Why I need to stay involved with the needs of the world

I am a volunteer with the wood bank, a ministry of the Episcopal church in nearby Dillon, Montana. The wood bank was started some years ago when Father Harry Neeley retired from parish ministry as an Episcopal priest. Harry is now about 80 years old and works almost full time gathering fire wood, stock piling and delivering  large quantities of it to needy people in the surrounding area - mostly disabled, elderly and unemployed.  This fire wood keeps these families warm during the long Montana winter and saves them lots of money on their fuel bills.  We have a branch of the wood bank here in our town of Sheridan. 

 

Harry one of the most humble and holy men I know - his heart is with the poor and he lives his faith in action on their behalf every day.   If he reads this he won't like it that I said that about him! But I did not sit down primarily to write a piece about the wood bank or to make known the virtues of either the wood bank or Father Neeley, even though this program does deserve all the good publicity it gets.

Rather I have been thinking about some of the people we meet and serve through the wood bank.  The other day I delivered two large loads of fire wood to an old gentleman who lives high on the side of the mountain to the south of us.  This 88 year old man is very disabled  with a severe heart condition and other ailments.  It was a very hot day, but he wanted to help unload the wood and he did help as much as he could until he eventually had to sit down in exhaustion.  Harry told me not to be surprised if he offers to make a monetary contribution - he always does.  Indeed, as I left, the old gentleman said he would be sending a check "can't today, but I will be able to send it in a week or two".  Another lady I have delivered wood to lives in a tiny shack without electricity and her only source of heat is from a wood burning stove.

I worked most of my career with people living in severe poverty and many times under oppressive conditions in some of the poorest countries in the world.  It was easy to see the faces of poverty and need when I visited communities and families in those communities.   

But where we live now the faces of poverty and situations of need are not always so obvious.  The small number of needy people I have met through the wood bank is just a microcosm of the hidden poverty and dire circumstances of people right in our little town.  Another example: The women of our church were responsible to deliver meals every day  last week to about 25 elderly individuals in our town.  They were moved to see how much these recipients had genuine need for and appreciated the food they received. 

I guess there are two points I want to make. 

One is that I am so thankful and appreciative of the volunteer work done by people who give cheerfully of themselves for the sake of others - there are untold millions of them doing this in the name of Christ, laboring behind the scenes - many doing Much more than I do. 

 Secondly, I personally need to be involved in such efforts as the wood bank and have contact with the needs of the world  for my own sake - it helps me keep my faith alive and reminds me of the most important commandments: To love (and serve) the Lord with all our heart, mind and strength, and (the second) to love and serve our neighbors as ourselves.