will the opportunity just slip away?

I am in the midst of reading Mountains beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, “the quest of Dr. Paul Farmer…”  I am about 1/3 through it, so who knows how it ends?  It has encouraged me forward – that is the least I can say.  Dr. Farmer says it straight and it would be well for us to heed some of his thoughts, especially as our global economy is slowly changing the game (don’t sleep through it)  ”The Only Real Nation is Humanity”

Somewhere God’s pure DNA for me was corrupted with a humanist tint – and no matter what I can’t escape an interest in the real time plight of my brothers and sisters on earth, all the while knowing there is a better government coming.

There is no perfect plan or formula, besides getting involved.  It will be the ones who are in the day to day grime that find the solution, not the bystanders waiting for it to fit their perfect picture or who await some heavenly bell to beckon them forward.

It should be enough to pay attention to the plight of the poor in your own surroundings and decide to do something about it or find someone who is doing something about it and join in.

I see the puzzle pieces thrown throughout the city and can see how if it were organized then we could offer more solutions or listen for better solutions to those who have found themselves in desperate situations.  Everything is there for solutions to be found, besides perhaps the time, energy, heart, and unifying force that is needed.

As Common Ground works to combine with other forces to succeed in housing the most vulnerable, and create supportive services – I see tremendous potential but still the in fighting which may kill the whole deal before it gets a chance to role.

We have the relationships with street people now to learn from them and listen.  We have the ear of politicians and county wide services.  We have a grass root volunteer movement.  We have an awakening but still uneducated church potentially charting a course to get involved.  But still my intuition says it is a toss up – because human beings can be territorial and find it hard to work together.

I still have bed to sleep in if we fail – you may as well.  I have reliable work at this point to provide for myself and my family.  I hope you do too.

But the fact is, the most vulnerable (however it happened), will be the ones who suffer because the vision collapses.

I have heard that we do not do what we do because of the need, which is a half truth.  It is a half truth that has blinded us to the need, as if my brother or sister is the responsibility of someone else, some group or government agency should do something about it.

I understand that we need to teach people “to fish,” as well, so those of us who are outsiders are not spellbound in relief for ages and ages.

But the test of it now is with the most vulnerable – the sick and the mentally ill.  Does our society have enough gas in it to care that people do not die directly on the streets?  Or will the opportunity just slip away?