Isaiah 58:6-7

It is incredibly sad that Isaiah’s call to action, written more than 2,500 years ago, still applies today. There continue to be people who are wrongly imprisoned, hungry and homeless. God’s word to us today is, therefore, unchanged from Isaiah’s day. He declares that the reality of our worship will be revealed by our willingness to care for those who are denied justice and as we reach out to feed the hungry and give shelter to the homeless.

I am thrilled that Christians are busily engaged in fighting for justice and providing practical relief for the hungry and homeless. The need is still enormous. There are more than 300,000 people in the UK who are either homeless or living in temporary accommodation. I have been struck by the terrible ease with which people can slip into homelessness. An ugly row with parents or a partner; the loss of a job; a time of depression or simply the inability to find affordable housing in a new town. People experiencing homelessness are just like us, apart from the fact that they no longer have the security of a home.

Before the 2008 recession the term ‘food bank’ was rarely heard. There are now more than 2,000 of them in the UK and, during the pandemic, they played a crucial role in ensuring that people were adequately fed. Christians do not have a monopoly in caring for the hungry - nor do we seek it - but it is wonderful that so many food banks are based in churches and supported by Christian volunteers. This is exactly what God wants to see. Fasting is a wonderful form of worship but if it doesn’t find expression in practical gritty action to support people in need, then God doesn’t want to know. He would rather we kept quiet until we have sorted ourselves out.

Question

In what ways are you supporting vulnerable people in your community?

Prayer

Lord God, I ask you to open my eyes to the needs of people around me, and to open my heart and pocket to respond to them. Amen