Share your food with everyone who is hungry; share your home with the poor and homeless. Give clothes to those in need; don't turn away your relatives. (Isaiah 58:7)
The crowds asked John, "What should we do?" John told them, "If you have two coats, give one to someone who doesn't have any. If you have food, share it with someone else." (Luke 3:10-11)
As we continue our reflections on the issue of oppressive systems, we are challenged with Isaiah 58:7.
During the Great Depression of the 1930's, my grandfather would always be sure to cook extra food at each meal. Though he was a widower with six children to care for, he had a heart of compassion for the people who would wander from town to town looking for any kind of work. So, though he did not have work for them to do, and though he did not have money to share, he did what he could for them: he provided a hot meal.
Here we are, some eighty years later. I believe we can make plenty of reasonable arguments for opting not to help others. After all, times are hard. People are untrustworthy. It's enough of a challenge to live through our own problems, let alone share the burdens of others.
But God has set forth His criteria concerning the type of fast He pays attention to, and part of that criteria involves compassionate care for persons in need.
Perhaps my grandfather can be a case study for us today. Instead of hoarding his resources for just himself and his children, my grandfather gave as liberally as he could. He could not host a dinner for thirty people, but he could freely share a bowl of soup and a biscuit, or a plate of food. At that point in his life my grandfather had a small plot of farmland, and he could cook, so he did. That was how he participated in the fast God has chosen.
But what does Isaiah 58:7 look like for those of us who are unemployed, or homeless, or hungry, but still want to be a blessing to others? How can we become blessings to others in light of our own lack? Is there any way that we, too, can participate in this act of engaging God's chosen fast?
Maybe we, like the churches at Macedonia, could adopt a principle of compassionate care that begins in our hearts. The apostle Paul recorded the testimony in Second Corinthians 8:1-5:
"My friends, we want you to know that the churches in Macedonia have shown others how kind God is. Although they were going through hard times and were very poor, they were glad to give generously. They gave as much as they could afford and even more, simply because they wanted to. They even asked and begged us to let them have the joy of giving their money for God's people. And they did more than we had hoped. They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us, just as God wanted them to do."
How can we avoid participation in a system of oppression? By giving ourselves to God first, and by joyfully doing what we can (no matter how small) to bless others.
Lord God, please show us what we are able to do. We trust You to multiply and bless our small efforts. We reject the spirit of self-preservation and embrace acts of compassion. Lord God, open our eyes and guide our feet. Take us into the fast You have chosen.
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