"God Grant Me Openness"
A confession of Allen Randall

He had delivered them from Egypt. Now they were to become a nation and a people under His absolute authority. They were to be--collectively and individually--wholly submitted to their God. From warfare to welfare, every aspect of life was to come under His complete rule. For the individual Israelite, literally every action taken--whether in relation to life in the larger community, or the "personal" life he or she lived at home—was regulated by The Word of God; the Law.

God's instructions to His people presupposed that there would be poor people among them, either "aliens and strangers" or fellow countrymen who had become impoverished. His instructions to the Israelites, I believe, are applicable to us as well. He put it to them in this fashion: "The poor will never cease to be in the land; therefore I command you, saying 'you shall freely open your hand to your poor brother, to your poor and needy in your land'". Just a few verses prior to that passage, we find an even more far-reaching commandment. It tells them "You shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother". Did you notice the repetition of the word "your" as you read these passages? God wanted them to really own what he'd given them to do; so it's "Your poor, your hand, your heart".

They are my poor. The hand that must not be closed is my hand. The heart that is commanded not to be hard is my heart. I confess to having disowned the poor. I have thought they "belonged" to something called "society". I wondered what "they" were going to do about "them". I confess to having closed my hand to the poor. My hand held tightly what I had earned and what was "mine". I told myself I was being a "good steward" by being very careful to harvest out to the very edges of my field. I was careful that nothing went to the unworthy. I confess to having a heart hardened to the poor. "They made their bed, now they can lie in it" was the truest and deepest dialogue of my heart. It irritated me greatly to be told I needed to help these people. "Let them help themselves" is what echoed in the chambers of my stony heart.

These are very common, rational and understandable emotions to have. But, they are not allowed us. Or, at any rate, we are not permitted to maintain them and allow them to calcify into a permanent attitude. I believe that the Holy Spirit wants to open us up in ways we may never have imagined. Perhaps even in ways which would shock us, if we knew how much like Jesus God really intends for us to become.

Lord, help me not to disown the poor, but to accept them as my neighbors. Lord, help me to loosen more the grip of my hand upon mere things. And Lord, help me also to soften my heart to all people, especially the aliens, strangers and outcasts I encounter. In Jesus name, and for the sake of His kingdom and glory. Amen.

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