Today's theme from

The Irresistible Revolution is particularly relevant given an experience we had with a homeless guy last night here in Colorado Springs. Tom Davis describes it here.

Ministering to the poor

The great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor (less than 2% spend time with them).

It is a beautiful thing when folks in poverty are no longer just a missions project but become genuine friends and family with whom we laugh, cry, dream, and struggle.

Charity wins awards and applause, but joining the poor gets you killed. People are crucified for living out a love that disrupts the social order, that calls forth a new world.

Jesus was not simply a missionary to the poor. He was poor.

Jesus said, “The poor will always be with you.” Jesus is pointing the church to her true identity – she is to live close to those who suffer.

Ghandi said, “Ask the poor. They will tell you who the Christians are.”

True generosity is measured not by how much we give away but by how much we have left. The best thing to do with the best things in life is to give them away.

Simplicity

While ministering alongside Mother Teresa, he noticed her deformed feet and was told, “Her feet are deformed because we get just enough donated shoes for everyone, and Mother does not want anyone to get stuck with the worst pair, so she digs through and finds them."

On why the kingdom of God is hard for rich people to understand: It is nearly impossible for them to catch the vision of interdependent community, dependent on God and one another. Rich folks, while they may be spiritually starving for God and community, still believe the illusion that they are self-sufficient autonomous individuals.