Well another 'successful' White Castle for the homeless run. We raised 260$ - not half bad (although let's face it, it's the same givers donating generously). And, as usual, only 4 of us, all of which run around together anyway, actually went. I have to include a fifth since we took his car (and he's been before).
Yunno the point of feeding the homeless isn't just handing out food. The point is that we interact. That we break bread with those who don't have anyone to break bread with. That we share love and time with those who noone else have the love to spend time with. Forking over some cash and feeling like you've done your part.... is questionable at best.
But you know what really get me. And I mean what
Really Gets me? I'm in 2 homiletics classes this semester. In both I hear multiple thousands of students sermons. Particularly since our lectionary this season is in Luke, I get to listen in to literally hundreds of homilies on taking care of the poor.
In fact I can't actually remember one sermons besides my own that didn't specifically mention the poor! The Irony abounds.
So with all of this feed the poor feed the poor feed the poor talk, what do we get? four. Yup. 4/120. That's exactly one in every 30 seminarians getting off of their (often large) rumps to actually
do anything worthwhile about the most mantra-reinforced activity of the Church.
Now of course this is going to invite all kinds of whining about me being judgemental. 1. I can live with that. 2. Give me a freaking break.
You know this isn't like one of those things where I don't "really know you" or "dont know what they do with their off time". We live together! For 20 hours a day on average I'm around other seminarians. I know what they're thinking, I know where they go, I know who they're... anyway. The point is, it's not like anyone's sneaking out of the seminary at 4am when I'm not looking and silently creeping over to the homeless shelter or the prison to visit some folks. It's not like there's a Cabal of secret do-gooders just trying to avoid public acclaim by going covert.
I think it's my duty from now on, when I hear a sermon on 'feeding the poor' (which, by the way, get old and annoying and never reinforce the gospel aspect of table fellowship and sharing time), I'm going to say "and when do you plan to start doing that?"
