The Rich & Poor: From Champaign to Choluteca

“Only the fool does not believe in God.”

It’s always hard for me to sit down and write about what happens in Honduras. How do you capture an entire week in a “this is what happened…” letter? What sticks with me the most is what is quoted above by a man we met while evangelizing in a community one afternoon. It makes me stop and think every time I remember it, and then part of me despairs for my coworker who is an atheist, and for the many other who don’t believe. How is it that the poor truly recognize the need for God? Like complete opposites, the rich (insert “the West” here or me or you) find it so easy to deny God. In our prosperity we find it so easy to forget where our blessings come from. They are thankful for every small blessing that comes along. They truly feel God’s provision. How do we as “the rich” come to truly appreciate God’s gifts? Should we follow the command of Matthew 19:21 and give all our possessions to the poor? I don’t know if it is as simple as that though, or maybe it is. Perhaps Matthew 25:31-46 help the picture. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” This doesn’t explicitly say the poor, but this could basically describe the poor. So perhaps by making a small seemingly insignificant trip to Honduras helps bring this scripture to light. But I unfortunately can’t make a long term trip to Honduras (Oh how I wish I could!). So the question is how do I take me riches and give to the poor in Champaign-Urbana. What does that look like? Well here are some places to start: Champaign County Christian Health Center, Christian Mercy and Justice Network, Cunningham Children’s Home, empty tomb, and Salt & Light are just a small sample of ways we can serve the poor with us. So for me this means I plan on sitting down and deciding which ministry I feel drawn to and then jumping in. This summer is a perfect time to volunteer. So maybe I’ll eventually write more about what happened in Honduras, but this is what is on my heart and I really need to share it.