I blogged yesterday about the horrific tornadoes and storms we had in the Dallas area yesterday. And today, I see that one of our local, large churches is having children collect Easter baskets and candy for those affected by the tornado.
Seriously? I really mean SERIOUSLY?
People have lost their homes and belongings and you want to show up with candy and say Happy Easter?
So excuse me while I drag out my soap box, but this is really going over the top. And I'm sure I'm going to step on some toes and be rebutted, but if I can just get one person to think about this, then I'm going to say it. As a very wise friend once told us "if it's not helpful, it's not helping". And this my friends, is not really helpful.
I John 3:16-18 tells us "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."
Acts 4:32-35 tells us the early church shared "everything they had" and that "there were no needy persons among them".
The damage done by these storms is devasting - right now, people need shelter, they need clothes, they need food, they need comfort, they need prayers. But do they need candy? I applaud all efforts to help out people who have lost their homes or suffered damage to their possessions. And I believe that as a church - the body of Christ - we should be leading the way in providing for people's needs at this time - just like it says in I John. But let's meet people needs with more than with an Easter Basket of candy.
Instead, let's clean out our closets and garages, let's give gift cards to Walmart or Target, let's open up our homes, let's provide meals, let's help clean up. Even give an Easter basket full of bread, peanut butter and bottled water . . . but candy? I'm sorry, I just don't get it.
Let me put it this way - if you had just lost most of your possessions or your home was seriously damaged by a tornado, and your local church showed up with a basket of candy for your kids, what would you think?
And here's my other major concern - what does this teach our children? Proverbs 22:6 states "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." Here is a great opportunity to train our children on how to be the New Testament church, to meet needs, to help out. But let's not train our children that when people are in need, let's give them something they don't really need. As I said before, let's teach our children "if it's not helpful, it's not helping" and then let's look for ways to be helpful in a manner that meets their needs (and not just makes us feel good). Let's train them that the Easter is about the Jesus laying down his life for us and then coming back to life to show us that LIFE is for ALL. Can't we just be a church that shows our children that Easter is about Jesus and not just about Easter Baskets filled with candy.
Ok - I'll put my soapbox back in the closet.
Seriously? I really mean SERIOUSLY?
People have lost their homes and belongings and you want to show up with candy and say Happy Easter?
So excuse me while I drag out my soap box, but this is really going over the top. And I'm sure I'm going to step on some toes and be rebutted, but if I can just get one person to think about this, then I'm going to say it. As a very wise friend once told us "if it's not helpful, it's not helping". And this my friends, is not really helpful.
I John 3:16-18 tells us "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."
Acts 4:32-35 tells us the early church shared "everything they had" and that "there were no needy persons among them".
The damage done by these storms is devasting - right now, people need shelter, they need clothes, they need food, they need comfort, they need prayers. But do they need candy? I applaud all efforts to help out people who have lost their homes or suffered damage to their possessions. And I believe that as a church - the body of Christ - we should be leading the way in providing for people's needs at this time - just like it says in I John. But let's meet people needs with more than with an Easter Basket of candy.
Instead, let's clean out our closets and garages, let's give gift cards to Walmart or Target, let's open up our homes, let's provide meals, let's help clean up. Even give an Easter basket full of bread, peanut butter and bottled water . . . but candy? I'm sorry, I just don't get it.
Let me put it this way - if you had just lost most of your possessions or your home was seriously damaged by a tornado, and your local church showed up with a basket of candy for your kids, what would you think?
And here's my other major concern - what does this teach our children? Proverbs 22:6 states "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." Here is a great opportunity to train our children on how to be the New Testament church, to meet needs, to help out. But let's not train our children that when people are in need, let's give them something they don't really need. As I said before, let's teach our children "if it's not helpful, it's not helping" and then let's look for ways to be helpful in a manner that meets their needs (and not just makes us feel good). Let's train them that the Easter is about the Jesus laying down his life for us and then coming back to life to show us that LIFE is for ALL. Can't we just be a church that shows our children that Easter is about Jesus and not just about Easter Baskets filled with candy.
Ok - I'll put my soapbox back in the closet.
1 comment:
great post! you need to link to FB more often for those that need stuff right in front of them at all times. Haven't read your blog in a while. i am kicking back to catch up. Stay on the soap box- we need to wake up from our slumber and open our eyes!
lb
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