Concerning the Poor

Biblical texts:

Dt.15:11 “I therefor command you, “Open your hands to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.”

Isa: 32:7 “ The villaninies of villains are evil; they devise wicked devices to ruin the poor with lying words, even when the plea of the needy is right.”

Jas 2:2-6 “...do you with your acts of favoritism really believe in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ? For if a person with gold rings and in fine clothes comes into your assembly, and if a poor person in dirty clothes also comes in, and if you take notice of the one wearing the fine clothes and say 'Have a seat here, please,' while the one who is poor you say, 'Stand there' or, ' Sit at my feet,' have you not made a distinction among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Has not God chosen the poor in the world to be rich in faith and to be heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you? Is it not they who drag you into court? Is it not they who blaspheme the excellent name that was invoked over you?

 I have seen the poor  refused service. Anyone who looks dirty, homeless and impoverished or different will deal with humiliation. Often they receive strange looks.

Several cities have a law that outlaws the feeding of homeless persons.

Sad, but that is the world.

What does this look like within charitable organizations? Many of them do great work in helping the poor and that needs to be celebrated. Without these organizations many of the poor would be much worse off. Unfortunately, I have also seen organizations and individuals who in the name of charity donate and disseminate outdated can-goods  and stained clothes. The worst I have ever seen was a pair of shoes in which the sole had been shredded, donated to be given out to the poor.  Likewise people donate jackets or blouses but cut off expensive buttons. It would be better if they just kept the item. That is NOT charity, compassion or love! One organization in Oklahoma was feeding poor people but then continued to tell them if they had gas to come to eat their food, they might have as well spent their gas to find a job. We often have unreasonable expectations towards situations of the poor.

We need to get over the ingrained idea, that the poor did it to themselves. Consciously or subconsciously a lot of us believe that their situation occurred because they are lazy or stupid and therefore deserving their plight. I have actually seen poor people who worked two jobs, raised a family and since they could not get any help with repairs, figured somehow out how to fix their own car, their own water-pipes and toilette. It is a lonely life, a stressful life when no-one helps. The poor do not deserve our trash or our contempt.

Having money does not make a person more competent, less lazy or less mentally ill. Money, however, will help to hide those things well. Poor people just can't hide their warts as well, therefore they are being judged. Had emperor Nero been a pauper instead of a King, he would have been put in the insane assylum. But since he was a king, he was considered egocentric and maybe a tad mean or evil.

Even though in the USA most of the poor are criminalized, it is interesting that poverty is spreading. People who were in middle class cannot keep up anymore with the way the economy is going. One thing is really fascinating, a lot of professionals are hired to tell the poor people how to get out of poverty. But no-one involves the voice of the poor to find out what they actually need, thereby being ineffective. Telling a poor person how to get out of poverty according to my standards and life philosophy does not consider their gifts, life philosophy, life purpose or dignity. If they do not follow through we condemn them for being unreliable, having bad habits, or just being crazy. When in actuality those who are poor who are standing up for themselves, are the ones who have incredible strength to hold to what and who they know they are. It might take them a while to rise above judgements that hold them down, but I pray that they will. They deserve respect.

It seems we have regulations and laws which keep the poor poor. At a low income apartment building, for example, I found out that the tenants are not allowed to do yard-sales. The reason given is vague. When they get some financial help, they need to disclose every bank account, every penny in cash and if they go over by even a little they will receive less help, get their food stamps cut and so on. The problem is they already get the bare minimum. The income they receive is little that car repairs or entertainment of a guest is out of the question, as are many of the things the middle-class and wealthy people see as quite natural occurrences. The smallest problem that can be fixed with a few dollars becomes a disaster to the poor person.

The most recent proposed bill to outlaw the re-sale of computers, i-phones or blackberries means the poor will not have access to the technology that everyone else has. I find that is not really fair. If these laws are intentional in order to harm the poor, or if they are just made out of greed they are automatically hurting the poor population.

This is one example how simple decisions which one group might consider practical, may be devastating to the poor. There are very few public phones, and many of them as disfunctional or don't exist anymore. How is a poor person supposed to make a phone call unless they are lucky enough to squeeze a phone into their budget, or are part of a family plan somewhere? Without a phone, how are they going to arrange for services or find a job. To compound the problem, the closing of a post office makes it impossible to do necessary business if you are a poor person without transportation. Whether intentional or unintentional the way society is moving, it makes it almost impossible for the poor to survive.

I think the best gift we can give the poor is to listen to their voices. In doing so we can understand them better and give them the help they really need and want.

I agree with the saying that it is better to teach someone to fish than to give them fish for a meal. If we are to give with open hands, we also need to supply the equipment so that they can fish. Often it is not the skill but the equipment/resource that is lacking.

Exercise:

Ask yourself: “Would I take a poor person to Paneras/ or some restaurant and feed them and talk to them?”

“Would I take a homeless person to my home to sleep?”

“ Would I give a poor person my torn old dress, or one of my newer dresses?

“Am I appalled by their dirtiness?”

“Do I feel embarrassed to talk to a homeless person. Do I hope no-one who knows me will see me doing so?

“ Do I feel that a homeless person is abusing their right and little money by eating in

a restaurant?”

“Do they annoy me when they beg on the street corners?”

“Would you be willing to have one of them do some work for you?”

“Would you be willing to teach one of the poor a skill?”

Meditation:

Breathe deeply. Invoke God's light into your inner vision and let this light flow through you and envelop you. Stand in God's light. Then think of a homeless, dirty or a person you would never want to talk to. Bring them into God's light with you. Greet them, bless them in the name of God. Ask God to show you their real self and their actual beauty. Journal your insights.


© 2012 Angelika Mitchell