By Charles Strobel, Room In The Inn Founder
What is the message of Jesus that we need to hear? It’s part of Matthew’s Gospel, Chapter 25: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in . . .”
We believe that Jesus saw such pain and suffering, that he gives us no choice in calling us to meet these human needs. These are words that can unite both Christians and non-Christians.
For those of us who are Christian, the words of Jesus are a part of our service and a part of our souls.
For those who are not Christian, there are other words—almost identical to the words of Jesus—that articulate human needs. They are contained in Article 25 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights that says:
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services… "
For all of us, both the words of Jesus and Article 25 are what define us as human. Failure to live by these words relegates us to a live in a subhuman existence, like the animals.
Every person who wants it should have housing available to them. The homeless in our community live without the basic necessities of life and are entitled at least to the minimum adequate standard of living, as the UN declares.
The crisis of the homeless is the crisis of death. Unlike the rest of us, the homeless have a life expectancy of 50-55 years, meaning we have 20 more years promised us than they have. The reasons for early and untimely deaths are three-fold: disease without adequate health care, accidents, and violent assaults. The assaults come because they live in a world of terror. They have known fear, intimidation, unexpected attack, violent assault, even death, without adequate protection from legal authorities.
If all this were not enough to shorten their lives, they also have to deal with communities all across America who seem unwilling and/or unable to offer viable solutions that give them hope.
Although nearly everyone agrees with the 1948 U.N. Declaration, the tremendous burden of shaping public opinion remains a challenge for leadership in our Nashville community and elsewhere. Yet, anyone can help advance this cause. I challenge you to advocate for human rights.
