Why Care?

Blog Post by Wendy Kauffman

So today I have been thinking a lot about these "Occupy Protestors." You should know that I don't really know why they are doing what they are doing. I have not really taken the time to dig into their political stance. I guess because it really does not seem to matter. Who are they helping anyway? What is the end goal of their protest? What do they hope to achieve? 

As Jeff and I planned and prepared for this journey we are on (as much as anyone can plan and prepare for something like this), we heard from many church planters and outreach pastors who have said over and over, you have to know what you want to achieve to reach that goal. It may take years to get there but you have to know. You need to write it down so that you can share it with other people.

The one thing that has upset me the most over these protestors is that they have been allowed to inhabit the public parks in our cities the way they have. Now, don't misunderstand, I fully believe that they should have this right, but we all should have this right. In most of these parks if a homeless person came in, pitched a tent and decided to stay in the park for an undetermined amount of time, that person would be ran off, fined and most likely even arrested. I just think it should be fair for everyone!

That being said, I still don't know what they hope to achieve, but it made me think about how if I had a bull horn, like many of these protestors, what I would say and then I remembered this passage in Isaiah 58:

6“No, this is the kind of fasting I want:
   Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;
      lighten the burden of those who work for you.
   Let the oppressed go free,
      and remove the chains that bind people.
 ⁷ Share your food with the hungry,
      and give shelter to the homeless.
   Give clothes to those who need them,
      and do not hide from relatives who need your help.
 ⁸ “Then your salvation will come like the dawn,
      and your wounds will quickly heal.
   Your godliness will lead you forward,
      and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind.
 ⁹ Then when you call, the Lord will answer.
      ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply.
   “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.
      Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors!
 ¹⁰ Feed the hungry,
      and help those in trouble.
   Then your light will shine out from the darkness,
      and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.
 ¹¹ The Lord will guide you continually,
      giving you water when you are dry
      and restoring your strength.
   You will be like a well-watered garden,
      like an ever-flowing spring.
 ¹² Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities.
      Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls
      and a restorer of homes.

Imagine if that was our focus, truly our focus, and not just using a bull horn so that our voice would be heard, but that we could actually be the ones that were rebuilders of walls and restorers of homes. I guess that is the message I would want people to hear far and wide.