Many of us have heard heartrending stories about post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, suicide and homicide within the military. Then, there are the realities — the economics of trimming budgets, global dangers and stagnant unemployment.

The Department of Defense (DOD) is a complicated web of budget, readiness, equipment and personnel, to say the least. “Administrative discharge” is one of many insidious consequences of downsizing and budget cuts.  Keeping a “quality force” is a military term used to define a smaller defense budget which often times leads to immoral mistreatment of those who have served and who are now suffering as a direct result of their past service.

I remember it well. Twenty years ago after Desert Shield/Storm the euphemistic term was “right-sizing” the military. In order to “right-size”  broken or injured soldiers who were not able to “perform” had to leave the military.

Currently we are witnessing  men and women getting out of uniform during one of the worst economic downturns in recent history and find themselves jobless and homeless.  Unemployment among veterans is twice the rate of their civilian counterpart. Many struggle to adjust and learn new skills. The hardship can be unbearable, and 18 veterans a day commit suicide. There are not enough park benches to accommodate them.

Recently I’ve been reading quite a number of articles and books on the subject of Christian charity. Many of you know that Christian charity has been the distinguishing hallmark of the Church for many centuries. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, it has fallen into neglect in our day, particularly in the church. And yet a careful examination of Scripture reveals how believers are mandated to reclaim their place in this area of community involvement.

Jesus says, “Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:36-40). Meditating on this scripture immediately brings to mind that Jesus was not advocating the principle of “survival of the fittest”. Rather, He was identifying closely with the plight of the weak and  alienated. What impact is the invisible or local church making with these veterans who suddenly find themselves alienated from community and the work force? How do the people of God get on board “loving them as their neighbor” in order to fulfill Jesus’ mandate?