Who is Best Equipped to Deal With Homelessness?

I came across this article in the WP about a "hypothermia" shelter among churches in Fairfax County, VA. Our church participated in something similar to this last year in Howard County. This year, because of our move and the unknown factors involved in that, we did not participate. It was a big commitment and a big eye-opener for us, too. In wealthier, non-urban counties, I think we refuse to accept that there is a need to take care of our homeless. The question is who is responsible to do this??

Our county opened a "homeless" center, although I don't know that it is a shelter. It was through this center that the shelters in churches were organized last winter. In the above article, they end with this quote:

"We don't believe untrained, unprofessional church people are best equipped to deal with these problems," he said. "All we could do is provide a temporary Band-Aid so they didn't freeze to death. It's unfair to make churches responsible for that care."

I am really intrigued by this conclusion, because I thought as the church, we ARE responsible to care for this. Am I wrong??

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' " Matthew 25:34-40

At least that's the way I read it.

What this person is maybe suggesting in the article (?) is that average, ordinary people are not trained to deal with what we experience when we step out and serve. I would wholeheartedly agree with that. My suggestion would be that we step out more and learn more how to do what He asked us to do above! The best training will come by experience.