When Did We See You?

“‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?’ … ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these … you did it to me’”—Matthew 25:37, 40

Like so many of us, Elizabeth Mae Magill struggles to wrap her head around the tensions involving wealth, responsible planning for the future, and how God wants us to care for those less fortunate than ourselves. How does a Christian with money respond and act in a country where over 36 million people live below the poverty line?

In When Did We See You?, Magill invites us into an honest conversation about faith, money, and community, posing hard questions about poverty, wealth, and what it means to follow Jesus in an economically divided world. With candor, grace, and deep pastoral insight, Magill wrestles with her own material privilege and encourages us to do the same.

Grounded in scripture and the author’s own life and experience, this study explores how wealth shapes our relationship with God and neighbor and calls us back to Christ’s radical way of love, justice, and solidarity with the poor. Reminding us that all that we have belongs to God, Magill leads us through a revelatory journey as we consider:

Our relationship to money and concerns about having enough
Biblical teachings on money, charity, justice
A faithful response to those in our community who have less
How spiritual poverty brings us closer to God and others
What Jesus’ teachings call us to do—and who they call us to become

A chapter for each week of Lent, with reflection questions for each day
Litanies for Ash Wednesday and Good Friday
Stories from real congregations wrestling with poverty and hope
Concrete ideas you and your community can use to alleviate poverty

In a world of both abundance and inequality, When Did We See You? guides us through a crucial and timely conversation about our money, economic justice, and God’s call for a world with enough for all. This Lent, may we have eyes to truly see Christ in our neighbors, and respond with love and action.

Lenten small-group studies
Church-wide reading programs
Pastors and leaders looking to open dialogue on money, justice, and discipleship

Author Biography

The Rev. Dr. Elizabeth Mae Magill is a writer, pastor, and workshop leader in central Massachusetts. She is the author of Five Loaves, Two Fish, Twelve Volunteers: Growing Relational Food Ministries and the founder of Worcester Fellowship, an outdoor church reaching adults without homes.

Magill earned her MDiv in 2002 from Episcopal Divinity School and her DMin 2017 from Brite Divinity School. Ordained with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) she works as a Designated Term Pastor for the Small Church Collaborative in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, United Church of Christ.