The morning kicked off with a small blessing: the parking meter still had 90 minutes on it when I pulled in! I had a brief appointment, and then decided to use the free time on my meter to walk around downtown, and just listen to what God would say.
Some people are fanatical–you can’t change their mind, and they won’t change the subject. For some, it’s sports. Others, money. Grandparents…they’ll regale you with stories of how their grandkids are the best to ever walk the planet.
Outside a little cafe, a fellow pastor was enjoying the sun and some warm caffeine. He invited me to join him, and I appreciated the moments to catch the burden on his heart. He’s moving west in a few months, completing nearly 6 years of ministry here in Fredericton. He spoke about what he called “the invisible people of the city”. He leaned forward as he shared his concern for those living on the fringes of society, the men and women without jobs, family, money or hope. In a city like Fredericton, he explained, fringers tend to get overlooked. We can easily not give them a second glance. While we’re busy with our day-to-day affairs, we can walk by them like they’re invisible.
My new friend told me of imploring the leaders of our city to do something for the fringers. The response from the halls of power was that it was the Church’s responsibility to look after them. It seemed to him that the solution from city hall was to build more things, drive the economy, and spend more money on “stuff” to alleviate the problem.
He challenged me with this thought: “It’s not the Church’s responsibility, any more than it’s the government’s responsibility…it’s everyone’s responsibility.”
What if everyone stopped passing the buck, wishing and hoping that someone else would help the fringers, and we all stepped up to make a difference?
What do you think?
duane collicott 