Dear Saints in Santa Fe and other far-off places,
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ.
A sandwich board, a street corner, a beggar on the roadside, a special offering, and a shared ministry.
Frier was a middle school classmate of mine at Haven Middle School in Evanston, IL. We lost touch in high school (there were 5200 students!) but he showed up again in Time Magazine after graduation. Always a bit outside the box, Frier decided to raise money for college by standing on a street corner in Chicago with a sandwich board around his shoulders asking for money.
It seemed humorous at first, even creative back then, but then pushback soon followed. One letter to the editor noted he came from a good and supportive home, his dad was a postman making $25,000 a year (!), and there was no reason for him asking for money. Point taken.
What about all the people, more and more it seems, who stand at intersections throughout Santa Fe and no doubt the country holding up cardboard signs, clearly in need. What do we do? We are told not to give money but donate to social service agencies instead. Yes, but what do we do? What do we do about this rising toll on humanity as it touches our own humanity?
Mark tells a story in chapter 10 about a blind beggar on the roadside in Jericho who hears Jesus coming by, surrounded by his disciples, and calls out “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” The disciples try to hush him up, but Jesus would have none of that, nor would he just drive on by. Rather, he stands still, calls to him, and asks “What do you want me to do for you?”
We often think we know what others need, while at the same time not quite sure what we ourselves need. Here are two possibilities that will help others, and perhaps you and me as well.
The first is the Peace and Global Witness Offering we are receiving on World Communion Sunday, October 1st, which supports peace and reconciliation programs across the world. The local congregation keeps 25%, another 25% goes to presbytery, and 50% goes to the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
The second is a shared ministry with Westminster, our sister congregation only a mile away, called the Matthew 25 Fund which gives up to $500 to a person in need who cannot pay for rent, utilities, car repair, etc. Each case is carefully vetted, and the money goes not to the recipient but directly to the entity in which the money is owed. Westminster has been administering this fund for the past few years which to date has raised over $96,000, all from private donations. Wow.
I assume Frier retired that sandwich board years ago . . . and did you hear? Bartimaeus ended up throwing off his cloak, sprang up, received his sight, and followed Jesus. As followers of Jesus ourselves, when we see great need, like with the Peace and Global Witness offering and the Matthew 25 Fund, we spring up. We give. Simple as that. It’s in our job description. Part of our Jesus-follower DNA. It’s who we are and what we do.
Grace and peace, and many thanks for all you do.
Harry