People come to our church from time to time, seeking assistance for food, travel, and sometimes housing. How we respond to them is a matter of some controversy within the congregation. It seems to have been an issue from the earliest days of the church, for James wrote:

If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. (James 2:15-17 NRSV)

There are several questions I hear:

Are these needs real?

To which I have said to people, "What would it take for you to walk into a strange church and ask for help?" There are some individuals who work the system, but to deny them would be to deny everyone. I do try to determine the legitimacy of the needs, but in the end, many of the decisions are made on trust.

Can't they go somewhere else?

Yes and no. There are several agencies that give assistance, but they all have their own rules, and people really do fall between the cracks at times. Government assistance and a bi-weekly hamper from the Food Bank often do not meet basic needs, especially when emergencies happen.

Shouldn't we be looking after our own needs?

Of course we need to care for our own, but when the church is only concerned with its own, it has ceased to be the church, and has become a social club. God's love has no limits, but so many Christian folk act as if it does.

Do they come to church?

A very few do, but what kind of welcome do they receive when they come? Anyway, that's not the point -- whether or not they come on Sunday, they are still brother or sister, and we are called to meet their needs as we are able.

I give thanks for the generosity of those of our members who see these needs, and help.

And wasn't it Jesus who said, "Give to everyone who begs from you..."? (Mat 5:42a)