When people quote Jesus according to Matthew as saying, “When I was hungry, you fed me. When I was homeless, you gave me shelter. When I was naked, you clothed me,” they always seem to want you to believe it says, “When I was hungry, the government took your money to feed me. When I was homeless, the government took your money to give me shelter. When I was naked, the government gave me this lousy t-shirt.”
I don’t disagree with much of this, but the generosity of churches is not a solution to hungry kids in public schools- ask any teacher who witnesses the need (and yes, sometimes neglect) of their students. I’m not sure Jesus would advocate policy discussions that delay putting food in a hungry child’s stomach, either. A perfect example is the disciples wanting to send the crowd of ten thousand away to find their own food, and Jesus’ response, ‘YOU feed them.’
Also, I agree with you adults need to be held to account, but minor children with no power of their own shouldn’t have to pay the price in the name of discouraging socialism.
Bottom rung s**t is where I would scroll on. These are words most often used by angry leftists, whether they proclaim to be Christians or not. Too bad.
I was nervous when I saw the title but the content was excellent.
I’ve heard (or maybe read somewhere?) that if the churches were doing their job, then the government wouldn’t have to do a whole lot else. I do think that the government has a responsibility to care for its citizens, and a little bit of “socialism” makes sense (I’m Canadian, what do you expect?). I am also painfully aware of how much we are lacking in actually living as we ought.
We live in a fallen world. We keep falling for lies. Until we get ourselves sorted we can’t expect the world to see us as anything but hypocrites.
Thanks Kaeley.. you are right. Socialist solutions are bad for society and for the individual as both get increasingly incompetent and poorer over time. Of course here in Minnesota, Govorner Knuclehaed and team blue passed their signature legislation (according to them) that gives ALL Minnesota kids in school free breakfast and lunch every school day. The food waste is incredible and it cost about 5.00 a meal to provide but it is of course "free" when government funds it. You can provide a PBJ or egg salad sandwich w/ a piece of fruit and some chips or crackers for half of that and not put in the fruit or chips if you know your kid won't eat it. Plus as you aluded to, these some of the only things left where parents can help demonstrate planning and personal responsibility.
And, Minnesota's billion dollar surplus of the post Covid years is turning into a five billion dollar deficit. #Walzsfailedlegacy
Excellent Kaeley. I love how you break down the emotional charged response. The online responses are like someone tossing a hand grenade in a room full of people arguing only there’s 10 seconds instead of 3 to walk over and put the pin back in. A couple weeks ago I commented on what seemed to be a safe question, who is the Packers all time best quarterback? I said Bart Starr. The first response I received I was called a fu—ing idiot. It actually made me laugh out loud. Anyway, well said.
Girl, yes. This argument right here. Thank you for laying it out so succinctly. I need to memorize this, because my depleted mom-of-toddler brain can't seem to put half a thought together anymore, ha.
Yeah. I wrote an article asking "Are you really coming from a place of love?" But it had to do with COVID. People just assumed if you were against mask mandates then you were evil.
They think that because they are 1-dimensional thinkers. They are stuck believing that their beliefs are "good" and so anyone who disagrees is "evil."
They do not ask questions like, "How could this person disagree with me but be doing that from a place of love too?" They prefer their Drama Triangle rather than getting a more nuanced, higher perspective.
Kaeley, thank you for your thoughtful essay and for speaking truth. Our pastor always reminds us that moral change only comes after heart change. And heart change comes from the Holy Spirit. We are each given a circle of influence and I pray that as believers we continue to speak loving truth in a kind, patient manner. Even as believers, we all can humbly ask where our blind spots are or where we are feeling prideful and superior.
Governement is not altruistic or sacrificially loving. It takes big cuts of money appropriated from working people and more cuts from programs that are supposed to address the needs of distressed people. It is no surprise that several of the richest counties in America are clustered around Washington, DC. Your testimony here is so welcome and strengthening to the body of Christ. Thank you for your words and for what you endured that imbues them with credibility.
The requirement of love is to love. I ran a feeding program for eight years in Westchester County, New York, one of the wealthiest counties in the country. Our mission was simple: to feed needs and foster hope. The need we focused on was hunger. Back in the beginning, we operated out of a church and were part of a church outreach program. But to be able to acquire grants, we needed to become a separate nonprofit organization. There are two problems with grants: government grants and foundation grants. They usually fund new operations and programs, and they don't cover the cost of salaries or overhead. It is up to the nonprofit to find a funding stream for the program after the grant period ends. You have to be very creative to keep your program funded year after year. COVID unleashed millions of dollars through state and local governments to obtain more and more food to distribute to the hungry, but pantries and soup kitchens were closed. So, we had to get creative and go mobile, bringing food and meals to families where they lived. We sought funding to purchase trucks, hire drivers, and train staff to do the same jobs that mega companies like Amazon and Fresh Direct were doing. And we partnered with restaurants and farms to provide food at cost, helping them keep their employees working and getting paid. That solution is still working in many areas, and it is a better government-nonprofit partnership than ever existed before. With the abundance of recovered food from supermarkets (food that hasn't sold), we prepare school lunches and lunches for summer camps and after-school programs. In order for the system to work, the people who run these businesses and nonprofits have to work together and they have to have a single goal, to share the love. It does work, and it doesn't cost as much.
When people quote Jesus according to Matthew as saying, “When I was hungry, you fed me. When I was homeless, you gave me shelter. When I was naked, you clothed me,” they always seem to want you to believe it says, “When I was hungry, the government took your money to feed me. When I was homeless, the government took your money to give me shelter. When I was naked, the government gave me this lousy t-shirt.”
I don’t disagree with much of this, but the generosity of churches is not a solution to hungry kids in public schools- ask any teacher who witnesses the need (and yes, sometimes neglect) of their students. I’m not sure Jesus would advocate policy discussions that delay putting food in a hungry child’s stomach, either. A perfect example is the disciples wanting to send the crowd of ten thousand away to find their own food, and Jesus’ response, ‘YOU feed them.’
Also, I agree with you adults need to be held to account, but minor children with no power of their own shouldn’t have to pay the price in the name of discouraging socialism.
This is a great essay. Thank you.
Bottom rung s**t is where I would scroll on. These are words most often used by angry leftists, whether they proclaim to be Christians or not. Too bad.
I was nervous when I saw the title but the content was excellent.
I’ve heard (or maybe read somewhere?) that if the churches were doing their job, then the government wouldn’t have to do a whole lot else. I do think that the government has a responsibility to care for its citizens, and a little bit of “socialism” makes sense (I’m Canadian, what do you expect?). I am also painfully aware of how much we are lacking in actually living as we ought.
We live in a fallen world. We keep falling for lies. Until we get ourselves sorted we can’t expect the world to see us as anything but hypocrites.
(This is about Christians in general.)
Thanks Kaeley.. you are right. Socialist solutions are bad for society and for the individual as both get increasingly incompetent and poorer over time. Of course here in Minnesota, Govorner Knuclehaed and team blue passed their signature legislation (according to them) that gives ALL Minnesota kids in school free breakfast and lunch every school day. The food waste is incredible and it cost about 5.00 a meal to provide but it is of course "free" when government funds it. You can provide a PBJ or egg salad sandwich w/ a piece of fruit and some chips or crackers for half of that and not put in the fruit or chips if you know your kid won't eat it. Plus as you aluded to, these some of the only things left where parents can help demonstrate planning and personal responsibility.
And, Minnesota's billion dollar surplus of the post Covid years is turning into a five billion dollar deficit. #Walzsfailedlegacy
sorry for typos that happen when composing on a phone... I am not a "textanista.."
I’m pro choice and I respect and agree with your reasoning on what we ought to be answerable for.
Excellent Kaeley. I love how you break down the emotional charged response. The online responses are like someone tossing a hand grenade in a room full of people arguing only there’s 10 seconds instead of 3 to walk over and put the pin back in. A couple weeks ago I commented on what seemed to be a safe question, who is the Packers all time best quarterback? I said Bart Starr. The first response I received I was called a fu—ing idiot. It actually made me laugh out loud. Anyway, well said.
Amen. Continue speaking truth.
Girl, yes. This argument right here. Thank you for laying it out so succinctly. I need to memorize this, because my depleted mom-of-toddler brain can't seem to put half a thought together anymore, ha.
Yeah. I wrote an article asking "Are you really coming from a place of love?" But it had to do with COVID. People just assumed if you were against mask mandates then you were evil.
They think that because they are 1-dimensional thinkers. They are stuck believing that their beliefs are "good" and so anyone who disagrees is "evil."
They do not ask questions like, "How could this person disagree with me but be doing that from a place of love too?" They prefer their Drama Triangle rather than getting a more nuanced, higher perspective.
Kaeley, thank you for your thoughtful essay and for speaking truth. Our pastor always reminds us that moral change only comes after heart change. And heart change comes from the Holy Spirit. We are each given a circle of influence and I pray that as believers we continue to speak loving truth in a kind, patient manner. Even as believers, we all can humbly ask where our blind spots are or where we are feeling prideful and superior.
Governement is not altruistic or sacrificially loving. It takes big cuts of money appropriated from working people and more cuts from programs that are supposed to address the needs of distressed people. It is no surprise that several of the richest counties in America are clustered around Washington, DC. Your testimony here is so welcome and strengthening to the body of Christ. Thank you for your words and for what you endured that imbues them with credibility.
The requirement of love is to love. I ran a feeding program for eight years in Westchester County, New York, one of the wealthiest counties in the country. Our mission was simple: to feed needs and foster hope. The need we focused on was hunger. Back in the beginning, we operated out of a church and were part of a church outreach program. But to be able to acquire grants, we needed to become a separate nonprofit organization. There are two problems with grants: government grants and foundation grants. They usually fund new operations and programs, and they don't cover the cost of salaries or overhead. It is up to the nonprofit to find a funding stream for the program after the grant period ends. You have to be very creative to keep your program funded year after year. COVID unleashed millions of dollars through state and local governments to obtain more and more food to distribute to the hungry, but pantries and soup kitchens were closed. So, we had to get creative and go mobile, bringing food and meals to families where they lived. We sought funding to purchase trucks, hire drivers, and train staff to do the same jobs that mega companies like Amazon and Fresh Direct were doing. And we partnered with restaurants and farms to provide food at cost, helping them keep their employees working and getting paid. That solution is still working in many areas, and it is a better government-nonprofit partnership than ever existed before. With the abundance of recovered food from supermarkets (food that hasn't sold), we prepare school lunches and lunches for summer camps and after-school programs. In order for the system to work, the people who run these businesses and nonprofits have to work together and they have to have a single goal, to share the love. It does work, and it doesn't cost as much.
Yes and amen.
Anti-social media