Compassionate about the poor                                 Bill  Mulcahy  (Brisbane)                                  Bill's previous articles

Email from Bill: I just wired through to Masaka, Uganda enough money to complete the water harvesting project to the lower part of St Bernard's, Kasaala. They have been receiving some heavy falls of late so the tanks already completed are supplying such beautiful fresh water for the children. Praise God for the wonderful rain for these kids.

My video this week to share "Casting Crowns"  is from an upcoming movie called Courageous.
I am presently reading the book "If it is to be; It begins with me"

 March 9, 2012                                                   Why Should We Help The Poor?                                     www.spiritofthebush.net

So why should we help the poor? This is a subject that I am passionate about, yet my strong compassion only realistically does so little. I have travelled to Uganda, and my inner being was aroused by the sight and sounds of human need. The human need is so evident. Photos and electronic images do not portray human need as importantly as seeing and being in the presence of it. I received a call from God to “Stand with the Poor” in early 2009 and I am continuing to discern this call.

 I arrived in Uganda and immediately the sights and sounds of human need are so evident. That was in Kampala, and became worse as I travelled through to Ngugulo village, some 45km west of Kampala. In the village school only 90 children of the 498 ate during the day, those whose parents were able to supply spare maize, albeit the meal being ¾ cup of a liquid porridge called posha. At night the children slept on paper and rags (as their mattress) on dirt/concrete floors. This was an absolute privilege for me because I became better aware as I had the opportunity to talk and connect with people in human need circumstances. Mother Teresa once said: “I have helped people to talk to the poor, not just about the poor. I made a statement that these Ugandan villagers were not simply a group of people dismissed as being poor; but rather connected and talked to them as real people, individuals, for whom I have a concern.  

So getting back to the topic question. Why should we help – because they are human beings, made of flesh and blood, just like you and I. This is a global society. We are part of this enormous global family. And within this global family exists poverty. We cannot turn a blind eye to it. Matthew 26:11 reads: The poor you will have always with you. Jesus is telling us this, not to denigrate the poor, but rather that there will be many opportunities to help those living in poverty. I don’t know what it means to be poor. But I have seen it.

So I ask you these questions.

How would you feel if you were unable to provide food for your family?

How would you feel if you couldn’t provide a shirt for your child to wear?

How would you feel if your child was dying in your arms and you lacked access to medicines?

What if you couldn’t afford to send your child to a school, even though you knew that education was the hope for success of your children?