Nehemiah 5:1-5

Nehemiah 5:1-5
English Standard Version (ESV)

  Society moves forward.  In good times and bad, we each struggle forward to make our own place, to secure our livelihood and our family.  We do whatever we can to make sure that today and tomorrow are secure, and when things get rough, we have to fight a little more to ensure this is possible.
  What often happens is that in the midst of trying to take care of ourselves, we forget about others, particularly those who are most vulnerable and have very thin or nonexistent security blankets.  We get so caught up in anxiety and fear about our own situation that we don't have any time or energy lef to care for the least of these, and when they get taken advantage of or pushed around by forces bigger than they are, we fail to notice and believe we cannot do anything to change the situation.
  So the first step is to pay attention.  We're called to lift our eyes above the horizon to our own little world and see what is happening around us, particularly to the poor and the vulnerable.  Are we, as a society, treating them well?  Are we listening?  Do we care?
  And then we are called to pray for the wisdom and courage to step out of our bubble and let our lives intersect, so that we might become a people who are at work caring for one another, serving one another, demonstrating God's love in action.