Homeless Advocate Rev. Chuck Currie

Aaron Krager of Faithfully Liberal interviewed homeless advocate, Rev. Chuck Currie for his blog today. Currie is a member of the Public Policy Committee for Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon. The Los Angeles Times praised Currie's blog about religion and social issues for "top-tier editorial writing."

During the interview, Currie discusses his advocacy work, offers advice on how individuals can make a difference and ponders the blending of faith and politics.

Personally, I'm secular but I applaud Currie's activism on behalf of his community and we can all learn from his example. This is Currie's take about the moral crisis of homelessness in America:

"Homelessness is both a political and a spiritual crisis. 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me,' reads Matthew 25 (NRSV). This is one of the most familiar phrases in Scripture. How we treat the least of these is akin to how we treat God. So when we walk past men, women and children living on our streets we are literally walking past our God. And when we can do that without even thinking about it a political crisis develops where it becomes ok to cut programs that feed those who are hungry or programs that care for those who are sick. The president is proposing this year to cut food assistance for nearly half a million senior citizens and giving new tax cuts to millionaires. Confronting this crisis will require action on many fronts. We have to acknowledge our common humanity and see the face of God in one another. Without doing that there is little hope. But we also have to act on a political front. We have to oppose economic policies that benefit the wealthiest Americans at the expense of the poor and at the same time support legislative efforts that work toward the goal of ending homelessness. So volunteer with local programs that make a difference and that build relationships - shelters, medical centers, soup kitchens. But we also need to become activists working for social change."

It's a good interview. Please give a read.