Memphis needs the mercy of Micah
Micah was a social commentator who critiqued his community because they oppressed the poor and weak, and used legal means to deprive people of their property. He told how local children lost hope and reported on powerful people devising ways to make money off of the poor.
We face similar inequities in Memphis. Twenty-seven percent of our population falls below the federal poverty line. It’s almost 40 percent for children. One in five children go to bed hungry. Unemployment reaches 12 percent in certain neighborhoods. In some public schools, 85 percent of third graders read below grade level.
It raises the question, “What should we do?” We suggest that, perhaps, everybody needs a Micah.
You can find Micah’s social commentary in the Bible. He summarized his response to the inequities of eighth century B.C. Jerusalem with these words: “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Mercy means kindness -- a core motivation to serve others out of love, to reach out to the vulnerable not just because they need help, but because we all need mercy.
Agape school-based connectors are among those who give mercy in Memphis. One connector serving in Hickory Hill recently told about the inspiring smile of a fifth-grader who just got her first ‘A’ on a test. Last year, she missed school an average of three days a week. Agape worked with the family to overcome a variety of obstacles and, this year, the student has only missed two days since school began.
A Frayser family faced major problems when the father lost his job. Since they couldn’t pay rent, they had to move to a neighborhood where they didn’t feel safe because of drug use and gang activity. The children had to move to another school where they missed more than they attended. Life was coming apart at the seams.
Agape had the tools to address multiple barriers at once, in the name of mercy. The father found a new job. Soon, they moved back to their old neighborhood and the kids brought home their best report cards in years.
Children who fail to read at grade level in elementary school and who miss more classes than they attend statistically are more likely as adults to face addiction, incarceration, homelessness and unemployment. We might seek to help our city’s children because it means a healthier Memphis. But Micah tells us to help simply out of mercy.
Sometimes we feel as powerless as Micah, but his example reminds us of what we can do. We can show mercy by giving a helping hand to a vulnerable child or troubled family. We can encourage peers to show mercy, to give value and love to people our culture treats as insignificant.
Throughout history, we have seen that compassionate communities provide a way for the broken to heal. Mercy provides the means for the under-resourced to grow toward a brighter future filled with hope.
Dr. Tony Evans, pastor, author and radio host, will speak on mercy Agape’s HeartLight event at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church. Visit agapemeanslove.org.
David Jordan is president and CEO of Agape Child & Family Services. Dr. Harold Shank, retired minister at Highland Church of Christ, is a consultant for Agape.