All in a name...

We've been kicking around the idea of changing our name. It seems that the word "ministries" evokes images of bible thumping or prostelytzing or religion or something along those lines. As a result, there may be people who hesitate to fund us as a result. It would be interesting to know what you think. I think that the bigger choking point with Desert Ministries is not the word "ministries" but instead the word "elderly." We can understand spending money on children, building houses, or feeding people, but as one CEO put "...this [elderly] would be at the bottom of our list."

Now be sure, this isn't me with a bunch of sour grapes in my mouth. For the past 15 years I've traveled the country advocating for the elderly to religious groups primarily, and then to anyone else who will listen to me, and I intend to do that for some time to come.

This is simply about getting you over the negative stereotype of aging. Agesim is the prejudice associated with the elderly, and it is just as damaging as any other prejudice. It ultimately results in our elders being marginalized.

Recently, someone remarked to me about an abuse case which resulted in a residents death. They said, "Well, afterall she was 106 years old." So does that mean hurting someone at the age of 106 is less wrong than if they were 20 or 30 years of age.

Then of course there is the world of denial that we all live in, believing that if I ignore the end of life issues some how I will escape them. As far as I know, no one, other than Jesus and maybe Enoch escaped but even then Jesus was dead for some period of time.

Denial is our biggest obstacle. Maybe instead of changing the word Ministries we should change the word Desert. How about Denial Ministries - reaching out to people who live in denial?

When God said, "...plead for the widow," He chose His words well.

For most, if not all of recorded history, men have successfully denegrated and marginalized the frail elderly. The big sin in the United States is that this devaluation of life is unwittingly endorsed by groups who would claim that they know God, and have a personal relationship with Jesus. In their zeal to capture people at a very young age they then cater solely to the young members of their congregations. In doing so, they have unwittingly given their endorsement to the utilitarian mindset that has saturated our society with the cultural value that our worthiness as humans lies in our capabilities. With this endorsement then comes their passive consent to restricting healtcare for the frail elderly, euthanasia, physician assisted suicide, and even their humanity.

This year thousands of people living in nursing homes will be hurt through neglect and outright abuse, and many will die as a result of their injuries. Who will be prosecuted? Few if any. Who will be a banner for them? A few grass roots groups like DM.

It is discouraging to realize the vast resources at our disposal in this country and yet we cannot take care of our elderly, and most sadly, we do not have the will to care for them. It is not money that we lack, and I don't think we know God as well as we claim. Because if we knew Him, the way we claim, we would say with a fair degree of confidence: "The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow." (Proverbs 15:25)

Instead, just as Isaiah wrote several thousand years ago: "Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after compensation and rewards. They judge not for the fatherless nor defend them, neither does the cause of the widow come to them [for they delay or turn a deaf ear]. (Isaiah 1:23)

And so as Isaiah said so many years ago, I echo the words "...plead for the widow." (Isaiah 1:17).

Why? Because God knows us.