Who Can Tame the Beast of Oppression?

Scripture:
“If you see the poor oppressed in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still.”
Ecclesiastes 5:8
Observation:
Corruption runs rampant in the world’s government systems. They are systems that are run by greed and the lust of power. The oppressed and the vulnerable are first to get crushed by the ruthless footsteps of the system. The seat of authority in the worldly system fails to administer justice and rights to the poor because those who do not have much economic clout do not serve their ultimate interests. Those who stand to fill their coffers off the backs of the oppressed also fill the coffers of the king and thus as far as the hierarchical structure is concerned it is they not the poor whose interest will be protected. This system is exploitative in its very nature. It is a system that is dependent on the exploitation of those who are deemed beneath you.
Application:
The other night a ministry that I work with called The Parking Spot held an outreach in an area of town that is home to many homeless persons. As we were fellowshipping and sharing a meal with our impoverished brothers and sisters, I noticed a line of police cars escorting a bulldozer and several dump trucks down the street. The police and city workers were in the process of literally sweeping the possessions of the homeless people of that community into the trash, bulldozing the makeshift-homes of these already downtrodden souls. My heart broke as I saw the tears in the eyes of one of the homeless men who was scurrying to secure his meal to his bike so that he could try and salvage something from his home, which was being devoured by the beast of oppression. Who was standing up for these already vulnerable people’s rights? Who was speaking truth to power, seeking justice for them? The answer is no one that night. But what can you do in the face of such heartlessness? How do you stem the tide of systemic oppression of these people by a system that wants to hide the homeless problem in the crevices of the back alleys? Honolulu is a city that is determined to make homelessness problem invisible rather than work to see these people dignified in their humanity and pulled from the vices of poverty. The city officials continue to pass laws that make being homeless illegal, while not providing any alternatives. In the face of such oppression what can be done? These questions need to be answered by the Church here in Honolulu. We cannot sit back and wait for government programs to end poverty we can and need to role up our sleeves and begin to become advocates of justice and righteousness.
Prayer:
Lord, give me the courage to stand up in the face of corruption. Give the resolve to stand up for those who cannot. Amen…