Fields of the Fatherless

I just finished a great little book by C. Thomas Davis called Fields of the Fatherless. I was fascinated to read some of his points as to the role of The Church (the actual body of Christ) in caring for the "least of these". For instance, in the Old Testament, God showed His concern, compassion, and heart for the poor when He commanded His people to set aside a portion of their crops to provide food for the widows, aliens , and the fatherless (Deut 24:19) He was insistent and to violate this command was to sin against Him:

"Do not move an ancient boundary stone, or encroach on the fields of the fatherless. For their Defender is strong: He will take up their case against you." Proverbs 23:10, 11 NIV



He commanded His people to provide for these groups of people and they all knew it. It wasn't a suggestion or even "a nice thing to do". He considered this portion to belong to the poor and the fatherless.

"Scripture mentions the importance of caring for these individuals more than sixty times! Clearly, the protection and well-being of this group are one of God's great and constant concerns. So much so, in fact, He actually defines Who He is by His promises to them..." C. Thomas Davis

A Father of the fatherless, a defender of widows, Is God in His holy
habitation. Psalm 68:5-6


Just imagine how God's people could change the world today if we would all tithe for "the least of these". Could we empty out the orphanages of the world? Would the homeless be able to leave the streets for good? Would the alien feel warm and received wherever he journeyed? Just imagine....

"God gave the responsibility to care for the defenseless to those claiming to be followers of Christ. It is through our hands the Father's love comes, it is through our voices His voice is heard, it is through our efforts and those of the church that His care is revealed to the ones the rest of the world has forgotten." C. Thomas Davis