Rhetoric can't raise the dead

So I have not posted in a while. There is much that can be said in the past 10 days. First of all, I have seen the ocean for the very first time in my life. Last week Saturday a couple of us were supposed to go kayaking in Jersey City but it turned out that we could not. Instead myself and another intern went to Brooklyn and went to the ocean. It was a perfect beach, not to many people and late in the afternoon. I enjoyed it...maybe not the salty skin but oh well. While driving back we also found the greatest diner in NYC...the cornbread diner. It was delicious. Last weekend was one of those times where the Lord blesses you with relaxation after a long and emotional week.
This week has been hectic but by this time I have become used to it. I really do enjoy this city and the rhythm of life that exists here. I do not know if I could survive Manhattan but here in Jersey City I like it. I enjoy walking the streets even though it is tough. There are homeless people. This week I have taken to feeding one in particular. I went to Dunkin Donuts a couple times for breakfast (We ran out of milk and more importantly coffee). I simply bought two corn muffins instead of one and passed it out to a man who sleeps behind the fruit stand. I do not know what that does to his day, if it makes it better or if people handing him food is a normal occurrence. It is easy to become callous here to things that happen. There are arguments on the streets every day. I hear them all the time...including last night outside of my window about 1 in the morning. You tune them out. There are homeless people everywhere, and drunks too. Again how easy it is to tune them out. I struggle with what should be our answer. I cannot help the dozen or so people I saw while walking the streets of Manhattan yesterday. But how do I prevent myself from becoming callous about it?
In the suburbs you hear about how easy it is to ignore because you do not see it. We do not see poverty, or the homeless. There is not much drug dealing on the corners, or drunks walking the streets. Well I do see it alot here but I am overwhelmed in how I can help and the response is...to ignore it. Isn't it interesting how the response is the same whether you see it or not?
Christ was right when he said the poor you will have with you always. But I cannot find it in the Bible where he says "since they are with you always you can ignore them." Having read the Bible through a couple of times I think it says something different. Check out Amos 5. There is some strong words said about God ignoring the praise of the Israelites. Why? Because while their words of praise was right, they were ignoring the poor. Many of the laws in the Torah are so that there will be no poor in Israel. When they ignored those laws and the poor, God ignored their songs of praise. Wow...that should make us blush a little.
So what do we do? I still do not know really. I started by buying a few meals for a person, it is not much but maybe a beginning. If we truly have compassion, we should not be ignoring the poor and needy. This means more than just money in the collection plate. It means having the courage to stop and feed an individual. Compassion and love show itself in so many ways and the littlest love can change everything. It is easy to ignore but Christ did not ignore us (for that I am literally eternally grateful). How do we reflect love and hope to those who need it especially? It must be more than a collection plate. It must be more than flyer. People do not respond to words but to acts of love, love that reflects the greatest love. We cannot help everyone but does that mean helping no one? Lord teach us compassion. Amen.