LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1981, Page 300

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8. SOCIAL MINISTRY

8-01

Report of Board of Social Ministry
and World Relief

Who Cares! Who Cares? We Care

“Not in the lifetime of most men has there been so much
grave and deep apprehension . . . The domestic economic
situation is in chaos. Our dollar is weak throughout the world.
Prices are so high as to be utterly impossible. ..of our troubles,
no man can see the end.” These words quoted from Harpers
Weekly of October 1857 (124 years ago) describe the fears and
apprehensions of many people in our country and throughout
the world today. The political, economic, and social ills in
society have pressed down upon people with the result that
many have lost their sense of balance. They have become
confused and disillusioned and driven to the point of despair.

The problems that characterized the 1970s have also moved
into the 1980s. We are confronted by world tensions, hostility
and misunderstanding between racial and ethnic groups,
ongoing deterioration of central cities, the breakdown of
families with 50 percent of marriages ending in divorce, the
widening of the gap between the poverty-stricken and the more
affluent, and the growing number of elderly persons, one-
fourth of whom are living in poverty.

The title we have given to this report is intended to call
attention to what is happening in our world and to offer the
church not only a report of work done but a challenge to provide
the kind of caring that characterized the life and ministry of
our Lord Jesus Christ.

Part One—‘‘Who Cares!”

A group of young people were discussing some problems
that had been prevalent in their community when one young
fellow cleared his throat and exclaimed, “Oh, who cares!”
Thereupon the group laughed and gradually dispersed. The
comment of this young man, “Who cares!” was not a question
but rather the answer of indifference that marks the attitude of
many people in our world.

Shirking Responsibility

“Who cares!” is the brash remark intended to brush off
responsibility. Remember this was essentially the response of
Cain, the first murderer. When God asked him where his
brother Abel was, Cain responded with the words, ‘‘Am I my
brother’s keeper?” He might have said, “Who cares!’ He
certainly didn’t care. Similarly people can be approached for
needy causes, observe pathetic happenings in society, and act
in a way which says, ‘‘We didn’t cause the problem, therefore
we have no responsibility to seek a solution to the problem.”
Apathy becomes an excuse for lack of action.

A Lack of Feeling

Sadly, those who indifferently would say, “Who cares!” also
demonstrate an unfeeling lack of concern for those who need
help. When Scripture tells us to “Rejoice with them that do
rejoice, and weep with them that weep” (Rom. 12:15), it is
reminding us that we have feelings that God has built into us
and that must be expressed in our relationship with others.

Careless indifference may arise out of a defeatist attitude,
from a sense of helplessness. We think of people confronted by
such horrendous problems that they feel absolutely inadequate
and give up with the expression, ‘“‘What’s the use!” This seems
to be the response of many people as they view the gigantic
social problems of our day. They do nothing about them
because they feel their help wouldn’t accomplish anything.
They lose sight of the fact that even a small stride forward is
progress.

No Different than Priest and Levite

Too many are unwilling to consider being involved. Too few
attempt to relieve the human hurts that we see all over our

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world. Too often we hear the phrase “Who cares!” Isn’t this
similar to the negative action of the priest and the Levite in the
story of the Good Samaritan? Neither of them offered a helping
hand to the victim of the robbery, but ‘‘passed by on the other
side.” Selfishness, fear, busyness may have been their excuse,
but no explanation can hide the fact that they were blind to
human need. Their actions—passing the bleeding victim with-
out helping—said, ‘“‘Who cares!”

Part Two—‘“‘Who Cares?”’

Let’s change the punctuation and put a question mark after
the words, “Who Cares?” Hear this pathetic question coming
from the lips of malnourished children, ill-housed families, and
sick and dying victims of disease. Hurting people all over our
world in the midst of their pain and distress turn to Christians
such as us and hopefully anticipate a positive response.

Hurting People Ask for Help

Hurting people come in all sizes, shapes, and conditions; but
they all are pleading. In one way or another, they ask, ““Who
cares? Does anyone care?” In the 36 countries, including our
own United States and Canada, where our Board of Social
Ministry and World Relief has provided help, people are
experiencing needs of body, mind, and soul. People who are
black, white, yellow, red, and of every racial mix; people who
are young, middle aged, old; people who are hungry and
malnourished; people who are Christians, people who hold
other religions, and people who do not claim any religion;
people who are confined in prisons, hospitals, and other types
of institutions; children who have been abused, abandoned,
and rejected; people who are lonely, confused, and misunder-
stood—these and millions more make up the troubled and sin-
scarred people of our world who cry out today, ‘‘Who cares?”

The Question Is Directed to Us

Our Lord Jesus ministered to the multitudes of sick, lame,
blind, guilt-ridden, and diseased people thronging about Him
to seek His help and mercy. People with similar afflictions now
turn to Christ’s followers with the appeal ‘“‘Who cares? Do you
care?”’ Some have asked the question over and over again, and
they have become tired. Some have felt there may never be a
positive response, while others refuse to give up seeking the
help they know Christian people can give and want to give.
Some of these have knowledge of Christ, and some have heard
how the early church was concerned about the widows and
children and the poor. And some have heard how The Lutheran
Church—Missouri Synod has helped other people. Thus from
all corners of the world comes the question, ‘“‘Who cares? Do
you?”

Part Three—The Church Answers ‘‘We Care”’

No exclamation point or question mark after these two
words, ‘‘We care.” We are constrained to place a period after
this two-word sentence to declare our positive response to
human needs. This is the Christian response our church makes
through Social Ministry and World Relief—yes, we care.

Being Aware of Human Needs

To provide assistance to people, one must be aware of the
kind of help that people need. We dare not act as some have,
thinking we know what is good for people when we have never
walked in the shoes of those who hurt, and have never
encountered the situation in which troubled people find them-
selves. The staff and the Board of Social Ministry and World
Relief strive to understand people. We do not want to be
judgmental or paternalistic in our efforts to help people help
themselves. During the past two years the board has made ita
practice to visit areas in which we have assisted social ministry
programs. Various projects in Appalachia were visited in 1979
and projects in central Alabama connected with the Alabama
Rural Council were visited in 1980. These visits to meet with