Do We Love Our Neighbor?

When the lawyer approached Jesus he asked, as to test Jesus, What is the most important commandment? he answered saying " You shall love the LORD, your God with all your heart, soul and mind.'' This is the first and great commandment and the second is like it; "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". "on these two commandments all the laws and all the profits are hung." Matt 22:37-40.
This past November, I spoke to the Director about the decline in services and moral I witnessed during the past year at this ministry.
Some concerns were that inspite of the organization being faith based the management team consisted of at leaset one manager speaking to clients in a disrespectful mannor, often cussing, yelling and becomming biligerant instead of leading clients by example, according to the characteristics of Love found in the New testiment: Love is kind, patient, faithful etc.
In the meeting I also discussed the decline in casemanagement activities.
The executive director told me he placed a new character in the office that would help with the moral issues. Stating he was not going to tolerate this any longer and that while the person was new in this particular area he was being brought up to speed and had the skill set he was looking for in a leader. Regarding the decline in activities they simply were not in the scope of services. The scope of services is a guideline to keep us from doing too much.
During this meeting I was told they may loose the program next year due to a lack of funding and budget cuts. He insisted it is due to the economy and stated that for this set time he believes it is none other than the will of God himself that the economy is not recovering stating that people have become self seeking and forgotten about the Lord. I then gave this man the same scripture from Matt 22:37-40 and told him he may be on to something but I still believe it is Gods will to help the poor.
I offered to volunteer my time in fundraising, grant writing, and any area that would save the program. I have 11 years in non-profit experience, and at least 7 years of networking among the agencies. I am appalled by the lack of passion in the human service field. I am infumed to find this CHRISTIAN Ministry heading in the downward spiral and direction it is.
When a client comes to them they can be referred to another organization that may or may not be best suited for their needs, they may receive a band aid over a bullet wound, i.e, they may take a shower, receive hygene products but if it is the one or two people that need just that extra hand, perhaps a ride to find affordable houses in the cold with a health condition, who will help when this is not within anyones scope of service. When volunteers are limmited in how they can help. Perhaps the fact that they are supposed to be christ like in their ministry bothers me the most when placing a scope of service on the great commandment "Love thy neighbor as thy self" If you love yourself would you tell someone no don't go the extra mile for me stay within your scope of sevice, your regular routine, I'll make it somehow? Jesus has done all he had to do for us. He while rich was made poor for us. Do we not know that when we are kind to the poor we are lending to God. Do we not know that prying for others and helping the poor will come up as a memorial offering before God himself? We can be the feet of Jesus, the hands of Christ, the mouthpiece at times. We can be the vehicle, we can be the home. We have a choice everyday to Love our neighbor and in doing so we are demonstrating our love to God. Or we can turn away willing vessels in the community, collect our heartless paychecks and stay in our scope of service.
If this has disturbed you, perhaps this will sicken you, I received a call from a friend who stated I was not allowed to go back to the ministry and volunteer for if I do I may be arrested. This does not take me by surprise, Many afflictions have the righteous but the Lord promises they shall be delivered from them all. This too shall pass. This ministry leader is a foolish man in my opinion. The ministry has 16 employees, the highest paid positions are held by caucassion people and a couple of african women. The population is not correctly represented if you ask me. He is either a sexstice discriminator, or an out of date christian prodistant that desires a polite woman to sit quietly. We need people in the community that are fair, empathetic, and passionate christian people to get up and stand on the word of the Lord. People that have a heart willing to share the love of Christ. Christ would not exhile people. He would not condemn them. He would help them be there when they fail and continue to see them through victory without growing weary. If he could walk among us one more time and collect his diciples they would not be rich, righteous, educated, brilliant or anywhere near perfect. They would be some of the most rediculous misfits you could imagine. He would see their true potential, he would look past their outward man and look at who they will be "when given a real chance" when taken by the hand of one that will not grow weary" Will not forsaken but will be passionate for them.
Our country was built for believers on the backs of the oppressed and we were supposed to be a greater people. Money will not make you great, people will not care about how smart or educated you are until they know how much you care. If everyone sacraficed for one family...for one person...rides, meals, clothes, personal hygene products, money, housing, time for one year demonstrating their love for their neighbor, their love for God the economy would become restored. What good will it do any of us to become better than the feberbial Joneses or even keep up with them if we never pay off this national deficit and face the detrimental consequences. By sacrafice and obedience alone we will have more jobs, business owners, taxpayers this will fix our economy. We should be looking at the bigger picture and secure the future of our prosterity sake. We should be faithful over this one thing to get in the ruling seat of bigger things. Remember as long as an exhile convict which is our largest growing homeless population is among us they are our neighbors too give them a second chance after they paid their debts. We create systems to rehabilitate and then do not have faith in our own systems. We do not want them working for us and we do not want them living next door. They can help the economy by paying taxes. I hope someone has heard my plea to the community and your eyes have been opened. The power of God will rest upon us if we will just look past our own circumstances, practice our faith and become willing vessels.