By:
DEVOTIONAL
There But for Fortune
By:
"Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ … And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’"
Matthew 25:34-36, 40
In the 60’s I was into the folk music scene (and the Beatles, of course) in the Boston area. The Phil Ochs song There But For Fortune in particular left a lasting impression on me. The chorus line “there but for fortune go you or I” has been an ever-present reminder to me of one’s fragility and the fragility of life’s circumstances.
Many people are one unfortunate event away from life-changing circumstances – an unexpected car repair or medical diagnosis, loss of a job, a rent increase, an eviction, damage from a storm or flood, war, drought, or any other events that may cause our neighbors to need assistance or to fall into homelessness and our neighbors from afar to have to flee their homeland.
I feel blessed to be part of a faith community that is generous with their time and money to help the many local agencies that provide assistance – The Gathering Place, Tedford Housing, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program, Oasis, Habitat for Humanity, Housing Resources for Youth, The Emergency Action Network (TEAN), Midcoast New Mainers Group and our own Jane’s Team to name a few.
Prayer: Bless those who find themselves in unfortunate circumstances and those who devote themselves to giving them food, clothing, shelter, and comfort.
