I am not a policy maker or someone who is charged with enforcing the law.  I am a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and as such, sometimes ministry comes into direct conflict with policy and law.  I try not to break the law, since I believe as a Christian we are called to obey the laws of the land we live in, but sometimes I do have to deal with the fallout of laws and policies.  Sometimes my faith puts me at odds with political theory and I have decided that I will follow the Gospel rather than the policies of a particular political party when this happens.

If you have been following the news as of late you know that there are untold numbers of children streaming across the southern boarders of our county.  This is obviously a crisis that needs immediate attention from a legal standpoint as well as a humanitarian one.  Like I already said, I am not an enforcer of the law but I am a person who is charged, as all Christians are, with loving our neighbor.

In the Gospel of St. Luke (10:26-37) we find the story of the Good Samaritan.  In the story a variety of people come upon a man who is hurt and laying on the side of the road.  The Gospel tells us the man had been attacked by thieves.  Most of the people turn a blind eye and pass right on by – perhaps they are busy texting or listening to their music – but nevertheless they pass right by.  Then a Samaritan, a despised person, comes upon the man and not only binds up his wounds but takes him to an inn and pays for his stay.  At the end of the story Jesus asks those listening, “So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”  The answer came back, “He who showed mercy on him.”  Jesus responded, “Go and do likewise.”

Our neighbor is the one right in front of us and we do not have to look far to find him.  In the current events story there is obviously a need to talk about law enforcement and what not, but the immediate need is caring for the person, created in the image and likeness of God, that is right in front of us.  Jesus did not tell those that were listening to protest the thieves and decry the lack of law enforcement in their area, no. He told them to show compassion on those in need.

Yes, we need a comprehensive immigration reform plan, and yes, we need to strengthen our boarders for our own security reasons, but these children are here now and need to be shown compassion.  These children are being used as pawns by both sides of the political spectrum, and are alone and scared in a foreign country.  Yes we need reform but we also need to help those in need!

I have often said that the church, and by that I mean all churches, need to step up and do more to help their neighbors.  For some reason the church gave away her right to aid those in need and now we expect the government to do it and, to put a fine point on it, the government stinks at helping people.  We have an opportunity here to step up and lead by example, and help those in need.  Yes, we need the help of the government to house the children, but the church can provide volunteer legal help, education, food, clothing, and medical support.

When the tornado roared through our area three years ago, it was the churches that stepped up first and opened their doors to provide shelter, food, and emotional support to those in need in our communities.  Groups of church people came from outside of our area with chain saws and aprons to provide what we needed to get our community back on track; this is what we are good at, or should be good at –  helping those in need.

The 25th chapter of St. Matthew’s Gospel is often used as the example of how we are to live as Christians.  This is the clothe the naked, feed the hungry passage.  In verse 40 of that chapter it says, “inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”  We are called to see Christ in everyone

It is not the fault of the children and they should not have to suffer at the altar of American politics.  Yes, we need reform and yes, we need it fast, but they are here, right in front of us, right at this moment, and they are in need right now and they are here right now.  Let us not turn our backs on our neighbors.

 This essay originally appeared in the The Quaboag Current and The Tantasqua Town Common

FOCUS North America recently opened the FOCUS Pittsburgh Free Health Center to provide free, quality physical and mental health care and pharmaceutical and lab services to uninsured individuals.

The Center is the first, fully-accredited Orthodox Christian health center in the US. And FOCUS hopes that it will be just the first of many.

Patients are seen by Orthodox Christian physicians and health care providers who volunteer their time. The Center specifically targets and serves people who fall through the gaps in today’s health care system, those who do not qualify for government assistance, and those who do not have employer-sponsored health insurance.

Using this model, FOCUS hopes to launch more health centers in areas where Orthodox Christian physicians are available to donate their time and skills to serve the uninsured and working poor. Medical malpractice liability protection under the FOCUS model is provided by the federal government and the Federal Tort Claims Act for free to any physician or medical staffer serving at a FOCUS clinic. Physicians interested in learning more should contact FOCUS at info@focusna.org or 866-267-3083.

FOCUS North America is a national movement of Orthodox Christians, united in faith and joined by a desire to provide action-oriented and sustainable solutions to poverty in communities across America. FOCUS has operations and youth volunteer experiences in more than 25 cities in the US. To learn more or to donate, visit www.focusnorthamerica.org or visit FOCUS on Facebook and Twitter.

Baltimore, MD (IOCC) — Syrian refugee families wait patiently for their turn to receive emergency relief items from a distribution center in northern Iraq’s Kurdistan region. More than 220,000 Syrian refugees have fled here from the violence of civil war – often arriving with nothing but the clothes they wear. Many have sought refuge at Kawergosk Refugee Camp in Erbil, which has already surpassed its capacity to shelter 10,000 people since it opened less than a year ago. The overcrowded conditions of the refugee camp along with scorching daytime desert temperatures over 100 degrees make it a daily struggle to maintain good hygiene and health.

International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) and local relief partners are working to ease the harsh living conditions for vulnerable Syrian refugee families. Bedding as well as hygiene kits filled with washcloths, soap and toothbrushes are being distributed to more than 2,800 refugee families living at the camp as well as in Nineveh Plains and Dohuk governorate. IOCC, an ACT Alliance member, is also distributing school kits to 3,000 school-aged refugee children so that they will have the essential supplies such as paper, pencils and rulers needed to continue their education.

IOCC, working in close partnership with The Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, supports one of the largest established humanitarian relief networks inside Syria. Since 2012, IOCC has provided relief to more than 1.5 million people inside Syria as well as refugees and locally affected populations in Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Armenia.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help the victims of poverty and conflicts around the world by making a financial gift to the International Emergency Response Fund which will provide immediate relief, as well as long-term support through the provision of emergency aid, recovery assistance and other support to help those in need. To make a gift, please visit www.iocc.org or call toll-free at 1-877-803-IOCC (4622), or mail a check or money order payable to IOCC, P.O. Box 17398, Baltimore, MD 21297.

ABOUT INTERNATIONAL ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN CHARITIES
IOCC is the official humanitarian aid agency of the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States of America. Since its inception in 1992, IOCC has delivered $488 million in relief and development programs to families and communities in more than 50 countries. IOCC is a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of more than 140 churches and agencies engaged in development, humanitarian assistance and advocacy, and a member of InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.–based secular and faith-based organizations working to improve the lives of the world’s most poor and vulnerable populations. To learn more about IOCC, visit www.iocc.org.