You and I are part of a community.
We are part of a church community and this means that we not only gather together but we do life together. But we are also part of a broader community; one of believers and non-believers and people from all walks of life, racial status and economic background.
We are community of the wealthy, and the poor and downtrodden.
This means that we are called to not only walk with the poor, but to lift them up. One way we do this as a church is through a winter clothing drive. But this isn’t just some humanitarian effort, this is what we do and is part of our DNA as believers.
In Matthew 25:4 Jesus calls us to a higher standard when he says, “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
So in light of this, here are two reasons why caring for the “least of these” is something that should burn on our hearts:
IT IS WHERE GOD’S HEART IS
“I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor and upholds the cause of the needy.” Psalm 140:12
Why do we fight for the lost and fend for the needy? Because if we are to become more like Christ and imitate him, then we must imitate his heart.
God’s heart is for the poor and needy.
Standing for those who are “least” is a way of pursuing God – it is honouring and pleasing to Him. A small outpouring of love and kindness can have a great impact; an impact that could change a life or even bring hope in the midst of a dark night.
God calls us to a higher standard as believers.
But not only is there a calling, there is a pressing need in our community for breakthrough.
THERE IS A NEED
The need for outreach and help in several communities in the Western Cape is pressing; especially in informal settlements. Areas such as Du Noon and Phillipi need upliftment and empowering. As a community of believers we not only want to help these people with material goods but we want to see the cycle of hopelessness broken.
By helping these communities through initiatives, rather than hand-outs, we educate and empower the community to help themselves.
That is why during these winter months we are participating in a clothing drive as a church. We see providing warm clothes and blankets as an opportunity to uplift a community and to bring hope and warmth in cold and dark times.
HOW CAN YOU GET INVOLVED?
This winter we are partnering with the Domino Foundation Recycle Swop Shop.
The Domino Foundation Recycle Swop Shops operate once a week at different locations across the province. In exchange for tokens, community members bring bags of recyclable waste (paper, tin and plastic) collected from around the informal settlement. The tokens are used to ‘purchase’ essential personal and household items (clothes, food and school resources) from the shops.
As you may know it can get extremely cold during winter in Cape Town. Clothes are one of the pillars of the recycle swop shop and that is why we are collecting warm clothes and blankets during the month of April. These will be used to stock the Domino Foundation Recycle Swop Shop, for which members of the community can exchange recycling.
If you want to partner with us in this initiative then you can drop off warm clothes and blankets at the Life Changers office during the week, or at church on a Sunday.
We don’t want to be the best church in the city, but the best church for the city. This means that just as God pursued us, we too should pursue and fight for the cause of those who can’t fight for themselves.
Let us be a people that step out in faith to see the mountain of poverty moved in our community.