Thursday, January 10, 2008

A Nation That Has Forgotten God Defined

Psalm 9 provides a simple definition of a nation who has forgotten God: one who has forgotten the needy and poor.

When we, as individuals or as a community or as a nation, fail to act on behalf of the needy and the poor, we are guilty of forgetting God. Conversely, acting on behalf of the needy and poor remembers God.

Man's history is filled with taking care of self by marginalizing others for economic benefit, and by maintaining that marginalization to perpetuate the benefit.

Have we forgotten God? Just consider who the needy and poor are around us, and whether we are acting on their behalf, or ignoring them, or worse, acting to continue their marginalization. Who are the needy and poor? Those who are sick and cannot receive good medical care, the homeless, those trapped in the poverty cycle, those in prison (disproportionately black), the elderly, undocumented immigrants who provide us a high standard of living but who are denied basic human services, etc.

There are many things each of us can do to help the needy and poor as individuals and communities. And one of them is to seek candidates and organizations that are seeking to help the needy and poor, not to continue their marginalization.



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