Pastor's Corner: Helping our neighbors

Typically, the Pastor’s Corner gives local pastors an opportunity to discuss issues of faith and fellowship for the local religious community. I am all in favor of that. It is a very good thing that the Whitman County Gazette gives column inches to those of the religious community. Any well-balanced conversation needs input from all sides. But, in a decidedly different twist, my pastor’s heart wants to speak of a much larger concern for our religious community. That concern is helping our neighbors.

In the gospel of Luke 10:25-37, Jesus delivers one of his most well-known parables, “The Parable of the Good Samaritan.” In this story, a man who is on his way to another town is ambushed by thieves and left for dead. A couple of very religious people walk by and see the poor man, but pass by on the other side of the road. Then, along comes a man who is a member of a hated minority community. This man picks the victim up, then gives him a ride to an inn where he pays for the man’s stay and care. The moral of the story is to care for those who need you to care for them.

Every Christian knows the shame of having been one of those who “pass by on the other side.” We could likely fill libraries with all of the excuses for why we didn’t meet the need of some specific individual who had a need that we could have met. I am one of those. I’ve done that very thing. I am still ashamed of myself for having let needs go unmet. Proverbs 3:27-28 says, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you, when you already have it with you.”

There are some needs that are so obvious that it would certainly be both immoral and unethical to allow them to go unmet. I am referring to those neighbors of ours who suffer the tragedy of personal disaster. Examples of this include house fires, flooding, landslides and wind damage. There are still many who are displaced because of this summer’s fires and the big wind storm.

As part of my pastoral service, I volunteer for the American Red Cross and visit families who lose their home and belongings as a result of tragedies like the ones mentioned above. Since I do not belong to a denomination, there are no denomination relief agencies that I can tap into to help meet local needs. So I do what I can individually and with the Red Cross.

If you belong to a denomination, maybe you can get involved in meeting local needs through their relief organization.

Some examples include Adventist Community Services, Brethren Disaster Ministries, Catholic Charities USA Disaster Response, Christian Disaster Response, Christian Reformed World Relief Committee, Church World Service, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop’s Fund for World Relief, Friends Disaster Service, International Association of Jewish Vocational Services, Lutheran Disaster Response, Mennonite Disaster Services, Nazarene Disaster Response, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Salvation Army, Society of St. Vincent De Paul, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, United Methodist Committee on Relief and other non-denominational charities such as Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision and Food For the Hungry.

It is not hard to get involved. You may say, “I am too weak and disabled to do anything.” Not so. You can give money to the charity of your choice. You can help with phone calls, doing mailers and (of course) pray for disaster workers and the victims of disaster. You can also volunteer, if you are able, to go and deliver services. All you need is a willing heart. My encouragement to you is don’t pass on the other side of the road. Reach out your hand and help. Proverbs 19:17 says, “Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward them for what they have done.”

Fredrick Tribble,

Missionary pastor