I am a regular watcher of a news program that you've probably never heard of -- Religion and Ethics Newsweekly on PBS. This weekly half-hour program attempts to even-handedly cover religion, and I think it does an admirable job. Given its American audience, it is heavily focused on Christianity and Judaism. But beyond this editorial bias, it covers various denominations and faiths fairly.
On the most recent program last weekend, which I came across earlier today, they ran a feature profile on a homeless preacher in California. This is an interesting story, trying to determine if this man is living out Jesus' teaching or has been led astray. This obviously smart, and well educated (he was working on a PhD), man decided that all possessions are an illusion and he decided to give them all up. So now he is homeless, and he works odd jobs so that he has money to give to people who ask him for it.
Here is a link to the story.
I'm not sure how I feel about this story. There are certain aspects (like the implicit dissolution of his marriage) that are troubling. But it certainly is an intriguing way to consider one's own faith, and it offers a radical transformation of how our lives could be as disciples of Christ.
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2 comments:
"The words of the Prophets are written on the subway walls and tenement halls."?
We make a grave error if we ignore the homeless. Son Tim just yesterday told me about an ambulance call he had this week, and that we now have a tent city which has gone up in Fairmont. IN FAIRMONT. (I omit here a political reference equivalent to the Depression's "Hooverville.") It is between 6th & 13th Street below Beltline, in the woods by the tracks. It's going to get cold. What will we do? No kidding, you young guys want to join me on a walk in the woods? (OK, ladies, it may be sexist, but that is not an appropriate venue for most of you. These may be needy people, but they also can be rough people.)
And another error is ignoring the sick in body or in heart in the congregation; the grieving and worried; the happy and positive youth in need of encouragement even when they don't know that; the numb, the dumb, the dull; the spiritually ignorant (that would include me); and the Godly person who nevertheless is human and subject to the human condition. There is soooo much need in the world, and in the community. I don't know how Josh does it, frankly - it would drive me nuts to work his crazy hours and still see the waterfall of human need running unabated.
Josh, this is the sharing the tears thing, right?
R
I suppose it is, Roger.
There is always human need, all around us. I guess I just try to cherish and celebrate the snall victories we have over it each day.
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