Love your homeless neighbor

The first thing you should know about the homeless is that they are indeed your neighbor. Homelessness is everywhere, including Fairfield County. While about 600,000 of the homeless in the U.S. live on the streets full time, 3.5 million will experience homelessness in any one year, including 1.5 million children. That’s one of every 50 kids in this country. 60,000 of the homeless are veterans.

All it can take is a divorce, a bankruptcy, an abusive spouse, or a substance abuse problem to render someone homeless. There may be no affordable housing or housing assistance in the area. The average “Housing Wage” is $18.80/hour, far above the minimum wage jobs most can attain.

Hear our prayer today for all women and men, boys and girls who are homeless this day. For those sleeping under bridges, on park benches, in doorways or bus stations. For those who can only find shelter for the night but must wander in the daytime. For families broken because they could not afford to pay the rent. For those who have no relatives or friends who can take them in. For those who have no place to keep possessions that remind them who they are. For those who are afraid and hopeless. For those who have been betrayed by our social safety net. For all these people, we pray that you will provide shelter, security and hope.

We pray for those of us with warm houses and comfortable beds that we not be lulled into complacency and forgetfulness.  Jesus, help us to see your face in the eyes of every homeless person we meet so that we may be empowered through word and deed, and through the political means we have, to bring justice and peace to those who are homeless.  Amen.