Columbia Missourian - Faith: Faithfully filling the shelves

Columbia Missourian - Faith: Faithfully filling the shelves:

"In the book of Matthew, on the day of judgment, the king will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Those on his right, who fed the hungry, clothed the needy and cared for the sick, will be given eternal life.

“I tell you the truth,” the king says in Matthew 25:40 in the New International Version translation, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

The parable of the sheep and the goats lies traditionally at the heart of Christian social outreach. For Jews, the phrase Tikkun Olam, “repair the world,” is a call for social justice. Zakat, one of the five fundamental pillars of Islam, obliges Muslims to contribute materially to the fair distribution of wealth in society."

It's been an interesting few days here in Columbia, Missouri -- both the student newspaper and the Columbia Missourian (reported largely by students and published by the UM Journalism School) have printed stories on the role religion plays in life. Today's story, a portion of which is quoted above, speaks of the significant part faith-based communities play in meeting the increasing needs of vulnerable members of our society.