A few weeks ago, I went to Paycor Stadium to watch the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Indianapolis Colts for the final game of preseason football. Even though none of the Bengal's starting lineup was going to play, the atmosphere in downtown Cincinnati still had that game-day energy of excitement, fellowship, fandom, and fun. I was especially looking forward to the game because my wife had never been before, and I was getting to share the experience with her. We got our tickets for free from a family friend who is a season ticket holder, but the game was on a Thursday night, and he wakes up during the week at 3:30 AM for work, so he offered them to me.
I made sure to buy a parking pass ahead of time so we didn't have to worry about traffic or finding a spot. There was also a sold-out concert at the nearby Great American Ballpark with 55,000 people in attendance. Our parking spot was $58 and while I think that's outrageous, some were going for over $100. My wife and I each had a bratwurst, and we split a pretzel with cheese and a large Diet Pepsi. Our concessions rang up to $48! So, before the game even started, we had spent $106. Neither of us drink alcohol anymore and we didn't get any other snacks or souvenirs; I can only imagine how fast a bill racks up. When the dust settled, and we left at the start of the 4th quarter, we were a little lighter in the wallet than before.
According to recent 2024 reports, Americans spend an annual average of $6,706 on entertainment. This includes things like sporting events, concerts, going to the movies, lottery tickets, and books, as well as digital entertainment from things like streaming services, and cell phone games. The data does not include dining out, travel, or going to bars. By comparison, the average American spends just $574 on charitable causes. The poll does not include donations to Goodwill, The Salvation Army, or food pantries, as there is no accurate way to calculate that data. As a big fan of live music and sports, I can't help but wonder how much more of an impact the money and time we spend could have if we used them to help those in need, versus our wants. I don't even want to get started on the salaries of professional athletes!
To me, these numbers are a staggering difference between ethics and morality. Why are we so quick to spend hundreds, and even thousands of dollars for an experience, and not help our fellow children of God? 1 John 3:17 states, "If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion — how can God's love be in that person?" Having spent tens of thousands on entertainment, sporting events, alcohol, and useless things I've found late at night on the internet, I am guilty of putting my desires and wants over the basic needs of others. How do we take the focus off of ourselves and redirect it towards the mission of Christ?
Excuses seem to come easily, for me at least, to justify my spending habits and reasons for not helping those with greater needs. The first excuse that comes to mind as I stop to reflect on this question, is that we have an unjustified bias towards the homeless. Without knowing their stories or circumstances, I automatically think that they must be an addict or criminal, or both. Who am I to pass such judgment? I certainly do not have that authority. My next assumption is that whatever they did must've been unforgivable if their own family wouldn't help them. Colossians 3:13 reminds us to, "Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." But again, I am guilty of these thoughts.
My third unjust bias is that they are probably just lazy. It can't be that hard to walk into a place and apply for a job, can it? I hear it's a jobseeker's market right now and there's hardly any effort into working at a fast-food joint. My fourth and final unjustified bias is that the person must be mentally unstable and this is just their destiny. Jesus did say that we would always be surrounded by the poor, after all.
The truth is that nobody deserves to reside on city streets; no one should have to forage from trash cans to find food, shelter, and clothing. No one deserves to suffer with a debilitating mental or physical handicap, left untreated and essentially left for dead. No one deserves to be so far gone in the battle of addiction, that they lose everything and everyone. No one deserves to be born into situations or circumstances that inhibit their chances at a good education or the means to find a job that provides a fair and livable wage.
In Luke chapter 14, Jesus instructs:
Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, "Friend, we have a better place for you!" Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. "When you put on a banquet, don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”
In a world marked by overflowing abundance on one side and a deep need on the other, we must ask ourselves: "What is our role and how do we, as a people of faith in Christ Jesus, respond to the plight of the poor?" Jesus spoke, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Jesus makes it clear that our treatment of the marginalized and vulnerable is a direct reflection of our love for Him. When we feed the hungry, comfort the broken, and shelter the homeless, we are not just performing good deeds; we are encountering Christ Himself. To truly care for the impoverished, we must first recognize our shared humanity. The poor are not "others" who exist in some distant reality separate from our own. They are our neighbors, our children, our family, and our friends. We often view the world around us in the frame of status, possessions, jobs, or looks, but we must challenge ourselves to see beyond the superficial.
In the story of the Good Samaritan, the Samaritan saw a wounded man on the side of the road, and instead of looking away, he drew near. He did not see a stranger or an inconvenience; he saw a fellow man in need. Compassion is not about who deserves our help; it's understanding that we are all a part of the family, created in the image of God. In Micah 6:8, the prophet claims "He has shown you a mortal, what is good and what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."
While charity is important, we must deduce that caring for the destitute goes far beyond providing temporary relief. It will require a commitment to justice. Charity seeks to address an immediate need, but justice asks why those needs exist in the first place. If charity is the bandage, then justice is the healing. Justice means challenging the structures and systems that perpetuate poverty and inequality. It means advocating for fair wages, affordable housing, and access to education and healthcare for all. Justice means being like Christ and speaking up when we see exploitation, humiliation, and discrimination.
To truly care for the poor, we must also be willing to give of ourselves, not just our resources, but our time, talents, and hearts. It is easy today to scan a QR code or to write a check, but true service demands more than opening our wallets. It requires our presence and understanding along with a willingness to enter into the lives and struggles of those who are suffering. In his second letter to the Corinthians, 9:7, Paul writes, "Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." This giving is not just of material wealth, but of our very selves. When we engage with the poor, walking with them, listening to their stories, feeding, clothing, and comforting them, then we are practicing the kind of love that transforms lives.
Saint Teresa, known for her work with the poorest of the poor, once said, "Each one of them is Jesus in disguise." Christ is found among society's outcasts after all, so when we serve them, we serve Him. What changes would happen in our lives if we truly saw the face of Christ in every person we meet? Taking Mother Teresa's approach to humanity, stepping out of our comfort zones, and meeting the people where they are, not where we want them to be, invites us to see the sacredness in every life and teaches us that when we care for the poor, we are caring for the Lord Jesus Himself.
So how do we answer the call today and practice active discipleship? Do we give up all the "fun" aspects of our lives, sell everything we own, and run to the shelters? Unfortunately, that is an unrealistic goal for most of the population, as romantic as that idea might be. I believe that the solution begins by opening our hearts and eyes to the needs around us. There are countless opportunities to serve. We could volunteer at a local shelter (animal shelters need love too), support or start a food bank, mentor someone in need, sponsor someone with an addiction, or advocate for policies that uplift the poor. Let your heart break for the things that break God's heart, and your hands be used for His work.
We live in a world with technology capable of incredible things, and are filled with vast resources, so then why does poverty still persist? Let us be the generation that chooses to see the poor, to hear their cries, and to take action. Let us be a Christ-centered people who refuse to turn a blind eye to suffering, who refuse to accept the status quo, and who refuse to let the call of Jesus to care for the least of these go unanswered.
In closing, remember that caring for the poor, the sick, the lame, and the spiritually broken, is not just an act of charity, it is a reflection of the heart of God. When we truly love our neighbors, we live out the Gospel. When we care for the least among us, we honor the one who gave everything for us. May we be inspired to take up this holy walk, to love as Jesus Christ of Nazareth loves, and to be the Lord's hands and feet in a world that so desperately needs His light.
Let us rise, then, and take up the call. Let us choose compassion over comfort, justice over complacency, love over indifference, and charity over entertainment. For in doing so, we will find that we have not only changed the world around us; but have also transformed ourselves. In Jesus' mighty and all-powerful name, I pray.
Amen.
