Me versus the Poor

“The Poor will always be with us”
Mark 14:7
Christ was with the Poor many times throughout his ministry
- A reading of Luke’s Gospel


Both phrases give pause for thought. To me the first phrase that the poor will always be with us reminds us of the collective goal of Christians to move towards their Father’s love as a group. The poor are part of us, not a separate group given to us as objects, a chore to prove our generosity. No, the poor are full members of our group, Christianity; which means that we are to love them as God loves us. That means with dignity, not derision, with respect, not ridicule and with generosity, not gratuity. When the gospels showed that Christ is with the poor at all times, he extended to us the challenge to join him in his love for the poor. We are to be with them in some way at all times. This is one of the harder roles to define for most of us. We have no urge to live in the ghetto and see nothing wrong with the life that we have chosen for ourselves in golden suburbia. Here lies the crux of what we have to face. We are separating ourselves from some of God’s people. We must change somehow and I don’t have the answers. I support a Child in Honduras through a group that I contribute to on a monthly basis. Too often I see that as a contribution not as working with another member of God’s family. I have work to do. If the Poor will always be with us and Christ was often with the Poor, I would think that that would be a great place to be.