Listening to the Call

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There’s a joke on a Christian website I read recently: A Christian was stopped at a set of lights in his car and saw a homeless man by the side of the road. He felt really bad, so he prayed, ‘Lord, please change the lights’.

I had a moment like that recently. My seven-year-old and I walked past a homeless woman in our local neighbourhood. She was talking to someone, so I said to myself that I would stop and talk to her if she was still there when we came back. By the time we walked past again, she was gone. I felt a bit relieved that I was off the hook.

About a week later, my son said to me, ‘Mum, remember that woman that was lying on the street. Why didn’t you stop and help her?’

I said, ‘Well, I thought about it but she was talking to someone else.’ ‘But Mummy, we’re The Salvation Army, you should have stopped and helped her.’ ‘I know,’ I replied, ‘you’re right, I should have stopped and helped her.’ ‘Yeah Mummy, we’re The Salvation Army, we help people—you should have helped her,’ he said (rather enjoying laying on the guilt).

As much as it cut me to the heart, I was also proud that my son at a young age, already understands the mission of The Salvation Army and is integrating it into his blossoming faith.

Our special Founders’ Day cover comes from War Cry on 18 March 1899. Our mission today is the same as our founders’: We are The Salvation Army. We help people. Th is call is still true for each and every one of us—I pray next time, I listen to that call.

Ingrid Barratt
Editor

Bible verse

Galatians 6:2
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfi ll the law of Christ.

Karatia 6:2
Pikaua e tētahi ngā whakataimaha o tētahi, hei whakarite i tā te Karaiti ture.