How do the hungry get to the gates of the wealthy?

The following is an excerpt from the sermon given by Dr. William Shaw, president of the National Baptist Convention, USA, at the Interfaith Convocation on Hunger.

“There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  There was a certain beggar, named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores, desiring to be fed with the crumbs, which fell from the rich man’s table ….”  Luke 15:19-21

Deliberate pairing is a part of this story.  The poor man was brought to the gate of the rich man, not just once but daily.  Persistent effort.  Who will bring the poor, in this country and around the world, to the attention of people of plenty?  Who will bring the poor to Congress?  Who will bring the poor to the attention of the executive office?

Who will bring the poor to the attention of the religious community?  Television brings the gates of the rich to the dwellings of the poor.  But how do the poor, how do the hungry get to the gates of the wealthy?

The poor are people.  They suffer the ravages of poverty; hunger, bad health.  All of these things need to be addressed.  In order to do that it’s going to take more than an act of charity.  It’s going to take some drastic action.  Those of us who are people of faith and claim to follow our Lord need to look at what he did.  For the record says that he who was rich, for our sake became poor and dwelt among us.  He did so not just for a little bit of change, but so that we might share in the fullness of life that was his and that is desired for all of us.