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Father to the fatherless

Yesterday we observed Orphan Sunday at our church.  As I stood in the sanctuary singing, I was so moved.  I belong to such an amazing Kingdom.  I serve such an awesome King.  He is holy or set apart from us.  He is not like us.  He always does everything right for the right reasons which makes Him above all.  He is powerful, powerful enough to create the universe.  Why would He care about people like us?  We have no power compared to His, we are imperfect and do wrong things, sometimes we even can do right things but for the wrong reasons, we have done nothing to deserve a relationship with Him.  That is true of every last human being on this earth right now.  That reality is hard-hitting, crushing our pride.  Pride does not give up easily, though.  We shift our eyes away from Him to avoid our shame and ignore our fear of rejection and our view falls on this world.  We create status based on family of origin, citizenship, ethnicity, wealth, education, employment, and culture.  We soothe our fears with a lie- we can be noticed, loved, accepted, applauded by others and by Him because of these things.  Pity the person who has none of these things because our world places no value on them.  The One who set the world in its place and put it in motion is says differently.

The One who breathed life into every being says that every soul counts, not just as politically correct lipservice, but REALLY counts.  Every soul is known by Him and has value in His eyes.  No labels placed on a soul through the words, judgements, actions, or neglect by an individual, family, company or political system can diminish the great worth that has been bestowed on each human being through the death of Jesus Christ.  This good King is a Father to the fatherless, a Refuge for the vulnerable, an Advocate for the marginalized, and acts on behalf of the oppressed.  He expends Himself and His love and care on people who have nothing to offer, on people who cannot even help themselves, on people who have no earthly status.

He knows each and every baby that has been abandoned in this world.  I imagine Him holding in His arms the ones who were not found in time to save their life.  I see how He provides for those children, who have had inadequate care, through the love and gifts of others and uniquely (and even miraculously) equipped orphanages, foster homes, hospitals and schools.  I witness how He has placed abandoned children in forever families.  And I believe that He is with every orphan that remains in inadequate facilities with no forever family within reach... God, be with them, act on their behalf, please, God!!

There is no social justice apart from Him.  "He executes justice for the fatherless..." Deuteronomy 10:18  There is no justice like His justice.  There is hope in my heart today... For orphans around the world...  because I know a great King who is powerful and good.  There is hope in my heart today because the reality is that my citizenship, family of origin, and earthly wealth has bought me nothing in the Kingdom I belong to....I am adopted by Him because of His faithful love for me when I have nothing to offer.  His terrifying grace crushes my pride and His relentless love dissolves my fear.  He has poured His love into my heart and I am gripped by a longing for the time when "His Kingdom comes and His will be done."  Until that time I will learn to see with His eyes, love with His heart and serve with His strength in the places of injustice.

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