The Great Reversal

"But if someone who is supposed to be a Christian has money enough to live well, and sees a brother in need, and won't help him--- how can God's love be in him?" 1 John 3:17

It was the early American Church that helped the poor, the orphans, the widows in this country. Were there people who abused this? Yes, but overall, it was a huge part of churches to reach out and help those that needed help with their physical needs. Some examples on larger scales were the establishment of the Salvation Army, various soup kitchens, church ran orphanages, and homes for unwed mothers. In small communities it was the church that the needy went to for help. The church successfully combined social justice with evangelism. Children grew up with a heart for mercy for the less fortunate. In the early part of the 20th Century that changed. The government began to take over the welfare state and care for the poor. Some churches turned to establishing a more intimate relationship with Christ. This led to the evolution of 2 types of Protestant churches in America. One that championed social justice by becoming political and encouraging Americans to support the government's welfare state to grow. By giving our tax dollars to the government, we could help the poor and fulfill our Christian duty. A relationship with Christ and especially evangelism was not emphasized. The other group returned to theology and felt that the social justice church dropped the ball on preaching the Gospel. This church championed an individual relationship with Christ. This group seemed to emphasize individual accomplishment and economic success. The American dream was heralded by this church but helping the downtrodden was not emphasized. Often the young people raised here felt the church was hypocritical.

I see the American church just beginning to wake up. New preachers are championing James writings of "faith plus works is dead" while emphasizing a personal relationship with Christ. Isn't this how the early church operated? How would American look if these two forces of the Christian church in America quit judging each other and embraced the other's ideals and realized there was room for both. Christ never sacrificed his love for his Father, his time of private prayer and his love for the scriptures for his outpouring of mercy for those that suffered. 

Our goal should be to be more Christ-like. Christ emphasized to His followers mercy for the poor. (Matthew 25:35-40) As a follower of Christ, I need to ask myself. "What have I done to help the poor? this week? this month? this year?"  As Christians lets make our answer more than pay our taxes. Christ will open up a whole new world to us and we may be feeding, clothing and quenching the thirst of Christ himself.