In the first days of the government shutdown, four young soldiers – barely older than my own kids – were killed in action in Afghanistan. At first it seemed that the Department of Defense would not pay out death benefits or funeral expenses to the soldiers’ families; the Pentagon had no authority to make the payments, a spokesman said. Amid public outrage, a nonprofit foundation offered to pay benefits until the shutdown ended.
Back at home, Head Start, the federal childhood education program for low-income families, also saw its funding put in jeopardy by the shutdown. Many hard-working parents felt panicked about finding a safe place for their children while they worked. Another private foundation came forward with $10 million in emergency funds to keep the centers open.
When it’s working collaboratively for the common good, government is a beneficial and necessary instrument God uses to maintain order and safety in our society, but the Church is the body God has ordained to love and care for people. In recent years the Church has ceded some of that ground to government agencies. This is a moment for churches with a biblical worldview to follow the example of foundations and reclaim their calling to serve the poor. This is a moment when we can put hands and feet on our theology.
Believing in Jesus is so much more than a Sunday activity. Our theology must drift into our hearts and affect the way we love. And our love must translate into radical, personal service. When we think, love, and serve in this integrated way, when every local church takes on the needs in its own ZIP code, many Goliath-sized problems come tumbling down. By God’s grace, we can fix what’s broken.