Christian response to homelessness

[Maria Billingsley]

What's wrong with burden? Why this insistence on freedom.

Burden = no love.

 

[Tellyontellyon]

Burden = no love.

I absolutely disagree with your fairy tale notion of love.

Even love involves carrying burdens.. it's easy to love when it's easy.
The real test of love is when it gets hard... when you don't want to do it, but you still do it out of love.

Jesus carried a heavy burden and truly suffered. Freedom doesn't mean 'carefree', it means choice, sometimes abysmal choices!

Jesus would have had that cup taken away from him if there was any other way.. but there wasn't, so he bore our sins.. a heavy burden indeed.. out of love.

 

[Veni]

Love is not for cowards.

A coward will only offer money & prayer for the helpless.

A faithful Christian will organize protest against wickedness, they fear no evil for the Mighty God is with them.

 

[rturner76]

I like what my Parish does (The Basilica of St Mary). They have an open door to offer a cup of coffee and a sandwich during operating hours and a place to drink your coffee and eat your sandwich in the warmth of the building. That will not solve the homeless problem as a whole but the homeless can get a bite to eat, enjoy a cup of coffee and warm their bones for a while. Like I said, it doesn't solve the problem but it provides some relief for suffering people.

Homelessness is especially dangerous where I live because in winter we can have cold snaps reaching -30 degrees Fahrenheit. That is death with no fire or shelter. In my city, we also have a very robust Salvation Army downtown that provides shelter for people if they can be sober that night. There is also another church in the city next door (twin cities) that provides shelter for the homeless. They have a very large shelter and also run a soup kitchen. There are other smaller places where I live but the places that I mentioned do a lot for the homeless. St Stevens in the south side of town has a shower ministry where someone can get a hot shower and a cup of coffee while their clothes are being washed. I believe they also have a free sock ministry because the homeless often just have to walk around so they aren't hassled for loitering.

All of this is to say that churches are helping relieve the suffering of the homeless but at the end of the day, it is really up to the homeless person to access welfare services to get mental health or addiction care which is at the root of most homeless people's problems working and paying rent. Social Security and subsidized housing can take care of many of these problems but homeless people don't always have the ability or desire to seek help from the government. It's a very complex issue and there is no way to "fix it" but churches can like I said, relieve some of their suffering.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

I absolutely disagree with your fairy tale notion of love.

Even love involves carrying burdens.. it's easy to love when it's easy.
The real test of love is when it gets hard... when you don't want to do it, but you still do it out of love.

Jesus carried a heavy burden and truly suffered. Freedom doesn't mean 'carefree', it means choice, sometimes abysmal choices!

Jesus would have had that cup taken away from him if there was any other way.. but there wasn't, so he bore our sins.. a heavy burden indeed.. out of love.

The word "burden" has a few layers of meaning, depending on the context. I speak of taking on the burden of others and not considering it burdensome. Jesus Christ of Nazareth indeed took on the burden of humanity. He did not consider it burdensome because of His Love. In the case of the homeless and unfortunate we should , like Christ, alleviate some of their burdens and not feel that it becomes burdensome to our own life. Hope that clears it up. Blessings.

 

[Tellyontellyon]

The word "burden" has a few layers of meaning, depending on the context. I speak of taking on the burden of others and not considering it burdensome. Jesus Christ of Nazareth indeed took on the burden of humanity. He did not consider it burdensome because of His Love. In the case of the homeless and unfortunate we should , like Christ, alleviate some of their burdens and not feel that it becomes burdensome to our own life. Hope that clears it up. Blessings.

But in the case that it does start to feel 'burdensome'... at that point what would you do? Would you withdraw your assistance because it doesn't feel like love anymore?
Drop them like a hot potato?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

But in the case that it does start to feel 'burdensome'... at that point what would you do? Would you withdraw your assistance because it doesn't feel like love anymore?
Drop them like a hot potato?

This kind of love is only judged by God Himself. We can not judge the hearts of men. Blessings.
2 Corinthians 9
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

 

[Tellyontellyon]

This kind of love is only judged by God Himself. We can not judge the hearts of men. Blessings.
2 Corinthians 9
Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

You didn't answer... would you continue to help if it felt like a burden?

 

[Maria Billingsley]

You didn't answer... would you continue to help if it felt like a burden?

It doesn't feel like a burden when I help. Compassion overcomes me.

 

[honey badger]

I absolutely disagree with your fairy tale notion of love.

Even love involves carrying burdens.. it's easy to love when it's easy.
The real test of love is when it gets hard... when you don't want to do it, but you still do it out of love.

Jesus carried a heavy burden and truly suffered. Freedom doesn't mean 'carefree', it means choice, sometimes abysmal choices!

Jesus would have had that cup taken away from him if there was any other way.. but there wasn't, so he bore our sins.. a heavy burden indeed.. out of love.

"Jesus would have had that cup taken away from him if there was any other way.. but there wasn't, so he bore our sins.. a heavy burden indeed.. out of love."

understanding that this in picture is what God did, as we all must drink from this cup ... the differance being for our brother was he knew the height he was to fall from ....

 

[Tellyontellyon]

It doesn't feel like a burden when I help. Compassion overcomes me.

Forgive me, I worked in care for 21 years.. we can all get compassion fatigue sometimes... It seems unrealistic to me that you always feel light and fluffy and weightless when caring for others. When you've been there for days, sometimes getting attacked, and it's hard and goes on and on... It's hard work sometimes.

 

[Hawkins]

It's the same old story of the good Samartian. It's about how much you love your neighbors.

Donating everything then follow Jesus Christ is considered a perfect act, as an ask from Jesus Christ to the young and rich Jew.

We on the other hand, can hardly overcome our own weakness which God chooses to forgive. We don't need to donate our everything save the poor and the starved but we need to confess that we are all sinners. We all are with weaknesses which we can't overcome, such as donating our everything to follow Christ. Though we can still be deemed righteous by our faith in Jesus Christ.

 

[Margaret3110]

Forgive me, I worked in care for 21 years.. we can all get compassion fatigue sometimes... It seems unrealistic to me that you always feel light and fluffy and weightless when caring for others. When you've been there for days, sometimes getting attacked, and it's hard and goes on and on... It's hard work sometimes.

I agree. I have been a professional caregiver as well as a mother and a volunteer. It's not all roses. Neither is married love. There's commitment, and sometimes it's hard.

Jesus said that his yoke is easy and his burden is light, not that there would be no yoke and no burden. He helps us to bear it when we can't do it by ourselves.

 

[Maria Billingsley]

Forgive me, I worked in care for 21 years.. we can all get compassion fatigue sometimes... It seems unrealistic to me that you always feel light and fluffy and weightless when caring for others. When you've been there for days, sometimes getting attacked, and it's hard and goes on and on... It's hard work sometimes.

Thank you for helping others in need. Be blessed.

 

[Matt5]

How should Christians relate to homeless people, and how should they help? Should they help?
Is it a matter of prayer only, or what else should be offered?
Should non-Christians be helped?
What are your opinions? And what does the Bible say?
Are you, as saved Christians, under any obligation to help others?

Here is a video about one woman's experience of homelessness..

Is letting in millions of poor from the 3rd world going to make the homeless problem better?

Maybe we should stop undermining before we try to make things better.

I love it when people bring up Matthew 25. Matthew 25 isn't really about helping the poor, except in a very superficial way. It's about Christians who take the mark of the beast. But those Christians sound better than most Christians, what gives?

You don't get credit for helping the poor when at the same time you undermine entire countries. That's the problem.

 

[DragonFox91]

We already have systems set in place to help the homeless. Give to them & donate time too.

For beggars on the street, I’ve been helping them. I’ve always been taught they just use it for drugs, but you know, we all get gifts that we waste. It seemed hypocritical to waste gifts God gives me but judge them for wasting gifts. It doesn’t happen very often I run into a beggar on the street tho.

 

[Margaret3110]

For beggars on the street, I’ve been helping them. I’ve always been taught they just use it for drugs,

Nah. I mean sure some will, but some do buy food, coffee, even things like feminine hygiene supplies (if it's a woman) that they might not be able to get otherwise.

 

[DragonFox91]

Nah. I mean sure some will, but some do buy food, coffee, even things like feminine hygiene supplies (if it's a woman) that they might not be able to get otherwise.

I think both lines of thinking are wrong & can lead to problems. Thinking most will use it for your list. Or thinking most won't. The point isn't what they want it for.

 

[Ceallaigh]

I live downtown where there's lots of street people. Most of them are young men and they pretty much have their own society or culture going. They often congregate around convenience stores. I've bought food for those who have asked. But I feel like I'm enabling by handing them cash because it's pretty obvious they're drug addicts. So I give money to the local gospel mission that helps them out.

 

[Margaret3110]

I think both lines of thinking are wrong & can lead to problems. Thinking most will use it for your list. Or thinking most won't. The point isn't what they want it for.

I agree.