The shallowness of our religion is openly displayed in the depth, or lack thereof, of our interaction with our communities.
If we can't articulate our own relationship with the Almighty, how are we supposed to think that we'll be effective in any way sharing that with a world who doesn't know Him?
Unless we don't really have that relationship, and we're just riding on the coattails of those who do...
The world can smell our in-authenticity.
If you show up with a hummer limo, a fellow blogger, and your beautiful and perfect family in the middle of a city, claiming that you're going to "bless some homeless guys today", then all you do is clean them up, give a haircut and a shave, buy some clothes and food, and tell them in the back of the limo that "homelessness isn't God's plan for you", congratulations.
You get a gold star on your get-to-heaven-checklist; you did a major good work to bless someone.
Here's what you did:
You addressed the immediate need in someones life, you provided a service they were unable to provide for themselves. Hell, they may have even enjoyed themselves for a little while.
You also may have insulted them, talking about 'how good God is' to you, but what about the man you just pulled off the street? Might as well tell him that God doesn't love him, because he lives on the streets. You've successfully associated God's love with materialism, and nothing could be further from the Truth.
Here's what you didn't do:
You didn't ask him to tell his story. You didn't ask how, or even if, God was doing something in his life; you didn't even ask if he knows God.
You failed to address God's sovereignty in this man's life. Maybe living as a homeless person is part of God's plan for their life. (But you'd have to ask God to know this, and listen to Him tell you that.) Maybe, just maybe, God is developing a faith in them to do something unimaginable to you... after all, Christ had no roof over His head, and he sure didn't drive around all the places he went in a hummer limo.
You failed to look for the reason(s) behind this man's lack of shelter. But that would require engagement on a more personal level; that would require a relationship, and that would require admitting that people actually live in an existence far different than yours.
You failed to 'teach a man to fish'. You've given him something to eat, but not equipped him with a way to get more food on his own. Again, that would require doing something that takes time, mental effort, and compassion.
What happens to this man when you're done with your good deed for the day?
You drop him off, right where you found him. He adds the 2 bags of new clothes to his meager possessions, which he rummages through to find another hat, since now his hair is gone.
How is any of this good?? How is this sharing a kingdom which counters the existence they live in?
You might feel good about yourself; you might even admit it.
The deeper we are in relationship with God, the more He gives us His heart for humanity. This is God's kingdom.
"Loving" goes farther than just feeding and clothing; it implies interest in the well-being of your neighbor, the person closest to you.
"Loving" implies concern for the total well-being - physical, mental and spiritual.
If we're only addressing one of those needs, then it is we who are falling short.
