The Lead

At a time of year when we hear of Mary and Joseph not finding room in the inn for the birth of Jesus - many are learning the hard reality of being cast out of their homes due to mortgage foreclosures. One church in Chicago is calling on churches and legislators to solve this housing crisis.

The Chicago Tribune reports:

"We have a foreclosure crisis across this country," Acree said. "But we came here today to tell you there is hope."

Acree's sermon came as U.S. Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.) launched Foreclosure Sunday, an effort to get churches and other spiritual organizations involved to solve what the Greater St. John Bible Church pastor called a "pandemic that has taken over our country."

Davis, whose district includes Austin, stepped to Acree's pulpit to encourage people having trouble meeting their ballooning mortgage payments to seek help from the local, state and federal programs working on the problem.

"Do not just suffer in silence," Davis told the churchgoers. "We have to have faith, but we also have to know that there are things that we can do."

Bills are being sponsored in Congress to extend the time for homeowners to work out mortgage issues and there is help in many states. People are often embarrassed to say they are having difficulties until it is too late. Pastor Acree challenges churches to get involved in supporting people to find the resources available and to lobby congress to take action.

Stories of more churches taking action here

More on the lending crisis in the NYTimes here

Comments (2)

A couple of points.

I've noticed a meme that draws a parallel between Jesus' birth in a stable and homelessness. And I've noticed a counter-meme -- his parents weren't homeless, they were in Bethelehem to pay taxes like everyone else, hence the shortage of rooms in the inn. The point of the bible story isn't, I think, that the holy family was in poverty, but that the birth was in humble circumstances.

It's a stretch to draw a parallel between Jesus' birth in a stable and these foreclosures in my opinion. Many of these folks had no business taking on a mortgage like that to begin with. And a sickening proportion of those in default misrepresented their income on their loan application. See:
http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2007/12/the-scope-of-mo.html

I'd rather see us more concerned with those in true poverty.

Posted by John B. Chilton | December 19, 2007 11:00 AM

There is no room for either IMO - and note the further links about how this all came to be.

Posted by Ann Fontaine | December 19, 2007 2:45 PM

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