The present world with all the Neo-gospels coming out from every nook and corner Prophets and Prophetess blatantly name the poor and those who are strangled by poverty as sinners and claim it is because for their sin that they are poor. Materialistic blessing has become a sign of God's presence. Those who donate or fund, support the ministries are the ones whom God would bless abundantly. There is also a fund-raising gimmick that is used in the Indian Churches. The Blessing Tray (Aseervatha Thattu) that is mandatory in any of the church's mega fund-raising programs. God only knows who brought this into the church. Sigh! Some poor are pushed to participate in the auction and are made to believe that the blessing tray would raise their standard of living. In such a context, as a community of God we are called to revisit poverty and God with those in poverty.
Poverty as a collective oppression
Poverty is not because of people being lazy or not being literate. It is our systematic acts of using them for menial works with meager pay that pushes them to live in shacks and stenchy river banks and slums. The hidden agenda is to make them always starve and plead for help and mercy from those who are powerful and rich. History of the dominant repeats itself everyday even more life-threatening than the earlier centuries.
Oscar Romero who was canonized into sainthood bears witness to such a history where most Salvadorans lived in extreme poverty, while a small number of rich families controlled most of the wealth and political power. It was against these powers that Bishop Romero battled even unto to his death in the midst of a Holy Mass. Remember it is always those who you term people living in dirt, who help you to maintain your cleanliness, those who keep your places clean, yet live in dirty places.
It is in their poverty, you are made clean. It is your deliberate oppression and economic injustice that makes them to live in guttery-stench makeshift shelters. It's our collective oppression that has resulted in their poverty.
Helping the Poor - The Bounden duty of the Church
The Church's duty doesn't stop with the distributing food or clothing or special occasions but in sensitizing the rich and dominant to understand that it's the greed and negligence towards their fellow brothers and sisters that has resulted in poverty.
There are a lot of churches whose offertory covers which are earmarked for charity or for the poor. But the fund never reaches them nor it is used for them. Those in power use it for feeding the poor once in a year or find it hard to help the poor. Helping the poor is not going to bring you loads of blessing, rather you become an instrument of creating hope and trust in God for those who live their lives with fear of breathing or surviving the next meal.
Last but not least, the demand for more with scarce resources makes chaos and stampede, not their poverty. When you help the poor ensure that you help the deserving not the self-acclaimed or entitled poor. May the Good Lord help us realize this dirty sin of ours and change our intentions of creating binaries of clean and unclean. And if you think Poverty is dirty. Yes, God is living amidst these dirty ones to make you realize that you have collectively contributed towards this dirtiness.
Prayer
Our loving God who has created us in your own image. Help us to see you in every individual we see. May Holy Spirit urge us to see the realities of the world and respond to it. May we strive to drive the dirtiness that we have made with our wrong motifs. We ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ who lives among the poor. Amen
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Author: Rev. Raj Kumar Johnwesley
About the Author: Rev Raj Kumar, is the son of Church Sexton. He completed his BD from United Theological College, Bangalore. He is currently serving CSI Madras Diocese as Presbyter of CSI Nallattur - Poonimnagadu, Ponpadi Thazhavedu Pastorates. His interests are reading, drama and sports
Thank you for this reflection, Raj. This also reminds me of how poverty is internalised by the so called poor as well because of the negligence or behaviour of the so called rich. At the same time, the need and want to aspire and be like the rich. A definite reminder of always being mis-recognised.
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Dear Hansi Akka. Grateful for all your support and encouragement
DeleteWell-articulated Raj, I am so glad you were astonishingly bold in your view on certain traditions we follow, take a bow for that, Glory to God again for your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteJesus’ nativity story includes being born in a foreign city (presumably without family and friends), being placed in a manger (literally a feed trough), and being visited by shepherds— strangers who were considered by most people to be the outcasts of society (see Luke 2:7).
Jesus’ comments on his own economic status, such as when he said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). The Gospel narratives bear out this testimony. These few verses itself enough what and how the King of the world born and thought to be… Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in Human Likeness (Philip:2:70
we are indeed growing up greedy slowly and thought that blessings are to be rich, so as blessing plate…ashamed for being part of it..!!
Finally, I conclude with Parable of great banquet…where poor and outcast are the ones who are invited in the Feast…
Thanks again Raj Kumar Johnwesley may you be a blessing to many and you reach out more to outcast people and bring them for the feast.
Thanks a lot for adding the verses and making much bolder Anna
DeleteThanks dear
ReplyDeleteGod bless
Thanks a lot akka
DeleteYes the idea of offering box in
ReplyDeletechurches who made the decision.From my knowledge this was the process introduced by Peter to help the needy but is it truly reflected in our current Church management and whether the financial aid is reaching to them.Thank you brother to represent this issue.