“I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (John 14:18 ESV).
“Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (James 1:27 NLT).
This past September, 15-year old, Davion Only made the news after standing before the members of a Baptist church in Florida and pleading for a family to adopt him.
Nervously standing before the church on a Sunday morning he said, “My name is Davion and I’ve been in foster care since I was born.” Letting go of the podium and rubbing his sweaty palms together, Davion continued, “I’ll take anyone. Old or young, dad or mom, black, white, purple. I don’t care. And I would be really appreciative. The best I could be… I know God hasn’t given up on me. So I’m not giving up either.”
Davion was born in prison, raised in foster care, and has never had his own room or felt wanted. Last spring, while researching his roots on a computer in the library, he learned that his mother, La Dwina “Big Dusty” McCloud, had died of a heart attack. After this he determined to find someone to adopt him.
The Tampa Bay Times ran the story on Davion’s plea that resulted in it going viral. More than 20,000 people have shared it on Facebook and Twitter. Publications from around the world picked up the story. Websites from Fox News to Yahoo, Reddit and Gawker, MSN, People, Cosmopolitan and the Huffington Post have reported on it. Television networks from ABC to Al Jazeera carried the report. He was on the Today show. Producers of The View flew him to New York for an interview.
When Barbara Walters asked him to describe his perfect family, Davion said simply, “Anyone who would love me.”
As a result of Davion’s plea, over 10,000 families have contacted his caseworker to find out more about adopting him. She had to hire a public relations firm to handle all the media requests. Davion could finally have his own room and his own family by Christmas.
The outpouring of response to Davion’s story has been called “The Davion Effect.” Americans have been learning more about the plight of the orphan and the foster care system as a result. Many are amazed to learn that nearly half a million children are in foster care and that nearly 100,000 are available for immediate adoption.
This story is timely for our church because this coming weekend we are sponsoring a conference called An Orphan’s Hope and joining other churches nationally in recognizing Orphan Sunday. We’re interested in the care of orphans because Jesus has given us this calling.
Jesus told his disciples that he had to leave them for a time because he was going to prepare a place for them in the Father’s house (John 14:1-3). But he told them not to worry because He would not “leave them as orphans.” Jesus has made it possible through His death and resurrection for those of us that believe on Him to be adopted by the Father and included in His family as His children. Jesus has not left us as orphans.
I hope “The Davion Effect” continues to raise American awareness about the plight of the orphan.
More than that, I pray that the “pure and genuine” faith that we have in Jesus moves us to care for orphans, the Davions, in our world.