"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
-Luke 12: 18-19

You might go outside and look down your street. How many for sale signs do you see? One? Two? Ten?

Brothers and Sisters, we are in the middle of a brutal maelstrom of financial ruin that seeks to raze our culture and see families torn apart. Recent reports have estimated some 9,000 foreclosures are being filed each day in some of the more affected areas of this country. I hate to say it, but this seems as though it might get worse before it gets better; perhaps much worse. How many people do you know, in your life, who are losing or have already lost their homes? How many of those people are struggling just to eat, perhaps, for the first time in their lives?

As I speak with friends and observe reactions, it is as if people are desperately trying not to notice the reality of what is happening. I think some of that is normal. However, what really disturbs me, is that people are beginning to hold on to what they have a little tighter...even if they don't need to. A fear has gripped our country; a fear of going without; a fear of losing work and having to compete; a fear of never having a retirement, losing all that was invested. As a result, no longer are people as willing to help each other as much. Instead, people are trying to build bigger barns to store what they have...what they are afraid to lose.

I say to you that we must do the opposite. We must be more willing to help those in need, not less. This is a true emergency that will become worse, proportionate to how much we try to ignore it. If a family member needs to move in, you might consider it. If a neighbor needs food, then invite them for dinner. If a friend needs a job and you have yard work to be done, well then make it happen. If you don't have any of those things to give, then help that precious friend, family member, aquaintance or stranger find someone who does.

Regardless of the true depth of our sacrificial choices, we should proceed, having washed them with prayer first. Allow God to be part of the process. Our blessings will amount to so much more, if he is involved.

We ought to join in the suffering of our brothers and sisters. This is one of the main functions that we are to perform, here, in the world.

Of all the great blessings God has showered upon us, I don't believe that a single one of those blessings was meant to sit, motionless, in a dark barn while the people that God chose you to bless continue to suffer...perhaps in great faith.

Surely, God wants us to use his blessings to provide for our own families first and to manage our resources to that end. That, I feel, is a given. But, isn't it possible that some of us have a view of "going without" that is a little out of sync with the rest of the world? Could our idea of what "having extra" constitutes be a little skewed? Couldn't we redefine the concept of our own suffering just a bit, so that someone else can eat tonight?

Besides, if we are found unwilling to share God's great blessings in our lives out of fear of calamity, what does that say about our own faith in his ability to provide for us?

A storm is not on the horizon, nor is it imminent. It is already here, destroying lives. Nobody is immune and no buildings are safe--not even big barns. After all, disaster slips in and out of history despite our expectations regarding our own lives.

Remember, God already knows each of our fates. In the end, I don't think he will regard us as much for how well we survived the ordeal as for how passionately and selflessly we helped, encouraged and protected others.

Let's show our communities what can happen when people make genuinely sacrificial choices, for someone else, in the name of the King.