Politics?

"Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king's son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice . . . May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor." (Psalm 72.1-2, 4)
This prayer for the king of Israel is very interesting. Notice what the intercessor asks for: that the king, the leader of the nation, would care for the poor, "give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor." This is a unique prayer for the leader of a nation! That the psalmist would single out concern for the poor and needy and judgment for those who oppress the poor is significant.
It was a strong expectation in the life of Israel that the king (the leader of the nation) would care for the poor and needy and would enact justice for them. In fact, it was commanded by God in many places in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). The Torah was the framework on which the nation of Israel was built. It was the rule, the standard, the boundaries for the abundant life God had promised Israel. Some of these laws included leaving food in your fields so the poor, the alien, the widow, the orphan could glean from it. Don't take someone's coat as a pledge on money owed to you. And one of the most radical: Every 50 years, land was supposed to be returned to its original family owners to insure that there would not be rampant homelessness in Israel.
Of course, Jesus picked up these same themes in his life and ministry: concern for the poor, the sick, the needy, the outcast.
Now, we aren't kings, but we do have the same call to reach out to the poor and needy. How might we do that today? Here's some ideas:
1. Bring canned meat to church this month. This goes to the Stanly Community Food Bank
2. Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
3. Sponsor a child through World Vision, Compassion International.
4. Look around you for those who may need your help. Your classmates, co-workers, neighbors, even your own family members may need assistance.
5. Support a missionary. (Want to know how, call me!)
6. Pay for the person behind you in the drive-through.
7. Go on a mission trip.
These are just a few ideas. What others can you think of?