How Many Orphans Do You Know By Name?

How many orphans do you know by name?  That was a questions Tony Merida asked pastors and church planters at the One8 Network Boot Camp last week in his message “The Gospel and Mercy Ministry.”  What a challenging question.

Having the right theology about the marginalized (the orphan, the widow, the foreigner, and the poor) is much easier than personally serving them.  Think about these specific questions:

• The right theology says that believers are all adopted into God’s family.  But has that led us to adopt or help others adopt or personally serve orphans in any way?
• The right theology says that it is the responsibility of the church to take care of its widows.  But have we personally spent time with the widows in our churches and gotten to know them and served them where they had needs?
• The right theology says that the foreigner living among us is loved just as much by God as much as we are.  But what specific kindnesses have we personally shown those who were born in other lands and speak other languages?
• The right theology says that we should serve the poor.  But are we satisfied with meeting the physical needs of the poor by sending money but without personally getting to know them?

Do you know an orphan by name?

On the Friday night before our 4theVoiceless mission team visited one of the Baptist Children’s Village homes a couple of Saturdays ago, I asked them to consider what one of the most valuable things that each one of the children we would meet would have, something personal and unique and precious to each of them.  One of our team answered, “Their names.”  One of our main focuses during the time we were able to spend with those precious children, then, was in learning each of their names.  Everyone likes to be known.

I didn’t really consider something until just now as I was writing:  I don’t remember one time that the children asked our names.  Perhaps that’s all just as well.  We didn’t go to be known but to get to know.  We went to be the body of the Father to the fatherless. 

• God used our backs to let His kids play “horsie.”
• God used our voices and arms and legs to tell His kids of His “Marvelous Light.”
• God used our laps to take His kids down a slip ‘n slide.
• God used our hands to serve His kids lunch.
• God used our hands to draw His kids pictures on their goodie bags.

Years from now I hope those children remember their Father’s kindness, not the names of some men and boys from DeSoto County, Mississippi, for it is His kindness that leads us to repentance.  The only name they really need to remember is Jesus.

4theVoiceless doesn’t exist to be known but to know.  It’s a simple mission, really.  To know children who don’t have a loving home, wherever the Lord would lead us, and to let them know that they are personally known and loved by their Father.

Thanks for reading.  Now move toward the fatherless…personally.
Al