The few times Bobby and I have been to a Civil War Reenactment, he's always laughed a little and commented that most of the soldiers didn't exactly fulfill the role of starving soldiers. And when we read the history books and see the photos, I understand his comments. The average southern male during the civil war would not have weighed over 125 pounds. Many of them weighed much less. And yet today's reenactors weigh well over 225. Yes, things have definitely changed during the last 150 years.
This past few weeks we've been reading from Leviticus, and as we've read about the exemptions made for the poor (if they can't afford animals to sacrifice, they can use flour, etc) it makes me appreciate God even more for how much he pays attention to the tiniest detail. Working in the garden as a child, we were taught to check and double-check a plant before moving to the next one to make sure we didn't leave anything to waste. Yet during Biblical times, the Hebrews were commanded the exact opposite: leave fruit on the trees and vegetables or grain in the garden...so the hungry can pick what they need.
I love the two-fold principles here. One, we have a responsibility to share what we have. But two, (and the point my parents always emphasized), was that people had to do their part. Picking vegetables or fruit is not always a pleasant or enjoyable task. There's bugs; it's sweaty; it makes your muscles and joints ache. The command was not to simply give your extra food to the poor, but to make it available to them to pick themselves.
We're not an agrarian society anymore. Few people have gardens, and even the ones who do don't use it as a means to supply the majority of their food source. We have food banks and rescue missions, but how do we give to the poor without robbing them of their dignity? A handout doesn't give them the satisfaction and self-worth of earning their food, even if it is from someone else's garden. Recently a friend and I were discussing the number of people who truly struggle after serving time or overcoming addictions in finding work. No one wants to hire them. They are willing to work and desirous of living a good or godly life, but no one gives them a chance. My friend commented that we really needed a network of Christian businessmen who would step up to the plate and open positions for such people.
And I've thought about that quite a bit lately. Realistically, would I sacrifice my business or company's well-being by taking a risk on an unstable employee? Is that today's equivalent of leaving food in the field? Since I'm not a business person, it really doesn't matter, but I do wonder about these things. How do some of the good commands from the past fit into today's society? God clearly cares about those details, but how to translate them over into modern times is about as difficult as making a reenactor fit into a true uniform from 150 years ago.
This past few weeks we've been reading from Leviticus, and as we've read about the exemptions made for the poor (if they can't afford animals to sacrifice, they can use flour, etc) it makes me appreciate God even more for how much he pays attention to the tiniest detail. Working in the garden as a child, we were taught to check and double-check a plant before moving to the next one to make sure we didn't leave anything to waste. Yet during Biblical times, the Hebrews were commanded the exact opposite: leave fruit on the trees and vegetables or grain in the garden...so the hungry can pick what they need.
I love the two-fold principles here. One, we have a responsibility to share what we have. But two, (and the point my parents always emphasized), was that people had to do their part. Picking vegetables or fruit is not always a pleasant or enjoyable task. There's bugs; it's sweaty; it makes your muscles and joints ache. The command was not to simply give your extra food to the poor, but to make it available to them to pick themselves.
We're not an agrarian society anymore. Few people have gardens, and even the ones who do don't use it as a means to supply the majority of their food source. We have food banks and rescue missions, but how do we give to the poor without robbing them of their dignity? A handout doesn't give them the satisfaction and self-worth of earning their food, even if it is from someone else's garden. Recently a friend and I were discussing the number of people who truly struggle after serving time or overcoming addictions in finding work. No one wants to hire them. They are willing to work and desirous of living a good or godly life, but no one gives them a chance. My friend commented that we really needed a network of Christian businessmen who would step up to the plate and open positions for such people.
And I've thought about that quite a bit lately. Realistically, would I sacrifice my business or company's well-being by taking a risk on an unstable employee? Is that today's equivalent of leaving food in the field? Since I'm not a business person, it really doesn't matter, but I do wonder about these things. How do some of the good commands from the past fit into today's society? God clearly cares about those details, but how to translate them over into modern times is about as difficult as making a reenactor fit into a true uniform from 150 years ago.
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