“Poverty is like a stray,
starving dog you fed once and now follows you everywhere.”
–Scared, by Tom
Davis
At Vuthy’s home in Touth
(Toy-t), Kampot (Cam-pote), Cambodia, there are two dogs. “Black and white” and
“Rat” is what we call them, only because we asked, not because people call them
by names.
They sit at our feet at
every meal, and in turn get kicked and yelled at during every meal. They sit
around waiting for whoever will be kind enough to throw down some scraps. After
all, we do discard some fat or “unknown” meat particles when the food
doesn’t satisfy our needs.
Something else “Black and
white” and “Rat” like to do is follow us when we go house-to-house to share the
gospel.
They lead the way (sort of)
by running ahead of us, sniffing out the way, peeing on trees, and barking at
every other village dog in our path. They’ll bark like psychos until a human
barks discipline in return or pats one on the back with a “Hey! You’re okay! It’s
fine!”
They are essentially
harmless, with viscous teeth; Scary externals with caring souls.
Wait, Do dogs have souls?
If these dogs are like
people starving in third world countries, then yes, YES, they do.
A caananite woman from [Tyre and Sidon] came to
him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is
suffering terribly from demon-possession.” Jesus did not answer a word. So his
disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out
after us.” He answered, “I was only sent to the lost
sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!”
she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the
children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” “Yes, Lord,” she said, “but
even the eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Jesus
answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is
granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Although Jesus was first
sent to the lost sheep of Israel, the Jews, he also had time for the “dogs”,
those the world sees as cast-out. Even the “dogs”, the “gentiles”, have faith.
It is time to feed them. It is time to bring not only food, but friendship.
