A Fresh Perspective - January 23, 2009
While some things about Jesus of Nazareth are unclear, one thing is certain: Jesus was moved by a deep compassion for and commitment to the poor. He engaged in many acts of mercy, but he also challenged the domination system of his day that kept persons impoverished and oppressed.
The "kingdom of God" he announced and manifested involves the transformation of social and economic systems that create inequity in the distribution of land and money. Christ anticipated a world of balance and wholeness where abundance is shared.
According to Dr. Jimmy L. Kirby of Lexington Theological Seminary we often forget that the prophet to our nation, Martin Luther King, Jr., not only challenged the injustice of racism, segregation, and inequality, but also called for radical reform in our economic system, which unjustly creates massive disparity between the rich and the poor.
Another prophet in our time, Rev. William Sloan Coffin, put it this way: "Obviously the churches have to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless. But they have also to remember that the answer to homelessness is homes, not shelters. What the poor and downtrodden need is not piecemeal charity, but justice."
New Book Available Soon. Smith and Helwys will be publishing my book: "The Good News According to Jesus: A New Kind of Christianity for a New Kind of Christian." If you are challenged by these columns you will certainly be challenged by this book. You can save money by preordering. Go to www.helwys.com and click on Books: New and Coming Soon, and preorder.
-Emergency Food Pantry. Many churches in the Frankfort area support the Franklin County Emergency Food Pantry. It is now being utilized more than ever. If you would like a list of the foods most needed you can contact us at 223-7601 or a church that supports the cause. Your help in this endeavor is much needed and appreciated.