Winter Poems by Favorite American Poets (1870)

Another fantastic wintry book to read as the snow blankets the ground tomorrow. I'm feeling pretty steampunk at this point. A wonderful selection from within is posted below. Click on lithograph above to read entire book.

The Snow Storm

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky

Arrives the snow and driving o'er the fields

Seems nowhere to alight the whited air

Hides hills and woods the river and the heaven

And veils the farm house at the garden's end

The sled and traveller stopped the courier's feet

Delayed all friends shut out the housemates sit

Around the radiant fireplace enclosed

In a tumultuous privacy of storm

Come see the north wind's masonry

Out of and unseen quarry evermore

Furnished with tile the fierce artificer

Curves his white bastions with projected roof

Round every windward stake or tree or door

Speeding the myriad handed his wild work

So fanciful so savage naught cares he

For number or proportion

Mockingly,

On coop or kennel he hangs

Parian wreaths;

A swan like form invests the hidden thorn;

Fills up the farmer's lane from wall to wall

Maugre the farmer's sighs and at the gate

A tapering turret overtops the work

And when his hours are numbered and the world

Is all his own retiring as he were not

Leaves when the sun appears astonished Art

To mimic in slow structures stone by stone

Built in an age the mad wind's night work

The frolic architecture of the snow

Imanu'el עִמָּנוּאֵל : God Is With Us

The Birth of Jesus the Christ

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. ~Luke 2:1-20

I've looked at this passage every Christmas but this Christmas something struck me that hadn't struck me before. In the narrative, "an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." Terrified is actually: efobhqhsan fobon megan-were- afraid-fear-great ...exceedingly afraid, probably for their lives and they most likely would've rather have been anywhere but there at that given moment.

In contrast we see the reaction to Jesus. It is just the opposite. Not afraid of God incarnate but rather drawn to Him has he was in a form that was conducive to attracting people. A cute, innocent and defenseless baby. God came in a form that was completely approachable, not as a terrifying dominate ruling King but a humble infant that to the world looked as if He was an infinitesimally small spec of humanity. They don't just "go" to Him but they hlqon speusanteV - they came-being diligent or "they made haste; moved quickly to him". So we have the messengers of the Lord in this situation actually being more fear inducing than the One who sent them. Here again we see the carefully orchestrated and crafted genius of an Almighty God.

To have others of renown, power and authority speak of your glory and greatness is vastly more impressive that you speaking for yourself, it holds much more credence than self-promotion. To then come in the form of something so simple and humbled speaks of a paradox or paradigm where words fail for lack of enough reverence to its greatness. His greatness.

Brilliant.

Christmas Carol by Felicia Hemans (1864)

I love finding these 19th Century Victorian Christmas books. They take me back to another time and place. Click on the book to download it and read some.

O lovely voices of the sky 

That hymned the Saviour's birth

Are ye not singing still on high

Ye that sang Peace on earth

To us yet speak the strains

Wherewith in days gone by

Ye blessed Syrian swains

O voices of the sky

O clear and shining light whose beams

That hour heavens glory shed

Around the palms and o'er the streams

And on the shepherd's head

Be near through life and death

As in that holiest night

Of Hope and Joy and Faith

O clear and shining light

O star which led to Him whose love

Brought down man's ransom free

Where art thou midst the hosts above

May we still gaze on thee

In heaven thou art not set

Thy rays earth might not dim

Send them to guide us yet

O star which led to Him

Mary Sings

Mary’s Song adorns the latter portion of Luke 1. We also learn of the divine kindred connection between Mary and Elizabeth in this chapter due to the fact that John will be the "Messenger of the Covenant" in Malachi 3:1. This first messenger will also prepare the way for God or in this context/case Jesus Christ and as suddenly as this messenger will come, the Lord they are seeking will come to His temple. He will be born of Mary.

Knowing this makes the identity of the One that will usher in the New Covenant and the One who will abrogate the Old Covenant obvious. It is Jesus Christ or the One who will prove He is God by purifying His people like a “refiners fire” and punishing sinners. He will fulfill the ceremonial law once and for all. He will up the ante on the moral laws as these laws were not abrogated but further elaborated upon and the true implications are brought to the surface by Christ in places like the Sermon on the Mount. "You have heard it said...but I say to you..."

But before any of this we have a loving human mother, Mary. She loves God and she loves her unborn child. What is it about the Magnificat, The Song of Mary or Mary's prayer that should draw our attention in this most sentimental of times? If you look real close you will realize something fascinating about Mary and her song. Someone had taken the time to teach her about the abundant prophecies of the Old Testament. Although this was not an uncommon occurance for a 1st century Jew, it was kind of odd for a 1st century Jewish female. This was most likely transfered to her via the aural/oral tradition from one educated in the synogogues. A male (most likely her father) had taught her to be knowledgable in the plan laid forth for her people. What is even more interesting is her knowledge was intrincate. Please observe Mary's prayer/song and note the Old Testament references. I guess I should preface right off the bat by saying the whole idea of singing a song over the pregnancy and birth of a long awaited child finds a comparison with Hannah's Song and some of the prayer even resembles Hannah's. The first seven verse of Mary's hymn are nearly identical to 1 Samuel 2:1-7. So let us see some of the other Old Testament parallels. I will note the direct corrolations but your knowledge of the Old Testament will allow you to make even more extensive connections to other passages.

Mary's Song

 (46) And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord, (47) and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, Psalms 103:1
 (48) for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,  1 Samuel 1:11; Psalms 25:18

(v46-48) Mary praises God for what He has done her, a woman of lowly birth. Although she is not lifted out of her human earthly condition, in a spiritual level she is, as Elizabeth is quite aware: Blessed among women...

 (49) for the Mighty One has done great things for me-holy is his name. Psalms 22:3, 71:22, 89:18, 99:3, 103:1, etc
(50) His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. Psalms 103:17

(v49-50) Mary gives thanksgiving and praise. She contemplates not only the earthly things but also God's lovingkindness in the "generation to generation" comment.

(51) He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. Psalms 44:3, 98:1, Isaiah 53:1, Psalms 89:10, Job 12:19, 2 Samuel 22:28
(52) He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 2 Samuel 22:18, Job 5:11
(53) He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. Psalms 103:5, 107:9

(v51-53) Mary mentions God's mercy in contrast to the severity towards those who do not revere Him.

(54) He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful Psalms 25:6, 98:3, 136 (2nd part of each verse) 147:2, 19
(55) to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.” Genesis 12:2,3; 17:7; 22:15-18, Exodus 2:24, 2 Samuel 22:51, Psalms 105:6-10, Micah 7:20

(v54-55) Mary exalts the mercy of God and the covenant promise God made to humanity through Abraham. A fact that is even of value to Christian believers today (Galations 3:9, 29)

A smart, biblically educated and godly woman that would be the human mother of Christ. Not surprising, not surprising at all.

Art: 1-eisbacher

The Christmas Surgery

I wanted to get this story to print before I forgot some of the details. I thought it would be a great Christmas story. I was in the hospital for sinus surgery today, three days before Christmas. I went in the morning around 10 and it was to be a quick in-and-out outpatient. So much for well laid plans of men. It was to be a one hour surgery that probably would've had me home by 2-2:30 pm. God had different plans. It started with a fire alarm around 11 am in the hospital. The alarm was a test but it put things in disarray and set the tone for the remainder of the day. The fire alarm, which is apparently linked to the piping in the hospital  caused grief near the operation room and scrub room. This pushed back my surgery about an hour.

I didn't go under until around 1:30 for a 12:00 noon surgery. According to my doctor half way through my surgery he ran into issues with my septum and some other nonsense that was causing grief (probably my brain). A short surgery went wide and deep and I ended up in the OR for over two hours. I didn't regain consciousness until 4:30pm. In excruciating pain I might add. I have had quite a few surgeries and some broken bones and mangled body parts but this was the longest most acute pain I can remember. This is all fine and dandy but here is where it really starts to get interesting.

The pain was so bad that they couldn't really discharge me. So I kind of worked with one of the nurses to help find a happy medium. I didn't want to stay overnight three days before Christmas and I had the feeling the registered nurse on duty with me didn't want to stay in the O.R. all night either. The O.R. officially closes at 6:00pm and by 5:45pm the pain was about the same and the woman sat patiently by the head desk waiting for my Narcs to kick in. She had left my curtain open because at 6:15 there were no other people in the O.R. ...everyone had gone home except for a attendant to wheel me out and he was in the lobby watching TV. The janitor had walked past and I was just watching the nurse reading and waiting patiently for me.

With my face absolutely killing me and in no mood to talk...I felt absolutely compelled to ask this woman a question...the Holy Spirit has impeccable timing :)

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?"
She looks over cautiously and says, "No, no one else is really here to overhear anyway, go for it."
"You wouldn't happen to be a Christian would you?"
"Why yes, yes I am"

As I begin to talk with her the pain in my face that the drugs couldn't kill goes away and I find out that she goes to a church near my home. I find out that she doesn't normally work this shift. I find out she lost her husband a year ago. I find out her son is suffering from brain cancer...and I forget about the pain in my face two hours after surgery and begin to feel her pain. The pain shifts from my face to my heart. I have just lost my father and Christmas just won't be the same without him. But she has lost more or so it seems.

I feel her pain. Two Christian people three days before Christmas, in pain and suffering. I ask her if I can pray for her and she agrees. I pray the best I can in my discomfort and the pain feels almost secondary. I realize then and there that this moment is Christmas in its truest sense. No gifts, no trees, no snowmen or reindeer. Only a love of God, Jesus Christ and compassion for my neighbor. Especially one that is in pain. I imagine the feeling is mutual. She crys because of her pain and I tear-up because my face feels as if it has been mangled with a hammer (actually I cry because I am moved by the moment but tough guys can't admit to being crybabies). My wife then returns from the CVS and comes in with the kids to pick me up. She had left for only 10-15 minutes but it was just enough time to speak privately without my children climbing the walls. In the pain of another we unload some of our own.

Then I start to think about the timing and scheduling. If the fire alarm hadn't gone off the hospital wouldn't have had problem with the plumbing and the surgery wouldn't have started late. If the doctor hadn't found more "stuff" to cut out of my face the surgery wouldn't have taken so long and I would've recovered sooner. If my pain would've been less I would've been discharged sooner and never had those 15 minutes with the nurse at the Nurse's Station across from my recovery room. Had this woman not worked this shift I wouldn't even have met her.

I was late all day. The hospital was running behind because of unforeseen events. The day got pushed further and further back until I almost needed to be admitted to the hospital for the night. My wife spend a majority of the day in and around a hospital (thank goodness for Home Depots) and was quite late getting us all home. The nurse was late getting home too. All this transpiring three days before Christmas.

...but God's timing was and always is perfect. And now I see just how perfect it was.

A week ago I kind of thought it was strange to have surgery days before Christmas but now I know why I needed to be there exactly at the time that I was. It was to comfort and pray for a fellow Christian, ....a neighbor, my neighbor...all while my nose was bleeding like a stuffed pig.

^"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Free Agent In A Team Effort

Many people are under the impression that if they obey God and stay within His Will they end up leading tediously boring monochromatic lives. As Blackaby and King once said in their book Experiencing God, the correct question to pray to God for-or to ask Him is not, "What is Your will for my life Lord?" but instead it is, "What is Your will?" This puts you in the correct frame of mind. It is not a matter of what God can do for you but is an issue of knowing His Will and adjusting your life accordingly so that you are in His purposes (Exo 3:8,10). When I am in the zone where He wants me I have found that I am anything but static and bored. I am constantly navigating the field for errant fly balls so to speak. As I grow in my walk I become more cognizant of His presence in the world. I become more aware of things that He is doing because I recognize the marks of the holy in the things that transpire in the world.

People need to stop looking at serving God as some horrendous chore that takes you to the far reaches of civilization on a mission in Sub-Saharan Africa and plants you firmly like a tree. This is not to say that you may not end up in one place for a sustained period of time wandering in the outfield. I am sure there are some in the ministry that would be quite content with a static mundane existence...but these appear more an exception often times, not a norm. As I have journeyed further into what I believe God is calling me to I have found more diversity of duty and brevity/fragmentation of my time. Chasing fly balls over my head and worm burners right down the line. The ministry is anything but mundane and anything but commonplace. God continually puts me in positions where I need to step outside my comfort zone and do so in faith to help His team. God has never heavily informed me on the front-end of the duties that He has laid out for me to address and accomplish (Matt 6:33). I need to head into it trusting Him. I know that He would never send me into a task that I was unprepared or unequipped for. In doing so I have learned to trust Him more. It is a self-feeding cycle. By investing the faith up front knowing He will equip me for the job I end up building more faith in the process of completing the task (Gen 12:1-5). As my relationship with Him grows my knowledge of Him grows. The apostle Paul said it best when he wrote, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:6). Just like when you have a human companion and you get to know them better...you trust more. You have an instilled faith.

I am also finding that my background in business, project management, engineering and design is starting to come in handy. Many of the things that would inundate or freak out people new to ministry due to their multi-layered complexity and seeming insurmountably just look like another manageable project to plan for and for me to take care of....but this time they are for the most important boss I will ever have. God. I know that I need to eat the elephant one bite at a time or it will choke me. The enemy goes down one out and one inning at a time.

God doesn't want you to just work harder, He wants you to work smarter too (Rom 12:1-2). He has given you the work instructions/playbook. He has told you the parameters of the game (2 Tim 3:16-17). He has told you the dirty tricks the opposing team plays so it can cheat to gain an upper hand (Eph 6:12). For many it has just sat on their nightstands month after month and year after year collecting dust. The binding on the playbook is never cracked and there are probably pages still stuck together because they have never been separated after printing. The work manual has never been read. The proud owners of these manuals leave them on their nightstands untouched. They think they have better ideas of how to perform their duties (Pro 21:24). All the while the One who designed their job duties and the tools to accomplish them goes ignored along with the work instructions He has graciously provided. The Bible. These rogues act like free agents that are show-boaters working for themselves for the most gain and most profit...for themselves. It isn't about the team. It isn't about helping others or doing it for the greater glory of something larger than themselves. They are then soundly trounced by the opposing team (Pro 16:18). The opposing team knows your weaknesses and will exploit them. They have had plenty of time to review the plays and see the video. The enemy has diligently studied their prey and they prowl like a hungry lion waiting for an opening to pounce (1 Pet 5:8). One man showboating and committing an error in the open field jeopardizes the efforts of the entire team.

Conversely, being a player in ministry makes everyone on the team working towards the same goal and still doing so in a state of free agency ready to move at a moments notice. They can separate and recombine at any given time and pretty much produce the same end results regardless of how they are configured or where they are called to engage the opposite side. These believers that play by the rule book and work instructions, the ones that adhere to the rules become indispensable to God. They function well on a team...if they function as a team (Ps 133:1, 1 Cor 1:11-13, Eph 4:1-3, Phil 1:27, 2:2, 3:16-17, 1 Pet 3:18). Every one of them plays their position better than any other or God would not have them there but very rarely will they win a game if they do not work together. There are individual relationships required in these tasks but it is also clearly a team effort.  They adapt well to different environments and improvise when the odds are long.

This is an interesting life. I am not young enough to be naive anyone. I do not hold some unrealistic views of how things should be anymore. I do not have a pie-in-the-sky image of the ministry. I realize people are often messy in their sinfulness and this makes for some messy problems that require mop-up. I know that games can be lost when the bases are loaded against me if I loose faith in God and the things He has given me to complete the task (Proverbs 3:5-6). So we need to suit up and be properly fitted to face the opposition. It only takes forgetting one piece of my uniform or loosing focus on that ball for a split second for me to drop it (Eph 6:10-18).

But what I have seen is...when everything works together properly as it should things become miraculous. I have seen things that border on the absurd or they are miracles when God is firmly in the picture and my faith is strong. The odd-defying home runs in the bottom of the ninth by the catcher against the best pitcher in the league (figuratively speaking). I have seen some amazing things (Romans 8:28-30).

We are all gifted by God through the Holy Spirit for the positions that we play (1 Cor 12:4-7 see below). God knows the count and He knows how this game ends (Isa 46:10). He knows were we are best suited. He knows who's best equipped for the task and choses those accordingly (Jer 1:5, 29:11). If there are others that are not quite as well equipped He equips them until they are perfect for the position (Matt10, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). And be warned...on God's field it is not uncommon for Him to put a catcher in to do the pitchers job every now and then (Isa 55:8-9). Why? Because God works with ordinary men to do great things (1 Cor 1:26-30). Things that not even they can believed they could do. He prepares us, who better to know when we are ready to change positions? 

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord;  and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  1 Corinthians 12:4-7

If I had taken the view that ministry was going to be boring and uneventful because I would be stuck in a dead end team in the minor leagues that never made it to the pennant, I would still be stuck in a real dead end job that brought me no joy and I personally believe was actually killing me one day at a time.

I am still in the game and I intend to give everything I have for the team. Would you? (2 Tim 4:6-8)

"Put me in Coach! I'm ready to play!" (Isaiah 6:8)

Christmas At My House

Evil & Suffering IX: Poverty, War & Social Evils

Of all the topics to consider when dealing with theodicy, one of the thorniest has to be the issue that encompasses poverty, social evils and war. There are innumerable variables that play into the complex systems that govern humanity and we could only scratch the surface in this twenty-seven (27) part study. Since these systems that govern the social interaction of humanity en masse are so complex it only takes them getting out so sync just slightly to have a catastrophic end result. The three primary evils, poverty, war and social evils generally have their inception in moral evil (man caused) but once started they can take on a life of their own totally independent of their initiating force (mankind). I originally wanted to place this under the natural evil section but it stands to reason that poverty is avoidable by people doing the right thing to fix the problem. If people work together with a biblical mindset to help stamp out this type of problem, it would not exist. The fact that poverty, war and social evils still exist points towards the fact that either (1) enough action hasn’t been taken to prevent it or (2) a choice has been made to do little or nothing about it. Regardless of which reasoning we use they both stem from a choice or choices of mankind making all of these derivatives of moral evil and thereby caused and of mankind.

Tied directly into the poverty issue is a nearly symbiotic association with rulers or states (countries or powers). For most of recorded history areas have been either ruled of under jurisdiction of some type of controlling power. These powers have the ability to make things better for their populaces or they can make them hell on earth. Nation-states have been the promoters of some of the greatest goods to advance mankind like the prosperity of the United States in the 20th Century or they have been the biggest perpetrators of evil like Nazi Germany of the 20th century. In the case of the Nazis, not only do we see mechanized warfare on a global scale we also see genocidal exterminations nearly as efficient as ones told of in the Old Testament. Case-In-Point: We saw Assyria used as a tool of God to nearly annihilate His own people while simultaneously Assyria commit these acts of evil under their own volition thereby condemning and dooming themselves to God’s wrath and judgment. Assyria believed they were destroying enemies under their own power but it was really God allowing them to gain the victory (ies) (Carson 49). To definitively try and pinpoint exact reasons for outbreaks of social strife or wars is an effort in futility. What we do know for sure is that God uses and has used the evils of war just as he uses all the otherevils to move history forward for His purposes. We know this is true because God is sovereign and he knows everything that happens in His creation…and either allows it or causes it. We see examples of this all over the Old Testament. God using Assyria as mentioned. He also uses Pharaoh/Egyptians, Babylonians, civil war, etc. The evils and wars are allowed by God but not caused by God. Often we see horrible atrocities arise out of these armed conflicts but we also see good things arise out of these same conflicts. We see medical and technological advances for humanity due to the need to better treat injured soldiers or reach an expedient end to the conflict. We see a more earnest attempt at some form of legitimate peace after an atomic end of World War II that saw the dropping of two atomic bombs on two Japanese cities in 1945.

As for poverty there are multiple types and they should at least be noted individually to understand the differences (Carson 52-57).


The Unfortunate Poor:
People that are the product of unfortunate situations / circumstances. Drought has ruined the crops or disease has stricken the moneymaker in the family. The family then becomes destitute or without resources for money or food. There is sin involved here but is against the backdrop of mankind’s fall in Adam.

The Oppressed Poor:
Poverty that is the direct result of malevolent intent, extortion or exploitation of others. Usually we see it is the rich exploiting the marginally poor or poverty-stricken. It is also in this form of poverty that we see the creep or the influx of moral evil since it is the perpetration of a sin or misdeed on one human by another. It is also this type of poverty that draws the Lord’s wrath on the perpetrator.

The Lazy Poor:
I believe the best way to address this form of poverty since it is a poverty on one’s own doing should be addressed with Scripture as this type of poor is easily avoidable if one adheres to biblical principles or presuppositions.

“The soul of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, while the soul of the diligent is richly supplied.” Proverbs 13:4

“Poverty and disgrace come to him who ignores instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is honored.” Proverbs 13:18

“In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.” Proverbs 14: 23
Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep, and an idle person will suffer hunger. Proverbs 19:15

It is clear within Scripture that we are urged to avoid laziness wherever possible. We see in Genesis that we were in fact created and put in the garden of Eden by God to “work it and keep it” (v. 2:15). As we were created to glorify God it is evident that God intended man to glorify God through this “work”. My guess is that it is because the act of working was an emulation or imitation of what God had done during the act of creation. Furthermore we see an additional allusion of work/rest in the seventh day where God rested from his work and He, “blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” God did not rest because He was tired but it was a sabbatical instated for man (to emulate).

The Voluntary Poor:
This one’s a no-brainer. These are the poor that live in poverty by choice. It is usually those who take a vow of poverty. I do not view this as an evil as it is poverty by choice.

To surmise the issue of poverty for cases other than laziness and voluntary poverty we need to realize that they are preventable if society at large (or governments) that are in charge would address the problem. Instead we often see just the opposite down through history in the Bible and outside of the Bible. Instead of helping the poor we often see governments and leaders oppressing the poor or “bleeding them dry”. We have an obligation to help the poor as they are often society’s most vulnerable.

“You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.“If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him. If ever you take your neighbor's cloak in pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down, for that is his only covering, and it is his cloak for his body; in what else shall he sleep? And if he cries to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate. Exodus 22:22-27

When people turn a blind eye to the poor ignoring the widows, children and the weak or disenfranchised of society we know that God frowns upon this and He will judge it. Through Moses we see God establish clear guidelines when dealing with the poor (and widows and orphans).