God’s Partiality

“Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” – James 2:2-4

Fannie Lou Hamer was born in Montgomery County, Mississippi, in 1917. She was the youngest of 20 children, and her mother and father were sharecroppers. She was a devoted Baptist who believed that fighting for justice was her calling.

In the 1960s, Hamer worked for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) to demystify the political process for southern blacks and register thousands to vote—a dangerous endeavor in the Jim Crow South.

Her faith in God was key to her ability to withstand police brutality, disenfranchisement, and involuntary sterilization while refusing to hate her oppressors. She was one of the most skilled orators and organizers in the civil rights movement and was known to have a powerful effect on audiences with her speeches and songs.

If we are to be partial, be partial toward the poor.

Ask the Lord how you can best use your gifts and talents to better serve the poor.

“When we serve the poor and the sick, we serve Jesus. We must not fail to help our neighbors, because in them we serve Jesus.” – Rose of Lima

“The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” – Proverbs 29:7