Every penny counts ...

"Get a job ..."

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"People chose to be poor ..."

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"Make better choices ..."

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"It's my money. I worked hard for it ..."

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"I remember when I had to go through a similar thing ..."

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Any of these statements sound familiar??

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The comments made in response to poverty, homelessness, and the struggles that too many people are experiencing today are almost uncountable ... If we had a penny for every judgemental statement offered about the state of affairs in our society today, we could easily eradicate hunger and poverty ...

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Our Government committed to eradicating child poverty in Canada by the year 2000 ... today mere days from 2010, we KNOW that child poverty is worse now then it was twenty years ago when the commitment was made. This morning on CBC Winnipeg Harvest head David Northcott stated that last year 5 000 children in Winnipeg needed food support through Harvest and its affiliated outreach programmes - today that number sits at a breath-taking 18 000!!!

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I know that since I first arrived in Manitoba in 2000 the number of Food Banks has increased, with more and more food support agencies forming in smaller and smaller communities ... and the actual need has also gone up. Today in Manitoba, food bank use is 20% higher then it was last year at this time ... the numbers are simply and utterly devestating ...

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In an era when shopping malls are full, and people are touting the recovery from the recession, we are hearing that over 20% of our population REQUIRE food help ... and it's not just the chronically unemployed, or those who are trapped in the social safety nets, NOW the people stepping through the doors of places like Winnipeg Harvest and Samaritan House and the countless other Food Banks across our country, include ever increasing numbers of people who are working - who, to quote David Northcott - "Are doing EVERYTHING right, but can't make ends meet".

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And still poverty, hunger and homelessness remains OFF the radar of our national political parties. Instead of dealing with THIS ISSUE, our Government is hiding behind the economy and our soldiers and not being upfront nor honest with us ... and in the meantime more and more children are being forced to rely on charitable organizations to satiate the hunger pangs that they are living with ... in the meantime, hope is beginning to ebb away for more and more people who are finding it increasingly difficult to see a light at the end of the tunnel ... in the meantime, the lines at Food Banks and soup kitchens and homeless shelters get longer and longer ...

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And in this Advent Season, we can't help but wonder WHY????

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Yet, in even vocalizing the question, the answer is frighteningly apparent ... a long time ago I remember in a Bible Study group saying that we could deal with hunger and poverty if EVERYONE gave up ONE cup of coffee a day and donated that dollar to a charity that helps people turn around their lives ... one dollar a day - 365 dollars a year ... in a church of 100 people that $36 500 dollars, that can be leveraged to 10 or 20 times that amount by groups like Winnipeg Harvest ... one dollar a day to put 365 000 dollars worth of food, care, support and HELP into our community.

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Sounds reasonable to me ...

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The response in the Bible Study was scary ... "That's outrageous! I've worked hard for my money, and I don't want to support someone who doesn't want to work ..."

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And this came from the lips of an esteemed Church leader, who had served at every level of the Church, and who took pride in being involved in The Church ... they stood in their Pharisaic splendour that day, failing to see the unfaithfulness of thier cold heartedness ...

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Looking back, and looking around, I realize that there are regretably more Pharisees than I care to think about ...

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The challenge before us - as people of FAITH - is to be aware that the needs are real, and they are largely caused by factors beyond the control of those standing in lines seeking help for food, shelter and security ... the system is broken, and just because the powers that be, and those who support them, and the many people comfortable in their lives can't, won't or REFUSE to see the brokenness doesn't mean it is untrue ...

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We've grown comfortable in our complacency, especially IN The Church ... in this Advent Season it is time to remember the discomfort that figures like John brought to the early stirrings that became the Church ... the Christmas Message is simultaneously warm and welcoming as well as sharp and discomforting ... John and Jesus stand side by side this advent Season ... the babe in the manger grew up and become a prophet of God, calling people to faithfulness ... and sometimes we stand in the light of that judgement ...

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It's easy to offer excuses ... it's harder to live our faith ...

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Excuses feed no one ... faith demands we care for others ...

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Kind of a stark "what would Jesus do?" moment isn't it ??