A Blind Woman and a Hymn

Over a century ago, a blind woman armed with little more than faith in God, and a penchant for music and poetry wrote one of the most enduring hymns of our faith, ‘Rescue the Perishing’. Fanny Crosby is thought of as one of the greatest hymn writers of all time. ‘Rescue the Perishing’ is a different hymn than what was typically written by Ms. Crosby. It was a powerful call to action, as well as being grounded in faith.

Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus the mighty to save.

Rescue the perishing,
Care for the dying;
Jesus is merciful,
Jesus will save.

Today such lyrics may seem quaint, but I assure you that this is more relevant than ever before. At this very moment there is a real need to rescue the perishing. There is a real need for Christians to become involved in what I believe is a humanitarian crisis going on right in our own nation.

The Disaster in North Carolina

In my previous post I discussed the plight of Haywood, North Carolina. At this very moment there are hundreds of people, families with small children who are freezing in tents because of the callous indifference of local politicians. After the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Helene, there are thousands of residents who have lost their homes. Many people do not have the resources to escape the disaster zone, and have no choice but to remain where they are. There are currently no shelters available in the town of Haywood. In an effort to house families facing freezing temperatures residents have taken it upon themselves to construct tiny houses as shelters. But there is a monkey wrench in all this.

Apparently the town of Haywood has a city ordinance that states no tiny houses can be placed on property. Despite the devastation caused by the hurricane, local officials have stubbornly refused to lift this ordinance. To add insult to injury, at a recent town meeting, local officials had the audacity to claim there are no families who are freezing in tents. thanks to the efforts of John Ward from the Appalachian Channel, as well as other v-loggers, there is now video evidence that there are indeed residents suffering from freezing temperatures.

Sadly despite all this evidence, the town council is stubbornly clinging to their position, claiming they are only ‘following the law’. If you’ve ever wanted to see what the Pharisees of old looked like, then look no further. In other times we might have had time, but this is an emergency. With each passing day, families are at risk of serious illness. Small children, even babies are at risk. It is vital that we all become involved to help our brothers and sisters. We need hands and boots on the ground. If like me you aren’t able to physically be there, then we need to work remotely. We can donate to the relief efforts of Haywood, North Carolina. We can share this everywhere we can. On every social media page we have, we can text everyone we know. We can write to the local politicians and demand that they allow these families to be sheltered. This is a violation of basic human rights, and it is vital that you I get involved. This is a fight that involves every one of us.

Jesus Is Calling us To Action!

I truly cannot stress how important this is. For my part, I am horrified at what is happening. I truly cannot fathom why anyone would stoop so low as to hide behind a city ordinance in a time of crisis. Even worse, how could anyone be so calloused as to claim there is no crisis ongoing? This is the United States of America, and I expect better, as should we all. Even more so given that we are people of faith.

Jesus made it all very clear when he told us;

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:35-40)

Here’s a question, if you heard that Jesus was here in America, and that he was freezing to death in a tent, what would your response be? I am fairly certain that every one of us would move heaven and earth to shelter Jesus. We’d probably be able to crowdfund a mansion within thirty minutes. We would all rush like a herd of mad cattle to house Jesus. Well, I have news for you. Those people that are freezing in Haywood, that’s Jesus. As He Himself said, ‘as you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to Me.’ As Christians we have made a big deal about how we are people of love and compassion. Now it is time to back these claims up. It is time for us all to show the world who we are.

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

Take action in any way you can. I’ve included a link on the bottom that will take you directly to a donation page for relief efforts. Share this on every media platform you have. Text this to everyone you know. Get your church, your family, and friends all involved. I cannot stress how important this is. We do not have much time, because already there are freezing temperatures in North Carolina. Every day we risk families coming down with pneumonia and other illnesses. Time is a luxury we simply cannot afford right now.