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Ok…so the Charlotte community has done the right thing and provided temporary shelter at Hall House for the next six months for 300 homeless children and mothers.  While those who have given generously towards this cause deserve to be thanked, the second largest banking city in the United States (and one of the most churched in the country) has no business having 2400 children sleeping in cars, on the streets or in temporary shelters at any time. 

Those who say there isn't much else we can do about this problem now because we are in the middle of a crisis conveniently forget that we did not do anything about it before the crisis.  It is time for all of us to also face the uncomfortable truth that the plight of our community's most vulnerable worsened because we ignored it, and in some very significant ways even contributed to it as we continued to "improve" our city by demolishing public housing.  I have nothing against our efforts to build mixed-income neighborhoods, as long as we can at the very least 1. honestly admit that the problem of child-homelessness increased significantly over the years as more low-income neighborhoods disappeared and 2. treat eliminating child homelessness as a cause that is as just, urgent and compelling as deconcentrating poverty.   

Some will be tempted to say in an effort  to excuse us from doing more: "We have done what we can" because 300 children and mothers out of  a population of at least 2400 are now in Hall House for six months.   Others will try to hide behind theology and "remind" us that Jesus said "the poor you will always have", as though the Lord meant that its okay to have children sleeping on the streets.    

There is absolutely no theological justification for allowing the shame of child homelessness to continue, or being satisfied with the little that we have belatedly done with "what we have".    We can no longer do only what we can, but what we must.   We can no longer be limited by the resources that we have, but live out the kind of faith that pleases God and causes Him to extend our two loaves and five fishes to feed the multitudes even in times of famine.    

It is time to eliminate child homelessness in our city not because we can, but because we must.  I am convinced there are many people out there who are ready to join this cause.  What they are waiting for are the clear voices of those courageous leaders who will rally the troops to the frontlines with the clarion call: Yes we must!