Forever Forward in Hopeნიმუში

We Heal in the Soil of Solidarity

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.… Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:2-10 NIV).

There’s a difference between charity and solidarity. Charity can keep people at arm’s length. Solidarity gets close enough to care and is committed enough to stay. There’s a difference between pity and solidarity too. Pity says, “I feel bad for you.” Solidarity says, “I’m with you.” Pity allows distance. Solidarity requires proximity.

Over the years—especially working alongside people who are unhoused—I’ve learned that true healing happens when we walk with people, not just talk about them.

One story that’s stayed with me is of Mike, a man I met while he was experiencing homelessness. He told me he had a dream of earning his GED. He didn’t ask for a handout. He asked for a chance. I reached out to

a friend who could help, and over time, a community came around him. Mike got connected to housing, tutoring, job training—and he made it. He got his GED. He stepped into a new season of life with dignity.

That wasn’t charity. That was solidarity. It wasn’t about saving Mike—it was about standing with him and helping him walk into what was already possible.

Galatians 6 reminds us that we’re not meant to carry the weight of life alone. It also challenges us to keep doing good—even when it feels like no one’s watching, even when we’re tired, even when change is slow.

Some of us have been conditioned to believe that we have to fix people. But real justice work is rooted in presence, not performance. It’s asking, “What would it look like for me to show up and stay?”

When I launched Love Beyond Walls, it wasn’t just to meet needs. It was to build relationships with people who felt forgotten and were overlooked, to amplify voices, and to walk beside those society pushes to the margins. That walk has taught me that transformation is slower than we’d like—but deeper than we imagine.

And yes, doing good can make you tired. It’s exhausting to keep showing up when things move slowly. But Paul reminds us: don’t grow weary. Don’t stop planting seeds just because the harvest hasn’t come yet. Faithfulness is never wasted.

The world doesn’t need more people standing at a distance feeling sorry. It needs more people willing to sit down, listen, and say, “I see you. I’m not leaving.”

Solidarity heals because it’s not about power—it’s about presence.

Prayer: God, help me to walk with people, not above them. Help me be with people and not see them through the lens of pity. When I’m tired of doing good, remind me why I started. Remind me that love doesn’t always look dramatic—it often looks like staying. Teach me to walk in solidarity, to be present without needing to fix, and to trust that every seed of justice I plant is seen by you. Amen.

Was this Plan helpful? We adapted this Plan from From Dropout to Doctorate: Breaking the Chains of Educational Injustice by Terence Lester. For more information, visit: https://www.ivpress.com/from-dropout-to-doctorate