Sitting with some friends one morning, I was grieved to hear one man who spoke very judgmentally of
the poor, the homeless, and the needy. In his words, the unhoused are folks who are able to work, so
they should simply go out and get jobs like everyone else. If we knew the stories of many of the
destitute, we would not be so quick to judge. Hearing their stories and listening well, we discover that
many have landed on the streets due to circumstances beyond their control. We worked with one
woman who had a lawyer for a husband and who had owned 4 houses. She was a dental hygienist.
Within a span of about 8 months, her husband divorced her and took most of the belongings through
cunning; her son went into prison; her daughter-in-law abandoned the granddaughter, so this lady
took the granddaughter in; and then she got breast cancer without having insurance. She ended up
homeless. She did not drink, did not take drugs, did not have mental health issues, and did not have
anywhere to turn. Yes, there are others who are bound to addiction and need help. But what does the
Bible say about our my obligation as a believer to the poor and needy?

“There are more than 2,000 verses across the Old and New Testaments that address poverty, justice,
and the commandment to care for the marginalized. Because this theme is woven throughout
scripture, no single number can capture every reference to the poor, orphans, widows, and the
oppressed” (Google Search). These verses and admonitions cannot be ignored. Proverbs wisdom is
timeless

++ (Proverbs 14:21, “Blessed is he who is generous to the poor.

++Proverbs 17:5, “Whoever mocks the poor insults his maker.”) Jesus is our example of helping the poor

++(Matthew 19:21, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in
heaven.” Repeated in Mark and Luke.)

++James 2:3-6 says that we tend to pay attention to wealthy people and treat them highly; but by so doing, we dishonor the poor, and we give the advantage to the oppressive rich.)

++If you became poverty-stricken, God’s word says we should do for others what
we would want done for us (Matthew 7:12).

We are commanded to love our neighbors as ourselves. There is no caveat with that commandment;
it does not say, “Love your poor neighbor only if he hasn’t done drugs or only if she is not a woman of
the streets or only if alcohol is not the reason they are there.” The marginalized are simply
there—poor and in need. Are 2000 references enough to convince us to help the poor? I say a
hearty, “Yes.” So how can I begin to help. Where can I begin? Let’s explore some ideas:

Number one: I would say to begin by finding out how your local church reaches out to the poor. And if
they do not, I would say you should start that outreach or move to a text-preaching church that does
include reach out to community. One church I know of has 2 Sundays per year where they invite
groups to the lobby to share their non-profit organizations such as cold weather shelters, homeless
resource days, traveling clothes washing and showering facilities, shared garden beds, food kitchens,
and so much more. Volunteer!

Number Two: Put together bags to carry in your car to hand out to the homeless when you come in
contact with them on the streets, at the grocery store, and in your community. The bags can be
purchased on Amazon for very little cost. The bags can double as back packs. Items to fill the bags
may include gift cards, socks, small Bibles, Kleenex, chap sticks, soft-texture granola bars without
chocolate that would melt in the car, bottles of water, sanitary wipes, t-shirts, personal notes of
encouragement with Bible verses.

Number Three: Take an interest in the homeless. When I have had the time and the occasion arises,
I’ll look them in the eye and ask what their story is. I ask what their name is. Treat them as a friend. You would be surprised how they will open up about why they are on the street. Engaging them in
conversation and looking them in the eye will yield amazing results.

Number Four: Find out about volunteer opportunities in the community at large. This opportunity
would be outside your local church and a wonderful way to get to know other people in the
community, the other volunteers and the unhoused themselves. The unhoused in your city are a
community themselves. They understand each other. We can learn much from what their lives are
like. Are you in a rural area with poverty but few homeless? You could inquire at the local schools to
see what the needs may be. We personally started a youth center for local students where the school
was in a very rural area. Poverty in this community was prevalent. The youth center grew in its
service to the community with meals, hygiene products, food boxes for weekends, homework help,
reading instruction, lots of fun outside activity, and so much more.

Number Five: Do not be discouraged by a negative experience. Will there be people that will buy
drugs with the dollars that you share? Yes. Will there be scammers that work for pimps and stand on
the corner? Will there be ungrateful folks that will turn away your bags of goodies? Will there be folks
that get upset with you because you give them food instead of money? Perhaps. Do not give up.