Rescue

Rescue:1. To set free, as from danger or imprisonment; save. 2. Law To take from legal custody by force.

Proverbs 24:11-Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter.

When I think about adoption I usually think about the verse in James that instructs us as Christ-followers to care for orphans and widows. I have not always viewed it in terms of "rescue". That view has dramatically changed. These folks are adopting from Haiti, and that is true rescue! Rescue from certain death, from starvation, from disease. Most of these children have no hope for survival. You can read more about REAL HOPE for Haiti at Aaron's blog. Incredible work is happening there.

Read that Proverbs verse again. Those kids in Haiti are truly being led away to death, they are staggering toward slaughter. And they are being rescued. Children all around the world are in the same situation. Yet at the same time, in our nation, the wealthiest nation, children are in the same boat.

Houston was recently rated the #1 city in America. In this great city there are upwards of 1500 "children" ages 18-25 that are street kids. They are drug dealers, prostitues, pimps, dancers, ect. They are homeless and hopeless and being led away. These young adults are finding themselves to be parents. I've heard story after story of the horrible lives of these street babies. They live in cars and are left to fend for themselves while mom goes off to do a job. Sometimes they are brought along and end up seeing it all go down. So many children die before the age of 5 because of abuse and neglect. This happens in MY CITY! Day after day young girls are sold into prostitution. I'm talking as young as 10 here. and for what? for lots of money? So they can pay rent? No, not even for that....for a pack of cigs.
These children are being led away to the slaughter. And if they do manage to survive, what hope and life do they have?

These are the children that we have been called to save, to rescue. Not if its convenient for you, not if you want to, not if you feel like it. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (jms 1:27). It doesn't matter if its here, or in Haiti, or Thailand, or China, or Mexico. The fact is that there are sooooo many children in need of rescue, and it is our job and the church to take on the challenge.

For far too long the church has taken lightly this responsibility. It is time to step up to the plate. To see the need, to recognize our duty, and to take care of business. You may not be able to adopt an orphan, thats cool. But how can you care for them? Can you foster? Can you give financially to support those who do foster/adopt? Can you volunteer as a respite family to those who foster children?

This is where I am at right now. We have just started down this road and I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say in the coming weeks and months as we are seeing and hearing and doing more. I'll try to have something a little more light hearted to say tomorrow.