“The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty. We must start in our own homes to remedy this kind of poverty.” – Mother Teresa
In her thoughts on homelessness yesterday, Marti brought up something we would do well to spend more time discussing. It’s this idea that homelessness may be closer than we think. Not so much that anyone of us could find ourselves homeless given the right set of circumstances, but that there is a type of homelessness that goes on even in the most secure of homes – a kind of absence of love that leaves family members fragmented and alone. Homelessness is having no one there to love you in your own home.
So disheartened are we who do not know every neighbor on the street much less their stories. When did our God-given consciousness no longer recognize our neighbor as our responsibility? When did we stop caring? Was it during the time we stopped treasuring our families with warmhearted concern and started arguing with each other until we dissolved into faceless fragments of our own isolation?
This has been one of the glaring inconsistencies in evangelical Christianity for some time. Everything revolves around evangelism and yet our homes are falling apart from the inside. So much focus on “outreach;” so little “inreach.” You can’t love “out” if you can’t love “in.”
“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35) Inner love stimulates an outer revelation. As Mother Teresa admonished us, let’s start addressing the poverty a world away by remedying the poverty in our own homes.
John Fischer The Catch 
Excellent. Thank you .
These are perfect thoughts at this time–and at any time. My family has decided this year to forego Christmas gifts for the adults and take turns choosing an organization to receive the money we would otherwise have spent on each other. We have a member of our own family in need of care outside of what we are able to give because of drug abuse–so the reality is profound this year. Our search has led us to a place for him and a place for money otherwise spent one things we don’t need. Perhaps if we had been more diligent with the “inreach” work for all of us, we would not be faced with his need for “outreach” today. However, it is what it is, we can only learn and press forward–attempting to perform better balance from now on with faith in our hearts–as we watch with pleasure as he works the twelve steps and returns to a faith we saw in the little boy.
Dear John,
It seems that lately your focus has been on loving the ones closest to us first and then reaching out to others in need. Has this message been for me all along? As you stated in an earlier post, it’s so much easier to reach out to strangers. Why? It should be taken for granted that you automatically “love” the people you live with or relatives near by. At least that’s what I thought. Sometimes it’s not so easy to love and respect someone who is under your nose 24/7. Thank you for reminding me to love and cherish those closest to me first! I think this is a great way to start my advent season!
Thank you for always inspiring me!!! Kimberly
As for “inreach”: in so many households and families, at least one member needs to learn love and compassion toward the person they see in the mirror each morning. I believe God embraces our efforts toward the kind of self-love that can then turn outward and reach tenderly for others.