The Most Important Question

Guest blog – Vernon Liverett

I recently had the opportunity to do intake at the food pantry. Before shopping, people sit down with a volunteer to complete or update a food bank form. Ours is a client-choice pantry, where people choose groceries their families can use. It is the type the San Antonio Food Bank recommends.

To me, the most important question comes after the form is completed: “How can I pray for you today?” That question opens a conversation beyond the paperwork and gives us an opportunity to bring the person’s concerns to our heavenly Father.

This is when people may share a fear or concern they have been carrying. I don’t regularly get to do this but when I do it often is very emotional. Recently, a man told me that his mother and his partner had both died within the last three months. He had also been evicted and had to live under a bridge for several days before he could find a place to live. He was overwhelmed by all that had happened. Another young man shared that he had a young son with Down Syndrome. He was unemployed and looking for a job. A woman shared that she was struggling to care for her mother who has dementia.

These conversations remind me how much it matters to listen, show compassion, and care about the person sitting across from us. This question allows us to really connect with them.

Our care does not depend on whether someone attends church, but when they know that we truly care about them, they are much more receptive to an invitation to any of the activities on our campus. This might include ceramics, the Tuesday meal, Divine Women or just coming to worship or Bible study. To me this is why I believe the question, “How can I pray for you?” is the most important thing we ask. It’s not just asked at the food pantry, but also at the thrift store, at the Saturday food distribution, and the Tuesday night meal.