WWJD - What Would Jesus Do?

We’ve been having considerable debate in our town of late about the homeless population here. A local organization has been trying repeatedly to find a property that can be built out as a shelter for the homeless, and repeatedly, they have been frustrated in their efforts, both by NIMBY people and a city council lacking--at least on this issue--both guts and compassion.

The other day, an op-ed piece appeared in the local paper that I really like. Among other things, the writer of the column said, referring to the homeless population:

“We know that ours is very competitive culture, offering great rewards for the winners, and precious little to those less able to compete. I for one am weary of this life's battles, not because I want, but because of the basic inhumanity by continually pitting one against another.

Why can't we just choose to see the good in each other and return to a focus of building a nation and community of brotherhood, rather than finding fault, casting blame, and hurting one another?”

Wow! Not much I can disagree with there, I thought.

When his column went up on-line, though, it was only a few hours before some local Ayn Rand-ian, uber-Capitalist types really went after him. You can follow my link and read both the column and the comments, but except for one supporter, those commenting sneeringly derided his column and to an extent even him personally. One of them even called him a Marxist for saying what he did.

This got me to thinking. WWJD: What would Jesus do? Now, I don’t go to church except when somebody dies, and I don’t profess to call myself a Christian. However, I’ve read the Bible cover-to-cover several times, and my memory of what I learned is still intact.

Jesus spent almost all of his time on earth with the 'homeless' of his day--the poor, the downtrodden, the lowest of the low. He healed them, He taught them, He cast out their demons and He generally ministered to them. No one that Jesus ever came in contact with was too poor or too socially inferior for him to associate with or to help. Jesus didn’t own anything, didn’t accumulate stuff, and he his stated view of economic prosperity was this: “Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.” Luke 6:20.

Jesus wasn't a fan of a lot of affluence. In verse 24 Jesus said, “But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation.” And in verse 25 he says, “Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.” In Matthew 19:24 he says, "And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God."

If Jesus were alive today, I don't think he would found in any churches anywhere that I can think of, and I damn sure don't believe he would be attending any Tea Party meetings.

You know what Jesus would be doing? He would be sticking up for and helping the homeless, the poor, the mentally ill, and the down and out. What would he look like? Just like the people he is ministering to.

There would be onlookers, some friendly and some not, and of the latter at least one would be hectoring him as a 'collective socialist' and a 'Marxist'.