Tuesday, December 26, 2006

A Two-Way Street

I read a paragraph yesterday from a book that captures what I'm thinking Jesus wants to happen as RHCC goes to the Samaritan House, low-income apartments, and any economically distressed school or location where people are struggling:

"The basic assumption held by most middle-class Christians is that they are here to help the poor and unfortunate. Very few of them understand how much they need the poor in their own lives to help them grow in faith and understanding. Relationships between rich and poor change both parties. Just ask any wealthy person who has left his or her own culture and gotten involved among struggling folks. Most will say something like this, 'I went over to that part of town to help them, but what I discovered is how much they helped me!' And it is true. The poor, oppressed, sick hungry, and mentally ill all teach us about the most important things in life, to which those with wealth often become blinded. They are God's best teachers" (Jimmy Dorrell, Trolls & Truth, p. 207).