Ministering to the Poor

How do we respond to our fellow humans in need? For David Breitzmann, it starts with the understanding that they are us.

Is QuakerSpeak worth $1 a video?

Jon Watts

Jon Watts launched and directed the QuakerSpeak project for its first 6 seasons. Keep up to date with Jon’s work at his website.

5 thoughts on “Ministering to the Poor

  1. David,

    I agree with your confident, intellectual articulation. They’re sound ideas we need to be aware of. We are all the same. But as I watched the video I waited to hear what actions you and San Francisco Friends were doing to help the spill-over people from the Tenderloin, what ministries you worked on…and then the video ended.

    Talking, understanding, getting to know poor folks “honesty” isn’t going to fill their belly or get them the mental health help they need.

    We Quakers are good with words, our values and intentions are wholesome, and are recognized for that. We strive to save the world, the environment, governing legislation. Which is all good, needs to be done and it feels good.

    Can we do more, however, to help people in-need near our Meetinghouse door, in our local communities with actional, “boots on the ground” aid?

    (Maybe you have active ministries out in the community helping people?)

  2. After 23 years with AVP and 31 countries in my folder I find that it is inappropriate to use the phrase “ministering to the poor”. I have found that we can, and do, minister to each other. Let us the phrase, please, “ministering with each other.”

  3. I found this video to be very helpful for the staff at our non-profit in Denver, CO. We are Dry Bones Denver and we work with street connected youth. We have been working with the idea as a staff that ministry to others is a ministry to self and your video supported our discussion. Thank you.

  4. ministering ?
    How about collective help, for each other, for our neighbours, known and unknown…
    eliminating the “dog eat dog” culture, the everyman for himself idea of survival….check out Andrew Yang’s idea in his quest to run for President of the United States….
    Collectively, we can do so mch more to end the burden of poverty in this great nation.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maximum of 400 words or 2000 characters.

Comments on Friendsjournal.org may be used in the Forum of the print magazine and may be edited for length and clarity.