Jesus said what he meant:
Put the poor on top and
rich on bottom
Today I heard an ad about giving money this Christmas season for homeless dogs. Everybody is asking and many are giving this time of the year. A big thing is collecting food for the hungry The poor are hungry all year along but the giving is best at Christmas season When I hear an ad about giving food I wish I could ask about giving vouchers for used stoves and refrigerators to those in need. Due to some landlords being greedy, many people no longer have stoves and refrigerators ( See Bedbugs and Greedy Landlords) So the problem is if you get a lot of food how do you store it and cook it? Our St Vincent De Paul Conference decided not to ask for money this season. What a shame since we are one of the few groups that give vouchers for used stoves and refrigerators.
I give money to a number of groups, most local and not agencies and would like to spread it out during the year but with the most reminders coming now I give the most now. Begging has become a fine art since the day of Jesus when the blind beggar, with no family to support him, stood outside the temple entrance begging for anything. In fact some scripture scholars say that is Jesus’ time the blind beggar or window without any family support were the ‘poor’ Jesus was talking about.
In today’s ‘Opinion’ page I read an article called “What do critics of Pope Francis think about Jesus then?” The author points out that the teachings of Jesus in his time would be even more radical in our times. The author points out that what Jesus said he really meant. For example, “Jesus did not preach income equality between the rich and the poor. He preached the complete reversal of the social order: The rich and the poor would switch places.…. Although modern Christianity has tried to spiritualize this message of Jesus, transforming his revolutionary social teachings into abstract ethical principles, it is impossible to overlook the unflinching condemnation of the wealthy and powerful that permeate Jesus’ teachings.” This taking Jesus on his own words which the rich and powerful did in his times should give thought to both conservatives and liberals.
When it comes to poor and marginalized we seem to talk the talk and give them some food at the holidays. Giving food is okay but a refrigerator and stove would help the poor gain dignity and respect and put them closer to the top where Jesus places them.
Giving beds to sleep on, stoves to cook food and refrigerators to store food would be fulfilling the words of Jesus and our Holy Father to overthrow the system and help in effort for rich and poor to switch place, to put poor on top.
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