Poverty comes in many forms.
There is absolute poverty, which means that the basic needs of food, shelter and comfort are severely limited. People of absolute poverty do not always know where or when their next meal is coming from.
There is relative poverty, where the household income is below a certain level.
There is situational and temporary poverty, caused by a natural disaster or a life-event.
There are other definitions but those are the basics, except one … the worst poverty of all.
The poverty of ethics and compassion. This comes in varying degrees, and sometimes ‘selective’ degrees.
Coming into Fred Meyers the other morning, rain pouring, I saw a man sitting huddled under a small umbrella, a sign asking for help.
I live in the ‘relative poverty’ zone. Even more so in the last couple months. I am careful with every bit of money spent. I have to be. And it was with great care that I parted with $5 to a man who had far less.
A cafeteria worker in a school quit her job rather than participate in the School Lunch Shaming practices that her employers had implemented.
There are Muslims who cross the boundaries of their religion to help Christians. And there are true Christians who cross those man-made lines to help Muslims.
There are people, who struggle to pay bills who are more than willing to pay taxes that help the greater good, whether it benefits them or not.
At a City Council meeting last night, an amazing group of people came to petition the City to allow them to re-open the Library. One gruff man spoke quite eloquently about how the closure devastated some lower income families.
Part of my property tax goes to the schools, and I don’t have children. I am more than pleased to participate.
I hear so many claiming to be Christian, yet actions and choices taken go so completely against the compassionate and wise words of The Prince of Peace.
There jobs that demand acts of cruelty, and people will commit those acts rather than seek alternative employment.
Lines get blurred, and self-lies are told in order to justify the decisions not to ‘do the right thing’. Fear of losing what little we may have, or in stronger cases, greed, prevails.
Studies show that those who have less are more willing to share. That seems insane to me, until the psychology of the brain is factored in. (Honestly, even then it seems a little insane!).
Humanity is terribly divided on so many levels. Media hammers fear into us. Gossip enforces that fear. Greed and a hunger for control and power incites that fear.
What would happen …. if we could just suddenly say … “It’s over. No more fear. I will believe in Love. I will trust in Love. I will be the Light that I seek. I will not compromise my core beliefs to accommodate anyone.”
What if … we all just said …
I.
Am.
Love.
<3 <3 <3