On Saturday, 7 of us from Grace piled into my van and headed to the White Swan Reservation in Central Washington. White Swan is home to many of the Yakama people, who have lived on or around the reservation since 1855.

Here are some brutal facts about life on the reservation:

• 100% of the Yakama people are affected by alcohol and drug abuse
• The average life expectancy of a member of the Yakama tribe is 39 years
• 70% of the teenagers on the reservation are homeless
• 65% of the kids on the reservation will drop out of middle school or high school
• Only 2% of Native Americans (nation-wide) claim to be Christians

In other words, we’ve headed straight into a culture that is marked by a lot of pain.

Why are we doing this? We are doing this because we think this is exactly the kind of thing God wants his people to do. We think that God has a deep, strong love for those who suffer in this life. And, he consistently calls his people to honor him by moving towards pain and suffering. Loving our neighbors often requires us to wade into a lot of messes.

This is a consistent theme throughout Scripture. What does God really want from his people? One very clear answer to this is that he wants us to care for the poor. Consider this text from Isaiah 58:

“Is not this the fast that I choose:

to loose the bonds of wickedness,

to undo the straps of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

and to break every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry

and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover him,

and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?”

This text was written to people that thought relationship with God meant merely going through religious practices like worship services and fasting. But, God tells them if you belong to me, you must care for the poor in some way, shape, or form. And here’s why: we must care for the poor because God cares for the poor. God uses his power to serve the weak, not to crush them. And God wants his people to do likewise.

Finally, it almost goes without saying that Christians are to care for the poor in a gospel-centered manner. Gospel-centered care for the poor is not the self-righteous posturing of a morally superior activist. Like every Christian, I am a redeemed trainwreck who is just trying to “do unto others” as God has done unto me. Caring for the poor is a natural outworking of how God (the strong) has treated me (the weak).

If you’re the praying type, please pray for me and the other team members this week. It’s a great privilege to be able to join God in this work.

Living in Seattle, it’s hard to ignore the problem of homelessness. On January 27, 2012, approximately 2,600[1] people were sleeping outside in King County, ranking Seattle’s metro area as 6^th in the nation in homeless population. Driving, walking, or out for jog, you will see the effects of this societal problem.

Though it’s hard to ignore the problem of homelessness, we find a way. Some of us ignore it because we don’t know how to respond or because we are apathetic. Whether we are overwhelmed by the complicated nature and bigness of the issue or bloated with a sense of self-righteousness that leads to indifference, we might conclude that they got themselves in this mess and they can get themselves out of it.

My friend Ben works with those who are homeless. He works at an emergency shelter and will often go on the streets to hand out blankets and socks. A couple of weeks ago, he taught a class on homelessness at Grace Seattle and reminded us that everyone, those with and without homes, are made in the image of God.

Ben told a story of woman who encountered a young man curled up in a doorway. Slowing down and seeing him, she said “Hello.” It was a simple acknowledgement of his humanity and it did more than what we might expect. It gave him hope. It stopped the downward spiral of dehumanization that was happening due to being ignored and, at times, treated like an animal. Her interaction didn’t provide hope right away, but after weeks of simple interaction, they were able to develop a relationship. Eventually, she was able to understand his story and what she could do to help. And she did. She helped this young man get off the streets, and it all started with a ‘hello.’

I have to confess that I usually ignore those who are homeless. I am sometimes numb to their presence, at other times overwhelmed, resulting in feeling paralyzed. Ben challenged me to see those whom I often overlook. I can’t reform the cultural or societal structures that lead to homelessness. I also lack the resources and knowledge to help someone get off the streets. But I can see. I can see those without homes as people and treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve.

I understand that addressing the issue of homelessness is even more complicated than developing eyes to see. Even acknowledging someone’s presence requires wisdom. But my point is simple: all people, even the homeless, are people and we must see them as such. In doing so, we are following Jesus, who always saw those who were hard to see. The Gospels include a number of stories where Jesus, even in the midst of personal attack and stress, loved the unloved.

Seeing someone doesn’t seem like much, but it is.

On Sunday, Grace hosted a panel discussion on justice. Five individuals, who love and pursue justice in a variety of areas, talked about their motivation to serve, the difference between doing Gospel-centered justice and social activism, and the Church’s failings.

Though there was so much to consider, one point stood out.

It is clear that God of the Bible is a God of justice. He loves justice and he wants his people to do the same. Our love is not abstract but practical, moving us to action. As His image bearers, we are to cultivate eyes that see when people do not get what they need. We are to advocate for those who do not have a voice. We are to work for justice in the world.

And integral to this work is prayer. For me, prayer doesn't immediately come to mind when considering how to pursue justice. Sure, I believe prayer works; however, pursuing justice is about getting your hands dirty and using your voice to speak against those who oppress. Regardless, prayer is not to be an afterthought but an essential part of the work. In our discussion on Sunday, I was struck by a couple of different aspects of this type of prayer.

First, God, not us, is a father to the fatherless and the defender of the helpless. God uses our work, but it is first and foremost God’s. This reality must be worked into our hearts through prayer, because if it isn’t, depending on the result of labors, we will either become self-righteous or overcome by guilt.

Second is a similar but slightly different prayer: we are to ask God to help us take our rightful place as creatures. We cannot reverse the curse of sin and death, and therefore we cannot eliminate injustice. If our panel discussion revealed one thing, it showed us that advocates for justice are passionate people. They tend to say “yes” to everything and overwork themselves. They are deeply affected by the pain of others and will do almost anything to assist, even at great cost to themselves.

In this battle, prayer is vital. We must ask God to remind us that we are creatures with limitations. We must ask God to help us not to lose hope when our best efforts only make a dent. We must ask God to help us cope with the pain we see and experience.

Prayer must be a vital part of doing justice.