Friday, November 21, 2008

makes me wanna holler...

I hate it when I hear people complain about their jobs when so many people are losing theirs. I really hate it. I can't tell you how many people I know and friends who know people who are losing or have lost their jobs. The ones that are working are barely making ends meet or are dealing with eviction notices and family drama and general life stuff. We're letting people store their stuff in our attic while they find new places to live, offering the use of our couches and the spare room in the back, trying to connect people and their needs so we can all help each other.

Talked to a friend last night who's raising not just her kids but her sister's too, and whose husband just lost his job. They had nothing to eat for dinner yesterday and while she said I didn't have to "put myself out," I ended up bagging up some cans from my pantry and some veggies from the fridge, making a run to save-a-lot on 58th and driving over there.

I don't have much, but dammit, I've got a steady paycheck right now, and evidently this is something that's becoming harder and harder to come by. Besides, I'm supporting me, myself, and I, right now and, as my dad says, I live like a monk. I wouldn't and shouldn't be able to sleep at night.

It seems like some of those who claim to be loving God ignore this or have other things that they're freaking out about, but this is what's been resonating with me:

14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (james chapter 2)

There was an article in Scene about how for every homeless person in Ohio, there's three abandoned homes. I'm no urban planner by any means, but evidently we worry if these guys fix up these homes on the east side, they can't afford property taxes, yet it's totally ok to give tax breaks to yuppies on the west side who move into neighborhoods and jack the rent up for everyone else? Tell me if I'm missing something. Maybe I am.

And this song seems to be the soundtrack for everything I keep hearing and seeing. How much has really changed?

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