I just finished reading an article about the New Monastics, urban Christians making their place with the poor and homeless. I can definitely identify with its appeal, as my wife and I are busily paring down our possessions and preparing to downsize to apartment living. The article appears in the "Politics" section of the Huffington Post, so I found it a bit exploitative, but living among the poor and ministering to them is certainly a part of the Gospel.
When I first became a Christian, I read an old book, "In His Steps" by Charles Sheldon, that touched on this in a different way. It's the popular novel in which some of the people of a small town vow to make no decision without first asking, "What would Jesus do?" What was compelling was that no one thought that Jesus would tell them to stop going to work and doing their jobs. Instead, He went to work WITH them and changed their jobs.
Asking yourself that question is a form of prayer, one for guidance. And whether you are led to move into the poor side of town, or move one of them in with you, it is a prayerful decision. But we are called to do something. First of all, we are called to pray. It changes us before it changes things, and that is definitely the will of God.
There is no church holding 24 hour prayer today. Please consider joining us.
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