Re: [HoB/D] Today's Religion News Service (RNS) column by the Rev'd Tom Ehrich

[Louie Crew <lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu>]

In the 1960s, my father ran the "Surplus Food Program" which morphed into
the "Poverty Program" in two poor counties of northeast Alabama.   When
visiting during my holidays, often I sat in the program's warehouse
listening to interviews with applicants.   Many were illiterate.  Many had
to sign with an 'X.'   Some had taken hours to get to the warehouse only a
few blocks from their residence.

Anniston is laid out on a grid with numbered streets going east and west and
named streets ascending alphabetically going north and south.   That's all
gibberish if you can't read and write.  Illiteracy is hardly your fault if
you were put to work on the farm when you were 7 or 8 years old.

Many self-appointed watch-dogs called Dad to complain that they had seen X
number of Cadillacs and other luxury cars in the program's parking lot. "Why
are you spending our tax dollars to give free commodities to people who have
fine cars?!" some would shout.

Patiently Dad would ask for the license plate numbers of any of those luxury
vehicles.  And when most could not provide that information, Dad would add,

"Well I already have these.  Please let me know of any others so that I can
check:

Plate XXXXX.  Mrs. W. P. Acker, member of Grace Episcopal Church
Plate YYYYY. Mrs. Lonnie Cash, member of St. Michael's and All Angels
Episcopal Church
Plate ZZZZZZ.  Mrs. W. B. Moore, member of Parker Memorial Baptist
Church...."

Usually at least 10 volunteered on any day commodities were being
distributed.  The volunteers spent an enormous amount of time fetching those
who had called in asking if someone could help them find the place.
[Attention Yankees:  FETCH is an English verb that compresses 3 discrete
actions:  go to; get; and bring back.]

What a shame that the gospel writers forgot to tell us all of Jesus'
security measures to be sure that no undeserving persons were fed among the
5,000 or the 3,000 or the .......

Lutibelle of the Alabama Belles, Louie, L1 Newark

Louie Crew, 377 S. Harrison St., 12D, East Orange, NJ 07018 973-395-1068

Song of Religious Subversives

He hath put down the mighty from their seat,
and hath exalted the humble.
He hath filled the hungry with good things;
and the rich he hath sent empty away.