Who Will Take Care of All The Little Ones?

“Who Will Take Care of All The Little Ones?”
Defend The Fatherless and The Oppressed

“14 But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless . . . 17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.” (Psalm 10)

On this father’s day so close to the one year birthday celebration of my youngest daughter (Sophia Rose), I can remember thinking and praying and worrying about being a good father to her. Later that night of her birthday, I was with Amy at the hospital as she was recovering and we watched Dance With the Stars and then Ted Koppel on ABC Nightline.
Ted Koppel devoted an entire episode to the subject of forced child labor.

As I watched my heart sank for the millions and millions of little ones who daily suffer horrible prevalent exploitation, poverty, illnesses (preventable), war torn affliction, and gross neglect.

This was Kopell’s closing remarks on his June 15, 2005 forced child labor special:

“WASHINGTON, June 15, 2005 -- Two hundred and forty-six million kids working under conditions of forced labor?

I don't know where they come up with those numbers; but, for the sake of argument, let's say they're off by half.

Assume that there are merely 123 million children making bricks, toting heavy baskets of stone, diving for shrimp, picking coffee beans or onions for pennies a day. You'd think we could summon the same level of outrage that we generate over whales, dolphins and baby seals. The children, after all, are no more capable of speaking up on their own behalves as any of those other creatures.

It wouldn't require a military invasion or even intervention in the internal affairs of another country. Just a little research. Anything produced by child labor, slave labor or a combination of the two is unfit for the American market. (And, incidentally, that means cleaning up our own mess at home first. Those migrant children working on our ranches and farms belong in school [Rio Grande Valley].)

I understand the equation. All of us consumers love a bargain. Some cheap labor, though, is just too expensive to tolerate.”

Kopell’s Nightline special made me think of all the little ones I’ve personally met in the Rio Grande Valley forced into migrant child labor out in the fields due to family desperation for survival and by American consumer greed for cheap labor that leads to cheap products. I also, thought of images of other exploited little ones.

I thought of all the young boys all over Africa, South America, and the Middle East that are “drafted” into armed conflict. There are images on nightly news coverage of preteen boys equipped with machine guns by drug warlords in Somalia. Amy (my wife) has vivid memories of young boys with machine guns at border checkpoints on the Ivory Coast of West Africa. Think of all the images in your mind of the little ones in war torn regions, impoverished lands, and diseased environments.

Now I ask two questions to all of us: What responsibility do we have to take care of all the little ones? And what can we do in the face of such overwhelming numbers?

My goal today is not too play a guilt trip on you. There exists a greater motivator than guilt (so much of our good deeds are based out of a sense of guilt); rather, I want to appeal to your desire for compassion and mercy. Also, there is a divine command to take care of all the little ones in the world.

The OT Scriptures are almost endless with warnings against those who would harm orphans and the oppressed. There is an abundance of OT Scriptures citing the God fearing individual to protect and care for the orphaned:

Deuteronomy 14:29, Psalm 146:9, Isaiah 1:17 (defend them), Isaiah 1:23, Deuteronomy 24:17, Job 29:12, Deuteronomy 10:18, Deuteronomy 16:11, Deuteronomy 26:12, Job 31:18, Psalms 146:9, Proverbs 23:10, Isaiah 10:2, Jeremiah 5:28, Jeremiah 7:6, Jeremiah 49:11, Ezekiel 22:7, Zechariah 7:10, Malachi 3:5

Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Psalm 82:3

Do not exploit widows or orphans. – Exodus 22.22

Cursed is anyone who is unjust to foreigners, orphans, and widows.' And all the people will reply, `Amen.' - Deuteronomy 27:19

This is what the LORD says: Be fair-minded and just. Do what is right! Help those who have been robbed; rescue them from their oppressors. Quit your evil deeds! Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, and widows. Stop murdering the innocent! - Jeremiah 22:3

Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. - James 1:27

It is clear that God’s heart beats for fatherless and oppressed little ones, and our hearts should beat accordingly as well (not out of guilt, but from heartfelt compassion). The Scripture has plenty of places where we can clearly see our responsibility to care for all the little ones; nevertheless, what can one person do in the face of such overwhelming numbers (millions and millions)?

Jimmy Carter recalls, in several of his books, one key defining moment in his Christian faith journey. After a personal devastating political defeat for a bid attempt to be the governor of Georgia in 1966, he sank into depression. His sister encouraged him to seek God. Carter soon became involved in Baptist “pioneer mission” work.

His mission work involved door to door evangelism. On one particular assignment in Springfield, Massachusetts, he was witnessing to primarily Spanish speaking Puerto Rican Families. They were extremely poor and many of them worked in hard manual labor jobs.

He was paired up with a Cuban-American Pastor named Eloy Cruz. Jimmy marveled at Cruz’s gifted ability to touch the poor people’s hearts for Christ. Jimmy felt so inadequate and inept; he asked Cruz what his secret was and Cruz responded, “Well, the Lord can not do much with a man who is hard . . . You only need two loves in your life: for God, and for the person in front of you at any particular time.” (Carter, Our Endangered Values, 22-23)

We do well to practice Cruz’s wisdom in our daily lives and faith walks. Today I’m trying to place the image of hurting little ones in front of you so that you can decide to love them. All we can do is love with God’s love, and that’s pretty extraordinary.

Maybe we start with the little ones in our house and next door to us. Maybe we pay attention to the kids who come to our church every week without their parents. Maybe we then look across the street and over in the inner city apartments just down the road from our church for all the little ones in need of surrogate moms and daddies. Maybe we turn our attention to the million or more children migrant workers just a few hours south of us. And then maybe we could spare a little time to pray for the millions and millions of orphaned and oppressed children all over the world.

It starts with one spark of compassion (not guilt). Included in your bulletin are some numbers where you can work with others who care about the plight of all the little ones. Indeed, there are opportunities right here in our neighborhood and church. CAM is also a wonderful outreach here in San Antonio.

I’ve shared before about the little Albanian girl that I stepped over. She had been left laying out on a street side in Albania. Some dropped money beside her and every passbyer had to step over her to continue on their way. That memory has always haunted me. What could I do? I was a poor college student in a foreign land. Maybe I could work with other cooperative and compassionate motivated organizations to reach out to the orphaned and oppressed to make a difference. If she is still alive, she would be about 18 today.

A month or so ago, I glimpsed a homeless middle-aged women with a crazed, anxious, and nervous smile stumbling and talking to herself. I kept her in my heart and envisaged her as a little girl 30 or so years ago and then I prayed for her this prayer:

Onlooker

You walk so fast but lost not knowing where you are. I see your Beautiful smile in waves of jerking and twitching. I look for you. I try to find colors in my heart to paint who and where you are.

A dream moving like a pendulum through space and time. My pallet full of all the wrong colors. Spiraling chaos losing its meaning.

Who are you? Where have you been? Did your mama love you, your daddy mistreat you? Did evil powers exploit you?

Hero save her. Reach down and sweep her off her feet. She has lost her wings and way. A melody collapsing in her mind. A deadly rhythm pulling her apart.

Onlooker what can you do? Take care of Jesus. Love Jesus. Sweep down and lift him up. Are you distant and powerless or present and moving?

Her shirt tattered and torn. Her flip-flops soft and worn. Her soul unraveling and unborn.

Jung paints meaning to symbols. She is no symbol. She has lost her meaning. Could I save her, if could give her significance?

Who are you? Where are you going? Did you have someone that loved you, and that you loved? Did you give into evil forces?

Innocence and enigmas and illusions and symbols and smoke and mirrors.

Paint her in sharp blues. Brush her mind white and free. Add to her wings not of her own. Stroke new scenery for her. Sweep your brush across the canvas of her life. Is that a fair request, one you can grant?

Onlooker, will you walk with her? Will you hold Jesus’ hand? Wipe the dribble off her face? In this evil place and wicked holding, can she escape and find a way out?

Spirit trapped with no self-painted meaning that can rescue you. Hope against hope. Believe in an unheard melody and indescribable painting colors with rich hues and peaceful sounds within untouched heart spaces.

Your beautiful smile lost in twitches caused by forces I know not. Apologies and blame and powerlessness and prayers I send you. May the Way find you and paint you anew.

I’d give you purposeful words for a new story and vivid fresh colors for a new background. I’d lift you out of pain and into peace. But I am still shy of colors on my pallet and words in my journal.

You were a little girl with giggles and from a place of innocence. You were knocked sideways and swamped by waves you did not understand or bargain for. Someone sees you. I pray for you.

You were an onlooker once, helpless and powerless. Our two places and perspectives are separated only by time and chance.

I’d give you a name and slow down your pace. I’d take away your nervous twitches and free your mind. I’d paint her with new colors on a new canvas, is that what you’ll do for her and me?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
We are onlookers with a glimpse of millions and millions of little ones today, both all over the world and right in our own state and neighborhoods. Will you act in compassion and pray for wisdom and courage from God to do what can you can do for all the little ones?

Are You Impressionable?

Malleable Minds
1 Peter 1.13-25

“13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

“Therefore” points to the previous context (1 Peter 1.1-12) and what we talked about last week; that is the topic of faith. We mentioned how faith is an active trust, belief, and fidelity to God.

Today, I want to talk about how we can actively and daily live out our faith in God.

Peter admonishes, “prepare your minds for action.” (NIV)

The Message translation renders the phrase as, “roll up your sleeves, put your mind in gear.”

The KJV reads, “gird up the loins of your mind.”

In this particular interpretation the KJV is closer to the Hebrew/oriental idiom used back in Peter’s day to describe a farmer that would take up his robe to work in a field.

The point is that Christians need to have their minds [dianoa] free from distraction and focused on living out faith in God.

I have preached before how crucial it is to understand how our thought lives affect our theology and our faith. Corrupt thinking and thoughts lead to corrupt living and actions.

You are well familiar with the adage you are what you eat and you are what you think.

One’s thoughts biologically “hardwire” our bodies; one’s negative or positive thoughts can affect one’s physical well being, and in this case, one’s faith in Christ. (The GK word “repent” means to changes ones thoughts.)

“14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." [Lev. 11:44,45]

Peter continues and warns the Christian not to “conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” The meaning of conform is to shape or fashion (one’s mind).

This made me think of three words:

Impressionable is a word we often use concerning young people. When I look at my children I can see how easily impressionable they are. When I look at others (that I know well) and myself, I can see glimpses of others who have influenced them and me. The idea of being impressionable is having another person’s personality, attitude, or mindset impressed onto one’s mind. Is this always bad?

Being teachable is a positive way at looking at the idea of being impressionable. The reality is that we are constantly being impressed with outside thoughts, philosophies, mindsets, attitudes, reactions, and behaviors. The Christian must freely and actively seek to be impressed with the mind of Christ.

I like the word malleable. It speaks of flexible strength. It’s often associated with iron that can be fashioned and shaped without breaking. The strongest structures are flexible, which can withstand incredible pressures and forces (i.e. bridges, roller coasters, buildings).

Dr. Paul Brandt was a Baptist medical missionary to India. He was an optometrist surgeon that saved the eyesight of countless patients.

One day, he was showing a visiting friend around the mission site and stopped to observe one of the interns intently listening to a patient. Brandt, in great admiration, said to his visiting friend,

“Look at his face! Look at the expression on his face! There is only one other man I’ve ever known who could look at a person with such loving intensity. That was my teacher at medical school, the doctor whom [studied under]. I haven’t seen an expression like that since I was with him.”

The visiting friend smiled and said, “But, Dr. Brandt, I have seen you care for patients, and whether or not you realize it, you have that exact expression on your face when a patient is telling you about suffering and pain.” (Campolo, Let Me Tell You a Story, 90)

Yesterday, I was enjoyably taking in Elijah’s first organized football game ever (7 yr old flag football). What a marvel it is to watch your own children become an individuals. I was watching all the boys and some of their anxious and proud fathers out there close to them. It was curios to see how the young boys mimic their dads. And how they’re teachable and malleable to their coaches on the field.

What a truth we have in thinking about our faith being teachable and malleable (We should never reach a point when we are no longer teachable to the things of God!)

When we are teachable and malleable not to the corrupt things of this world; but, rather, when we willingly seek to have God mold, shape, fashion and impress us into the image of his holy Son Christ, God can get a hold of us and shape us after Jesus!

How do we become teachable and malleable to the mindset of Christ?

Peter explains:
“17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.” “22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

1. We must learn to “Call on God the Father (who doesn’t play favorites). We have to search and seek after God the Father as obedient Children (vs.14)
2. We must live as strangers in this world. We must be mindful of harmful attitudes, ways, and thoughts of this world. We are traveling citizens of heavenly country!

3. We must taste the ash of our mortality in our mouth. We are only passing through this life. And this life, as we know it, will one day end. Our mortality should point us to our great need for Christ and his righteousness in our lives. (vs.24)

24 For, [The Taste of Ash]
‘All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.’ [Isaiah 40:6-8]And this is the word that was preached to you.”

Burning Faith

June 4th 2006; DBC
Burning Faith
1 Peter 1.1-9; MK 10.13-16; Luke 24.28-32

Peter wrote a letter of encouragement to a church (or churches) mixed with both Jewish (Diaspora) and Gentile believers (1.14). They were a scattered people facing trials and suffering because of their faith in Christ (1.1).

Do you ever feel scattered?
Do you ever feel like a stranger in this world?
Do you experience sufferings, afflictions, and trials in your life?

We all do in some way or the other. Peter mentions faith as a shield and passage rite whereby we travel through this world of suffering to a place of salvation and hope.

One of the key messages in Scripture is that in this life we suffer, but God will bring us by our faith in (faithfulness to) him to a place of everlasting healing and refuge (Rev.21.4).

Though we feel scattered and though we feel like strangers in this world and though outwardly we a fading away,

our faith (faithfulness to God and his faithfulness to us) is a vision of a better land and a trustworthy source of divine love and courage in the midst of great suffering in this life.

Peter mentions faith three times in 1 Peter 1-9; he wasn’t talking about Faith Hill!

What is Peter’s idea of faith in this particular passage?

Faith is an active trust, belief, and fidelity toward God. God is ever faithful toward the believer (1.2); we are called to be faithful to God in return of God’s faithfulness to us. Peter says: “ . . . through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1.5, NIV)

“Shielded,” does not mean the absence of suffering or trials; notice the context of 1 Peter is about an enduring faith in midst of suffering and trails.

Faith is a vision of unseen realities. Faith in one sense is like blind trust and in another sense it is the ability to spiritually see something bigger and truer that can’t be physically seen.

“I had always understood that we didn’t need scientific proof of the existence of God. In fact, whenever there was adequate physical evidence to prove any theory or proposition, then we didn’t need faith as a basis for our belief.” (Carter, Our Endangered Values, 48.)

Someone once asked Helen Keller if there was anything worse than being blind. She replied, “Oh, yes! There is something worse than being blind. It is being able to see and not having any vision.” (Campolo, Let Me Tell You a Story, 69.)


What might Peter have learned about faith from Jesus? Many scholars believe that Peter wrote the Gospel of Mark; there is an interesting story in Mark 10.14 where we get the idea and description of childlike faith:

“The people brought children to Jesus, hoping he might touch them. The disciples shooed them off. But Jesus was irate and let them know it: ‘Don't push these children away. Don't ever get between them and me. These children are at the very center of life in the kingdom. Mark this: Unless you accept God's kingdom in the simplicity of a child, you'll never get in.’ Then, gathering the children up in his arms, he laid his hands of blessing on them.” (Mk 10.13-16, Message Trans.)

What does a Childlike faith look like? Childlike faith is a pure example of a growing and glowing faith.

Childlike faith is a curious faith.

A couple of weeks ago I was in charge of taking care of the kids (scary though, I know!). I took the girls to Mother’s Day Out in the morning and rounded them up at the end of MDO to go pick up Elijah. Normally, Anna likes to play the “I spy with my little eye game,” on the way to and from MDO; however, this time she was curios about something.

She asked, “Dada what do you do?” So I told her about some things I do (study, preach, tell people about Jesus.). Then, she asked about granddaddy Hopkins, “Did granddaddy get sick and die and go to be with Jesus? Will we all get sick and die and go to be with Jesus? What is heaven like?

So I talked with her about those things as simple and best as I could on her level. Then when we picked up Elijah she wanted to get a second opinion on her questions; curiosity is a good thing. She asked Elijah, “Hey what does Daddy do? I guess she wasn’t quite sure if I was on the up and up with her (particularly about my job!)!

A curious faith that diligently seeks after God and truth is a good thing.

A curious faith that asks questions, that researches, and that desires and itches to know about life, God, and truth is always a good thing!

Childlike faith is a hungry faith.

Sometimes we like to go to Chuck E’Cheezes and play all of the games. Anna likes (really, I like the game) hungry hippo. Maybe, that could be a picture of a person hungry for faith and the things of God.

Do you have a curios and hungry childlike faith?

Sometime after Jesus’ death and resurrection, there were two disciples on the way a village called Emmaus. They met up with a curios stranger. He wanted to know about them, where they’d been and what had been happening from where they were. There was something strangely wonderful and glorious about that stranger.

“They came to the edge of the village where they were headed. He acted as if he were going on but they pressed him: ‘Stay and have supper with us. It's nearly evening; the day is done.’ So he went in with them. And here is what happened: He sat down at the table with them. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke and gave it to them. At that moment, open-eyed, wide-eyed, they recognized him. And then he disappeared.
Back and forth they talked. ‘Didn't we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?’" (LK 24.28-32, Message Trans.)

I like to think of those two disciples, on the way to Emmaus, as if they were two kids waking up on Christmas morning and unwrapping their long anticipated Christmas gifts.

Like two kids on Christmas morning they glowed and burned with excitement.

When they realized it was Jesus their faith was kindled, stoked, and began to burn.

As we come the Lord’s Table this morning for communion does your faith burn or is it lukewarm?

“A lukewarm faith is easy to practice but worth little.” (Carter, Living Faith, 207)

On my other blog

I blogged about the Da Vinci Code on my other blog. Hey, wasn't Rev. Fanning great last Sunday?