Two years since Harvey. 

Two weeks since Imelda. 

Two reasons to help. 

I, like some others here in our community, have had the honor to help those who have been impacted by Imelda. Some of our neighbors had just got their lives back to some semblance of what it was like before Harvey and, like a jealous ex-girlfriend, Imelda has come through and brought drama with her devastation. 

Lives have been touched; spirits have been broken. Hope is almost lost for some. 

These are just some of the symptoms that may be pulling on our heartstrings. 

“Anyone Who Had a Heart”, a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dionne Warwick in 1963, expresses that “Anyone who had a heart would take me in his arms and love me, too. You couldn’t really have a heart and hurt me like you hurt me and be so untrue.” 

We say we love God, we say we love people. 

Have we taken these in our arms and be the vessel that God uses to bring comfort? How can we say we love them and hurt them the way we do by not giving help in the lane of our expertise? 

In Matthew the 25th chapter the King said “to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” because they fed Him, gave Him something to drink, naked and they clothed Him, was a stranger and they took Him. Then the “RIGHTEOUS” will answer Him, saying, “Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” And the King will answer and say to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.” 

The word says we entertain angels unaware. Are we willing to risk being dispatched to hell because we didn’t help?

 

Demetrius Moffett is Senior Pastor of Orange Church of God, 1911 North 16th Street in Orange.