Let us not forget the poor (Gal. 2:10) - 2023 (BJMM041)

 

Let us not forget the poor (Gal. 2:10)

(Edward Edezhath for OSC in 2023)

Christmas is beautiful with many beautiful images. The most prominent among these is the manger, where a poor child is born to a homeless couple who have almost no one to help them. But that humble cow shed becomes the focal point of heaven and Earth. There, angels sing glory to God, shepherds rush there, and even wise men from far away come to that place of poverty guided by a particular star.

The central message of Christianity is that God opted to be humble and poor and challenged humanity to see God‘s presence in poverty and suffering. “As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me,” said Jesus (Mt. 25:39). So, on the final judgment, the question will be whether or not we reached our hands and helped those in need.

Jesus Youth and option for the poor

One of my early memories in my youth work journey is our regular visits to a poor colony in Cochin. That began as a response to a few messages we received in our prayer group.  “You are my hands and feet. Today, the others will see me only through you.” When such messages were coming repeatedly in the group, the core group came together to reflect on it. And we took a few steps. We invited the committed members of the group to gather. Different outreaches were initiated by this new group, including regular Sunday visits to a poor slum area. We also started a Saturday Intercession to pray, especially for the poor and suffering people we met on our visits.

A few years later, another critical turn happened. The 1985 conference that gave our movement its name was organized by a leadership group, called the First Line. That group began meeting every month from 1982. Interestingly, that group was formed to prepare young volunteers for very large, national charismatic event at the end of that year with the theme, “Good news to the poor”. In our monthly gatherings, one of the recurring themes of discussion was that the Lord is calling us not to have self-centered spirituality but to develop a style of mercy to reach out to the poor and the needy.

One significant follow-up of the 1985 conference was the formation of many ministries, of which one important Ministry was called Outreach, which was for visiting those in need. In various ways, many Jesus Youth groups reflected on the call of the Lord to love poor people and took time to visit and help the needy. No wonder when we decided upon the key pillars of the Jesus Youth lifestyle, one of those six pillars became “Option for the poor.”

We need a spirituality of Service and Mercy.

A prosperity gospel that looks at the spiritual journey merely as a path to make me comfortable and rich and ensures a final entry pass to heaven, forgetting those around me, is undoubtedly one-sided spirituality. Jesus came to challenge us to a fullness of life by opening our hearts to the love of God and, in return, love God and our neighbors, especially the poor.

But we live amidst a culture and society constantly thinking and worrying about what to eat and drink (Lk 12:29). There is an urgent need to challenge ourselves and one another to turn away from a selfish or “me-centered” spirituality to a lifestyle of love and service. This is the path of Christian maturity.

The movement is committed to the poor.

From the beginning of the movement, we encouraged groups to go to the poor and promoted such a lifestyle by adopting it as one of the pillars of Jesus Youth spirituality. Later, to meet specific demands for help, we started a central JY initiative. It coordinates most of our pro-poor Initiatives. One of its schemes is Outreach Child Support (OCS), an education support scheme that connects individual sponsors with needy children from destitute families. For the past quarter of a century, this beautiful Jesus Youth initiative has been helping numerous JY members to live their 6th pillar meaningfully while profoundly impacting thousands of families in numerous places.

OCS began as a very small initiative to help families needing urgent support. A big step forward was in 2010 when, as part of Jesus Youth Jubilee, the movement took over this initiative and became a global support system of generosity. But here, our goal is not merely to offer financial help. We offer all-round support to the children and their families. This is possible through constant communication with children, occasional visits to their families, summer camps, and various other support initiatives.

Not only in thought and word but in deed

Jesus Youth lifestyle is an ongoing journey of renewal and personal deepening. The Lord is constantly calling us to have any new conversion from selfishness to generosity, from idleness to going out with the good news to the poor.

Let us examine how I am faithful, especially to the fifth and sixth pillars of sharing the good news and going to the poor. Most of us know the requirements and have a desire. Yet, somehow, it doesn’t happen. As Jesus said, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (Jn. 13:17). How do we translate it into action? One promising approach is group reflection and mutual exchange. Gather in the setting of our family or JY group to reflect, asking the Lord how he wants us to fulfill his commandment to help the poor. Listen to the Lord and one another. Surely, something beautiful will emerge out of this synodal exercise.

In the Old Testament, there was a stipulation on tithing or giving one-tenth of all we have to the Lord. But in the new order, the demand for generosity is greater. We are called to be faithful custodians of our time, talent, and money. Indeed, our reaching out to the poor and needy should involve all these areas. In practical terms, plan a visit to a place of need and collaborate in some initiatives of mercy and charity. Many of us can directly connect with Jesus Youth initiatives like OCS in the movement's effort to support and help the needy. The example and inspiration of the one who was born, lived, and died as the poorest of the poor encourages us to think about the poor, to be near the poor, to be humble like the poor, and to reach out to the poor.