Wednesday, March 04, 2009

ON AN IRISH KICK

For no particular reason, I've been delving into all things IRISH. It started by rereading "Only The River Runs Free"by the Thoenes followed by the other two books in that series that I bought on Half EBay while in the States just now, "Of Men and Angels" and "All Rivers to the Sea". Then I took up "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt which left me absolutely devastated at Ireland's poverty and plight some years back. It's a heart-wrenching book. Last night I watched "In God's Name", a film based on facts of cruelty and injustice in a convent in Ireland. Again, I was filled with a sense of injustice at what some have suffered. Then I started looking around me here in my own town and I realized that the poor aren't far away in Ireland, but right here in my own town while I do...absolutely nothing about it. Yes, I have given food and clothes to the poor who have knocked on my door and even money to beggars on the street, but it seems I should be involved in something ongoing and permanent. So, I have begun to pray and ask God what I am supposed to do and will He direct me to whom I should help. I cannot continue to live in my own little comfortable bubble while others around me suffer. Jesus said some very, very scary things in Matthew 25: 34-46:
" Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance...for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?"
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?
He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'
Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Did I read that right? Can we miss heaven for neglecting the poor?

1 comment:

Michelle said...

Wow! That is good to read again...it does sound really harsh. I guess I should take it seriously, too!