[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] Why Should I Care? A Long Message I Ask You To Read.

[Eric Calhoun]

This is the last one for today.  Why should I care?  Because you're being a
caring friend.  Sometimes, people find it very refreshing that you care. 
That's good; keep it up, you'll make new friends!


Original Message: 
From: "TONY_at_FloridaHealth" <FloridaHealth21 at verizon.net>
To: "Nat and Marge" <nat at hal-pc.org>, <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>,
<CcHhEeSsTtEeRr at yahoogroups.com>,
<INTERCESSORS-ALLNATIONS at yahoogroups.com>,
<walkwithchrist at tampabay.rr.com>, <APRAYERCLOSET at yahoogroups.com>,
<texaswarriors at att.net>, <dfpprayerwarriors at suddenlink.net>,
<brothermiller1 at yahoo.com>, "Donna Mae" <btlg1370 at gmail.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] Why Should I Care? A Long Message I Ask You
To Read.
Date: 
Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:40:10 -0500



Why Should I Care?
I am always taken by surprise when I hear seemingly good moral people say
ever so nonchalantly that the problems of people they don't know or for
whom they are not legally responsible for are "Not My Problem!" I am
especially shocked when the opportunity presents itself for him or her to
personally get involved as a part of a solution and they refuse to do so.
It is even more disturbing to me when a professing Christian remains aloof
from the Bible's clear commands to "bare one another's burdens." 

I Have Had Some Personal Experiences That Reshaped The Way I Look At The
Church And The Views Of Some Very Bold And Forceful Christians. 

I had a brain tumor that slowly destroyed my life. As a result of the
tumor I became a stranger to almost everyone who knew me. I lost all
Inhibitions and eventually all contact with reality. I threw away or lost
everything important to me. I spent time in a mental hospital and in jail.
Did I deserve to be there? Yes, if you consider that I was suicidal and
that I stole drugs to take in one of my attempts to kill myself. No, I
didn't deserve to be there if you consider that my medical condition went
undiagnosed for nearly twenty years and finally was discovered just two
weeks before the tumor would have killed me. I had been to every type of
specialists I knew of for help with my worsening condition. Unfortunately,
my tumor was never found and I was treated for Meniere's disease, bipolar
disorder, and even written off as a drunk who was struggling with mid-life
crises. Where were the people who professed to have the Love of Christ in
their heart? Most were comfortable in their "Why should I care" attitude.
Did it really matter that they didn't help me, a stranger? It almost cost
me my life! 

I carried around a great deal of bitterness toward some of the people who
I felt let me down in major ways after my diagnosis and surgery. Those who
had made a big issue of my destructive lifestyle and who had told me they
were praying that I would change, I expected more, and needed more help and
compassion from them than I received. Even after the cause for my problems
was discovered and surgically removed, I was left alone to suffer as a
stranger inside a world of vague memories and alone to rebuild my life
while still facing life threatening medical problems. I was told that my
problems were no concern of theirs, but I was in their prayers. 

These cold hearted, uncaring, professing Christians who, in most cases
had known me for many years, let me experience six months of hell on Earth
without even so much as an offer of a ride to my many, many doctor visits.
Some, whom I had harmed, would not accept my request for forgiveness. One
in particular told me that she wished I would die so that she could spit on
my grave! 

I believe I had just reasons for believing and expecting help from my
Christian acquaintances. Not because I deserved their help. Not because the
terrible things I put some of them through were of no consequence. I had
reason to hope for help and forgiveness because these people were very
vocal in their claims to love Jesus and to follow in His steps. 

I know first hand of the experience of not having shoes to wear, of not
having the money to go to the doctor, of being unable to get my
prescriptions filled, of having no home and of being totally dependent upon
the mercy of others. I understand the teachings of Christ to care for the
needs of others from a whole new perspective. 

Another Personal Experience That Reshaped My View Of The Church Was The
Marriage Of My Daughter To A Wonderful Man who Is Half Black and Half
Korean. I was shocked by the reaction of my Christian friends. People who
had made a big issue of breaking down the walls of separation between all
believers, in fighting segregation in their churches, people who professed
to love all of God's children; these same people treated my daughter as
though she had committed an unpardonable sin! My beautiful granddaughter
has been called a "Zebra" baby and predictions have been made of a horrible
life due to her being "mixed." 

Yet Another Experience That Has Reshaped My Views And Professed Beliefs
Of Some Christians Was The Marriage Of My Youngest Son To A Young Woman Who
Had A Baby Before He Met Her. She was not married, solely because the man
who got her pregnant refused to. This young girl refused the encouragement
of others to have an abortion. She faced the world with courage and dignity
and gave birth to a beautiful little girl, one of my sweet granddaughters.
How many of her Christian acquaintances came to her aid? Only a few of her
family members made the decision that the new baby and mother were any
concern or responsibility of theirs. 

Who Is There For Them To Turn To? They Turn To The Only Source Committed
To Helping Them: The US Federal and GA State Governments. They certainly
cannot count on the believers in Jesus Christ. They are the ones busy
condemning her for being an unwed mother. 

It is easy to go to the polls and vote on Election Day against a
candidate who promotes a woman's choice to have an abortion. I am an
opponent of abortion under all most every circumstance.  

It is an easy decision to vote against tax supported programs that assist
or supports the people on welfare. But when it comes to getting personally
involved in taking responsibility for meeting the various needs of hurting
and suffering people who cross our paths, most Christians I have turned to
for help have been all talk and no do! 
I Am Stating My Personal Convictions. Before you tune me out, read on and
you might just find that you share some of my frustrations. Try to
distinguish between the professed beliefs of many Christians and the true
ways they believe as they are revealed in the lack of action they take
toward strangers in need. 

If those of us who claim to have the love of Christ in our hearts fail to
do what Jesus would do, then we need to throw away those cute little
wristbands that have WWJD, which stands for "What Would Jesus Do." 

Wouldn't you agree that we are all horrified when we hear the headline
grabbing stories about how a crowd of people passively watched as someone
was kicked and beaten to death on a public sidewalk? We often loudly
proclaim that if we had been there we would have offered help. 

Some of us boldly state that we are against racial prejudice, or we stand
against abortion or that people in need should be ministered to by the
church. We can't believe that in a great country like ours a handicapped
person could go to bed hungry. We protest that something should be done to
correct these things we believe are tragic and evil. 

The thing I find so shocking is that Christians can be so insensitive and
uncaring toward the people God brings into their lives, especially a
stranger; people who have pains, fears, unmet needs, and troubles.

How can a person sing so boldly in church of their love for Jesus and yet
have absolutely no sense of responsibility for a stranger's needs? It is so
cold hearted to state "It's not my problem" or "Why should I care?" 

HEBREWS 13: 1-3 states that God wants us to care; 1) Keep on loving each
other as brothers. 2) Do no forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing
some people have entertained angels without knowing it. 3) Remember those
in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are
mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. 

James 2:13 states "judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has
not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!" 

Do Not Protest To Me "They Are not My Responsibility. Don't Ask "Why
Should I Care?" Do Something! Live as though their suffering is your own.
If your unwillingness to help an unwed mother results in the death of her
child, are you not as guilty of murder as the doctor who ended a child's
life in the womb? Could it be that your professed beliefs are not supported
by your actions? 

You may argue that the unwed mother brought her problems upon herself and
it is not your place to pay for her mistakes. Let me ask you to consider
that it was not the child's decision to be conceived. No human being is a
mistake! If you believe it is wrong to abort the baby why can't you see
that it is your responsibility to help keep it alive after it is born? It
is not a mistake for a child to be hungry. It is not a sin for a mother to
raise a child alone. Yes, sex outside of marriage is sin! But it is no less
a sin to punish a helpless child because his or her mother is unmarried. 

You may argue that it is not your responsibility help meet the needs of
the sick and the suffering. I do believe that the Bible says other wise! 

If you believe that it is wrong to stand idly by as some poor soul is
beaten to death, stop your idle boast of "If I was there I would have
defended that defenseless person." If you are unwilling to help a disabled
person who needs to be rescued from problems and situations they cannot
handle and therefore are suffering as a result, you are a guilty bystander
who should be too ashamed to condemn anyone else for being selfish or
cowardly. 

If you believe that it is wrong to judge a person by the color of their
skin, then why do you not protest the fact that your church or, more close
to home, your family, refuses to allow a person of another race to become a
church of family member? Do you honestly believe that God will not judge
you for refusing to love your brother? 

I Am Shocked That Any Christian Would Ever Believe That The Needs Of
Others Are Nothing To Them, Not Their Responsibility, And Could Even Ask
Themselves, Why Should I Care? Are you willing to take care of those in
your life that have deeds you can meet, even strangers! Why? It is God's
will that you do so. Realize that material possessions are simply loaned to
you by God to be used for His Glory. You will be rewarded in heaven
accordingly. 

Keep Your Views To Yourself If Your Actions Contradict Your Words. Those
With Needs Are Simple Too Tired And Disgusted To Tolerate Hypocrisy. 

You may not be able to stop abortions from occurring, but you can feed a
child and make sure that at least one who, even a stranger to you, has a
chance to survive after birth. 

You may never need to rescue a victim from being beaten to death on a
public sidewalk, but it is a sure thing that you can and should help
someone rebuild his or her life after it has been destroyed by sickness or
by accident. They too are innocent victims in need of a rescue. 

I know of no human being capable of eradicating all racial prejudice, but
you can have an influence in your church and your family that encourages a
love among all of God's children. You can befriend a stranger who has been
the victim of mistreatment due to the color of their skin. 

Remember that we should all care about the welfare and the well being of
one another. It doesn't matter if you are legally responsible as a citizen
of our country to care or not. What does matter is that as a citizen of
God's family we are commanded by our Lord and Savior to care! 

If You Don't Have The Compassion Of Your Words, Then Don't Boast Of
Convictions You Don't Really Have. Pray about the needs of the people God
allows you to know. Ask our Lord to create in you a heart that desires to
make the needs and the sufferings of others yours. Seek the Lord's will and
He will give you wisdom and show you a direction to take in helping those
in need. Ask Him to create in you the Image of Christ, who, although being
God, took upon Himself, the needs of every one He met. 

Jerry H. Miller / brotherjerry1 at gmail.com