Saturday, March 7, 2026

Speak Up for Others

“Speak up for the people who have no voice, for the rights of all the misfits.
Speak out for justice! Stand up for the poor and destitute!” – Proverbs 31: 8-9

As I was preparing to work at Shelter Week in late January, I stumbled across a Facebook post from the good folks in Rockland, Maine, who provide shelter for the homeless in the winter.

During a week when it was brutally cold in Maine, volunteers from that shelter were scouring the woods to locate homeless individuals so they could invite them to come in from the cold. Rockland, where our daughter Jennifer lives with her family, is a beautiful area along the state’s coast and tourists flock there during the summer. That means much of the rental housing has been converted into Airbnbs and VRBOs, which is great for the tourists but deprives the community of needed long-term rentals for year-round residents. I was shocked when I learned how many people live in the woods because they simply cannot find affordable housing.

On this day, the director of the shelter shared a video of a campsite that was clearly still being used. A few crates of pots and pans were on the ground near the remnants of a fire. A flimsy two-person tent with a single sleeping bag and pillow was the only shelter for its occupant. I’ve since learned that this is far from an isolated situation, hence the visits from the volunteers from the shelter.

I applaud the men and women who devote their time to improving the lives of the homeless by providing them with food and temporary shelter. But all of us must be ever mindful that policy makers are making decisions every day that create or exacerbate these conditions.

Providing the occasional meal may briefly salve our consciences, but investing in long-term solutions will be better for all of us. As Christians, I believe we have an obligation to raise our voices on behalf of those who are most vulnerable, poor, and disenfranchised.

Prayer: Give me the wisdom to know the best way to advocate on behalf of others and the courage to do so even when that is unpopular with others in my community

Joan Richardson