted and challenged the social structures of the day. This revolutionary lifestyle resulted in horrific persecution and martyrdom, but Kingdom living will always have that result. For us to be salt and light in this twisted world, Churches must be communities where inequality is being eradicated and diversity is being celebrated.
Some of this was written during the Covid-19 pandemic. Pastors and Churches will use this time to do Kingdom work or they'll use it to their advantage to promote their church and agenda. Some will put on a successful online show, but will they also be willing to meet the needs of their neighbors and congregation who are sick, tired, old, and poor? Can we persevere In times of struggle, or will we burn up? Will love reign and be seen? In such times we can no longer hide in glass towers. It reveals who we truly are. The Apostle Paul spoke about building and enduring on the strong foundation in 1 Corinthians 3:10-14...
Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done.We, as Christians, as the Church, are called to be different. We are called to be strangers and aliens, not clones. We are called to be an attractive community to those who are powerless, disenfranchised and disinherited, causing the elite to fume and rage. Early followers of the Way were imprisoned, chased, crucified, and fed to the beasts. Today's church seems to be living out the polar opposite of the early church, where the lust for power, money, and domination has made us the crucifiers, not the crucified.
Where are the prophets?
Where are the doers of the Word?
Where are those who are willing to live in the trenches?
Lord, fill us, so we may follow you and live like you lived, the One who humbly came and chose the courageous path of non-power. Jesus, I am guilty of lusting after prestige, power, and money, please grant me the courage to live in love and not fear, to walk in humility and not arrogance, to show forgiveness and not revenge, to choose over peace over retaliation, and let your compassion and mercy reign in my bones.
Where are those who are willing to live in the trenches?
Lord, fill us, so we may follow you and live like you lived, the One who humbly came and chose the courageous path of non-power. Jesus, I am guilty of lusting after prestige, power, and money, please grant me the courage to live in love and not fear, to walk in humility and not arrogance, to show forgiveness and not revenge, to choose over peace over retaliation, and let your compassion and mercy reign in my bones.
Thank you Dorothy Day. Thank you Martin Luther King Jr. Thank you, Harriet Tubman. Thank you, Frederick Douglass. Thank you to all the prophets who can't keep silent and won't slow down. Thank you to those who keep the hope, righteousness, and justice of the crucified and resurrected Jesus alive. Thank you to those who go into prisons, visit nursing homes, and go into uninhabitable spaces. Thank you to those who have resisted and rebelled against the kingdoms of this world. Thank you to the many people and communities I admire and appreciate as examples of our risen Lord. Thank you to all those who have embraced Kingdom living in your neighborhoods. Thank you for loving your neighbors as yourselves. Thank you to all those who are being the Church with the "least of these'.
I sit in hope with those communities who've chosen the liberation and love of Jesus. I hope with those who see Jesus in the "least of these" - those who sit with them and not lord their privilege over them. I embrace those where the mountains are brought low, and the valleys are raised. I stand in solidarity with those communities where the divide between the rich and poor has been lessened through relentless generosity and compassion. I want to sit with those communities who work to show no partiality. I want to stand with those communities that are willing to give the "least of these" seats of honor at their banquet tables.
I started this blog post with 3 stories where people were snarled upon and limited because of their status in society. Despite the negativity, Chicago does fill me with hope, as there are plenty of churches who are being the Church with the "least of these", where the poor and marginalized are not being ignored, but are focused on and being honored.
I'm going to end with a story of hope, something I've had the honor of speaking at and attending for the past 7 years, it's called The Bridge...
He walks into the Tuesday night service to be greeted with a huge smile and a hug. Despite his life of rotating in and out of jails, addiction, and homelessness, they've made him feel welcome, like a VIP. He feels the service is focused on him and just for him - he heard about it when he was serving time in Cook County Jail. He sees peers who are "on the trail" given opportunities and sharing. He sings worship songs that speak of his struggles and God's love for him. He notices that the pastors are specifically chosen because they truly care for the "least of these", and they come and speak on predecided topics that are relevant and requested by the attendees. Not only that, every week he sees that they make sure their help extends beyond that hour. They have provided him with a delicious hot meal, but they also offer to write letters to his incarcerated loved ones, they have someone to help him find a job and housing, and he leaves knowing Jesus has embraced him as a VIP member of God's loving compassionate Kingdom.
There's a lot more to this service and what Mission:USA does, for more information please check out The Bridge Chicago
I sit in hope with those communities who've chosen the liberation and love of Jesus. I hope with those who see Jesus in the "least of these" - those who sit with them and not lord their privilege over them. I embrace those where the mountains are brought low, and the valleys are raised. I stand in solidarity with those communities where the divide between the rich and poor has been lessened through relentless generosity and compassion. I want to sit with those communities who work to show no partiality. I want to stand with those communities that are willing to give the "least of these" seats of honor at their banquet tables.
I started this blog post with 3 stories where people were snarled upon and limited because of their status in society. Despite the negativity, Chicago does fill me with hope, as there are plenty of churches who are being the Church with the "least of these", where the poor and marginalized are not being ignored, but are focused on and being honored.
I'm going to end with a story of hope, something I've had the honor of speaking at and attending for the past 7 years, it's called The Bridge...
He walks into the Tuesday night service to be greeted with a huge smile and a hug. Despite his life of rotating in and out of jails, addiction, and homelessness, they've made him feel welcome, like a VIP. He feels the service is focused on him and just for him - he heard about it when he was serving time in Cook County Jail. He sees peers who are "on the trail" given opportunities and sharing. He sings worship songs that speak of his struggles and God's love for him. He notices that the pastors are specifically chosen because they truly care for the "least of these", and they come and speak on predecided topics that are relevant and requested by the attendees. Not only that, every week he sees that they make sure their help extends beyond that hour. They have provided him with a delicious hot meal, but they also offer to write letters to his incarcerated loved ones, they have someone to help him find a job and housing, and he leaves knowing Jesus has embraced him as a VIP member of God's loving compassionate Kingdom.
There's a lot more to this service and what Mission:USA does, for more information please check out The Bridge Chicago
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