I live in Williamson County, Tennessee (Franklin, TN). Williamson County is the wealthiest county in Tennessee and in the top 20 wealthiest counties in the United States. However, in spite of the county’s wealth, many families live at or below the poverty line. Most people in the county overlook them. Many people in the county don’t even know where the “poorer” neighborhoods are.
Last week, the director of the Williamson County GOP made a statement saying he didn’t think taxpayers should be responsible for providing free and reduced breakfasts and lunches to our poorer students. Here is the article and statement.
Some people just don’t get it. The U.S. government wastes billions of dollars and the one cut the GOP representative wants to make is feeding hungry kids! How out of touch can someone be?
Here is a video from a news report about the controversy. Watch it all because near the end of the report they interview a single mom with 5 kids. Her name is Tinisha and she and her boys are a big part of my church.
Right now, in the United States, more people are living in poverty then ever before. Here is an article that appeared in my newspaper today about a family that has fallen into poverty. It is an interesting story.
However, there are some people who get it. Here is a video of a ministry and group of churches in which I am involved. This past Saturday we gave away 20,000 lbs. of food.
I guess my point in this blog is to encourage all of us to open our eyes and recognize the needs all around us.
Floods of Justice 
I guess you know my opinion. This is another area where the government, with good intentions, is robbing the Church of ministry opportunities. Or perhaps the Church, by being ineffectual, forced the government to step in. I am not in favor of anyone being hungry, my father knew soup kitchens in the 1930’s. I am also aware that in the 1940’s there were governments with the power to keep food from certain people, and did so.
But then I have little trust in anything that the Government, under any party, wants to impose on its citizens. I do, Kevin applaud you effort to open the eyes of people to do as Jesus wished, that is, to feed, house, clothe, and comfort the broken. Keep it up, my friend! THAT is God’s work.
Thanks Tim,
It really is a complicated issue. On the one hand I do wish the church would not have given up many of her tasks to the government, and I would love to think that, given the opportunity, the church would step up and feed hungry students. But I have my doubts that they would because it would eat away at their operating budgets. Besides, the church would not be allowed inside the public schools on a daily basis to provide meals anyway.
On the other hand, Scripture does tell governments to provide for the poor, not just churches. The government does have the responsibility to look out for the vulnerable and to stand up for justice. There are some issues, like poverty, that are so large the churches cannot do it on the own and need governmental assistance.
So it is complicated. I just can’t believe that someone in politics, in the face of so much government waste, would choose feeding hungry students as their issues of public waste. It was just an idiotic thing to do, even if you believed it.
Has the snow decreased in Alaska, or are you guys still buried?