Last week I got to sing with some friends at the Mission Waco UrBanquet. Mission Waco is an organization that provides programs to the poor and marginalized while also sharing the Gospel. The banquet is a fundraising event held each year to share the vision and successes at
Mission Waco.
Elaine and I have always enjoyed attending the banquet because it opens our eyes and grows our worldview. It's also encouraging to hear the stories of those who have been changed by the work that happens at Mission Waco and those who have given their lives over to battling poverty.
The keynote speaker at the banquet was Larry James, CEO of
Central Dallas Ministries. Out of all the great things he said, the most impacting to me was the idea that we are all poor in something. He explained that the poor community had an understanding of community that most of us have never even experienced. And even though the were poor in monetary terms, they were rich in the area of community.
When I think of the poor, I usually visualize the person on the street corner holding the sign. That night poverty took on a new mental image for me. Larry explained that over 40% of South Dallas families lived below the poverty line. Unbelievable.
But even more than my mental image of poverty changing, I realized my ignorance to the impoverished community around me. I've been in Dallas now for over 3 years, and I'd never heard of Central Dallas Ministries. I wasn't aware that such a large number of people were barely scraping by only miles from my own house. It always stings to recognize just how narrowly I view life.
I encourage you to take some time to check out these websites and read about what these people have devoted their lives to.
