Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Delete A Friend?


Well folks the election is over but the divisiveness is not.  Not that I thought it would be, but a girl can hope!  So what does one do when going on Facebook or some other social media site and finding our friends and acquaintances stating opinions that we clearly disagree with?  Most of the time I just ignore it but today I have seen posts that hit right at the core of my beliefs.  One of my greatest passions in ministry is work with the poor.  Here is what I posted…


“My heart is breaking over so many insensitive comments being made about “the poor” so much so that I cannot stay silent anymore. If you want smaller government and people not living off welfare that’s AWESOME but make sure to ask yourself, What am I doing to educate people who were born into poverty and are ignorant to any other way of life? Whole generations of people are stuck in a cycle of poverty & don’t know how to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” If you don’t believe me and just think they are “lazy” spend some time in a poor urban neighborhood or small Appalachian mountain holler. Humanize “the poor” and listen to their story even if it is filled with drugs and crime-the only way they’ve ever truly known. Ask yourself, is my church stepping up so that the Government doesn’t need to? Am I loving the poor as Christ has called me to? Am I part of the solution? Ironically the people who should be the most frustrated with people living on welfare- the social workers, the non profit workers, etc…aren’t the ones complaining in my Newsfeed because they know they are doing the best they can to help poor people have a better life! Are you? They realize the systemic issues of poverty are far greater than mere laziness.”

Shortly after posting this I was overwhelmed by the number of people who seemed to agree, from both sides of the isle, democrat and republican.  I’m so pleased that my getting fed up actually touched people. What scares me though is that I am already seeing people springboard off of this and make their own status updates to say things criticizing others that have previously criticized the poor.  Disagreements are now taking place on the pages of others about whether or not to engage in free handouts and how often and who deserves them.  Really?  Aren’t we missing the point?  EDUCATION!  I am so blessed to have found a Church to work at that not only houses an amazing feeding ministry for homeless individuals/families (handouts) but takes a much more holistic approach with social workers on staff, occupational therapists volunteering their time, job counselors, etc… (AKA Education!)   It is easy to hand out blankets and donate clothing, it is SO much harder to build relationships with someone who may be smelly, addicted to drugs, a former (or even current) criminal, or just plain ungrateful.  Yet this is our mandate from Jesus Christ as Christians. 

The solution many are opting for on FB- delete, hide, or block people you don’t agree with.  Trust me I’ve thought about it. But is that going to help any of us grow?  Yes, if their speech is abusive or damaging to you, do it, of course.  On the other hand if you are just sick of hearing people with a different opinion than yours maybe you need to.  Take a good long look at your friend list. Is everyone the same race or socioeconomic class as you?  Are they all from the same region of the state, country, or even world?  Is everyone of the same religion?    I realize many people go on Facebook merely as entertainment and don’t want to be “challenged” but there is a great big world out there and social media is such an amazing way to truly listen and learn from one another. So for now, I won’t be deleting anyone-unless they call me names ;) I don’t like name-calling.

Now for some humor on the subject thanks to Rage Against the Minivan...




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