Sometimes it feels like the world doesn't just ignore the poor. It runs right over them.
The people with the most power or platform seem to have the loudest and more important voice. Meanwhile, those carrying the heaviest burdens get pushed further to the margins. And far too often, we not only overlook this reality, we participate in it. We let it happen. We might even benefit from it.
But the psalmist doesn’t say, “I hope the Lord will help.” He says, “I know that the Lord maintains the cause of the needy and executes justice for the poor.” That’s faith rooted in trust and experience. That’s someone who has seen God act before and expects God to act again in a particular way with a particular alignment.
God defends the vulnerable. God notices when others overlook. God doesn’t take a that's-too-bad approach. God upholds their cause. That means God is involved, not distant. Active, not passive. "So you say you love the poor? What are their names," Gustavo Gutiérrez asked. God knows their name. Do we?
God secures justice and takes up the cause of the needy. And if that’s who God is, then we should resist anything that harms, silences or exploits the most vulnerable among us. As we do, we know we don’t carry the burden alone. We don’t have to fix everything ourselves. This already matters to the Lord. 
So, we can’t stay quiet or still. We join God's people in the work. We join God in the work. We align ourselves with God’s heart. As Rowan Williams observed, "To be with the poor is to be where God is."
Stay blessed...john | 
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