The Poor, the Oppressed, and the Vulnerable

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

When Thomas Jefferson wrote these words in the Declaration of Independence, he didn’t actually mean them. All that was meant by "all men are created equal" was all straight, white men of means were created equal. He certainly wasn't going so far as to say women should have equal rights, or children, or the Native Americans, of the African slaves. Not even the poor white servants brought over to the States from England due to indentured servitude were included in this bold statement. They also were exempt from these unalienable rights.  

Over time, movements within our country have had to fight to win rights for everyone who is not straight, white, or male. The Children's Rights Movement, the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's Movement, the Disability Rights movement, the Black Lives Matter Movement, the Pride Movement, and so forth and so on, have all fought bravely and with no shortages of setbacks and losses merely to get the same basic rights which straight, wealthy, white men have had since Jefferson penned those words in 1776.

We weren't there yet. But we had made major gains. It seemed like we were heading in the right direction.

Not anymore.

Now we are heading backwards.

The series of executive orders of the past two weeks have stripped away many of the hard-earned gains we've experienced over the past fifty years. Executive orders regarding rounding up immigrants and the recently signed Larkin Riley Act strip basic human rights away from hard-working parents, grandparents, and even children - many of whom have been here for years without causing any problems. Executive orders targeting DEI initiatives and the Equal Opportunity Act are stripping rights from individuals with disabilities, from people of color, and from women. Executive orders targeting education are stripping rights for an equitable and accessible education for children (not to mention teaching true history, not redacted white male history). 

And it's all just getting started.

Changes to health programs, climate controls, and safety commissions mean we are all less safe. Less safe traveling, less safe in schools and workplaces, more likely to get sick, and more vulnerable to climate disasters. Killing our earth more and more each day, tipping us to the point of no return.

Freezes to international federal funding has taken away life-saving aid and medication to millions around the world. Freezes to internal federal funding are affecting the provision of food to children and seniors, services to refugees and asylees, preschool for low-income children, mental health services, homeless services, and substance abuse recovery. There are also plans to take away healthcare access and insurance to millions around the country.

Even at my own place of work, where we serve children who have been victims of child abuse and neglect, these freezes threaten programs which provide trauma-informed services to those children and their families.

With tariffs kicking in as soon as tomorrow, groceries and gas prices are going to rise (deporting the farm workers will contribute to this as well), the housing market will likely destabilize, and of course, we all know taxes are going up for everyone but the top percenters.

These changes make life harder for those for whom life is already hard: for the poor, the oppressed, and the vulnerable. It doesn't matter who voted for this and who didn't - we are all going to suffer in one way or another.

I said in the previous post that this is not a political blog. I still insist that is true. The question I propose to you with all of this in mind is therefore: Where does this leave us as Christians? What is the Church's role in these dark times?

Repeatedly in the Bible, from the Old Testament to the New Testament, God emphasizes His concern for the poor, the oppressed, and the vulnerable. The Bible has very explicit and precise commands about how we are to treat the least of these.

Right now, our government is treating the least of these in purposefully cruel ways. We as a Church, regardless of what our government is doing, regardless of what our country stands for today, tomorrow or next year, must follow the path of our higher citizenship. If we are believers, our duty is first and foremost to God, not to man, not to country nor flag. Our duty is to live out the words that God has commanded of us and to be the Church.

This means feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, housing the homeless, visiting those in prison, and welcoming the stranger. This means protecting those most vulnerable. This means loving those our government officially hates. This may require some civil disobedience. But again, our duty is not to the person in the White House. It is to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords who sits on the Throne of Heaven. 

God created us in His image. We are all His image-bearers. As such, we are all due unalienable rights, regardless of gender or race or religion or age or economic status or any other label we use to divide us. God loves all of us, sacrificially and unconditionally, and He calls us to love others as He loves us.

This is even more urgent and even more important in these days because the need is great and it’s only getting greater. As the government is no longer caring for the least of these, now is the time for the Church to rise and fulfill these needs, to advocate for the poor, the oppressed, and the vulnerable, and to bring comfort to the suffering. 

Just ask yourself, what would Jesus do?

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