Homelessness, Poverty, and Presidential Candidates
Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama do not talk much about issues like homelessness (at least not publicly). Nonetheless, there are more people that will be impacted by this election than just the wealthy and the middle class. The poor, including those experiencing homelessness, will also be impacted heavily by this nation’s choice for a president on November 4th.
I suppose it is easy to forget the poor during the excitement and busyness of the election season. After all, everyone has an agenda and an interest that they hope to see realized with their preferred candidate.
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.
Jesus of Nazareth - Luke 14.13 NRSV
The Christian’s call to remember the poor and to serve them is repeated throughout Scripture. We dare not forget our calling during this election season.
…and when James and Cephas and John, who were acknowledged pillars, recognized the grace that had been given to me, they gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do.
Galatians 2.9-10 NRSV
What do these presidential candidates think about issues related to poverty and those experiencing homelessness? The National Coalition for the Homeless has compiled a table highlighting each candidates position on four important and related issues.
- Housing
- Health Care
- Job Creation
- Supportive Services & Public Assistance
This table at least provides a starting point for informed voting on issues that do not receive much coverage on the evening news. However, regardless of how much or how little attention these issues receive, these are matters that every Christian should be concerned about. Denying God’s concern for the poor and homeless would require us to throw our Bibles in the trash heap…
[Link - Election 2008: The Candidates on Homelessness]
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I am a writer and Internet publisher currently living in Montana (of all places...). This blog reflects my thoughts on life, family, faith, new media, simplicity and whatever else happens to interest me at the moment - and yes, my grandmother is one of the few people to read my blog!
November 2nd, 2008 at 23:46
[...] Homelessness, Poverty, and Presidential Candidates Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama do not talk much about issues like homelessness (at least not publicly). Nonetheless, there are more people that will be impacted by this election than just the wealthy and the middle … [...]
November 5th, 2008 at 18:55
Well done Robert, liked this piece about homelessness - there’s a lot of it about, but fortunately here in the UK there is a little more help than possibly in other countries. When you look at the pictures of real homelessness and poverty like in the Congo its makes you grateful to be living in a Christian country with a welfare service and handouts which are better than nothing that these poor African are receiving while their oil rich politicians, backed by the West, live in the ivory palaces.