A Ramble about the Poor

I find it funny that one of the recent presidential candidates remarked that the poor in the U.S. aren't really poor, that they have access to cable T.V., air conditioning, and computers. They are exceptionally privileged and have an “entitlement mentality.” The picture painted is someone living off of the state, receiving free housing, food stamps, large welfare checks, not having to do anything for it, and not wanting to do anything to get themselves out of it. At best, this is an ignorant image of poverty in the U.S. At worst, it is a deliberate twisting of the truth to turn public opinion against the poor. I know this because we've had to be on state assistance more often than we wanted.

Truth is, it's hard to get onto social services. Without a consistent paycheck it's nearly impossible to stay on, and it barely covers your basic expenses when you're on it. The largest “check” you can get is about $190 a month. If you're single with no kids and make any kind of a paycheck at all, they won't help you with anything. The rules which regulate the social services system are geared to make it as difficult and as uncomfortable as possible and to make you feel as shameful as possible so that you will either want to leave it as quickly as possible, or be forced off of it. Often, from what I've seen, social workers tend to try and bend those rules or teach people how to go around them so that they can help the people who really need it.

So, who are the poor? Well, if we go by legal definitions, it's anyone who makes below a certain amount of income per year depending on whether or not they're married or single, and depending on how many kids they have. So, if someone is married and has three kids, they're considered below the poverty level if they make something like $30,000/year. This works out to $2500/month for a family. Doesn't sound like poverty does it? If these are the poor that this candidate was talking about, then yes, our nation's poor aren't really all that bad off if they just manage their resources and live within their means (depending on where in the country they live, $2500/month for a family of five in a place like Orange County, CA, for example, is almost impossible).

But the problem is that while these people may be struggling, they're not really the poor which need the help the most, and are the most hurt by these kinds of politics. The example of the poor which I gave above are what would be called in Greek, “tapeinoi”. These are people in humble circumstances. The poor people which are hurt by these kinds of politics are what are called in Greek “ptokhoi”. This word has an interesting etymology. It appears to be related to the word for “spit.”

These are the people who are spit on. These are the ones who cannot defend themselves, and have no resources whatsoever. And these days, their ranks are swelling as more homes are foreclosed on, more savings accounts are wiped out, and more jobs are lost. This is the immigrant, illegal or legal, as he tries to provide for himself or his family. This is the kid who doesn't know where their next meal is coming from because his or her parents are either out of work, or not there. This is the elderly person for whom social security doesn't pay enough to make ends meet for basic necessities. These are the people now forced to live in tents if they're fortunate because, not being able to pay, they were forced from their homes. I read an article recently about a Hollywood director or producer who was forced into the position of staying in homeless shelters with his wife and children. Their “friends” criticize them for taking their children down there at night, but I read nothing about any of them opening up their homes to them. There are millions of people like this in the U.S. right now, and their numbers are growing not shrinking.

What's really disturbing me is the attitudes which are being taken about the poor by professing Christians. The thinking seems to be that, somehow, the poor deserve to be in the state they're in, and nothing should be done to help them. If they can't help themselves, no one else should help them either. Hmm, what does God think on the matter?

The Old Testament, in particular the Law, is a covenant which was superceded by the New Covenant in Jesus Christ. But it is useful at times in seeing where God's mind is on a subject. The passages which deal with the treatment of the poor are most instructive:

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (WEB)

“If there be with you a poor man, one of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; but you shall surely open your hand to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wants. Beware that there not be a base thought in your heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and your eye be evil against your poor brother, and you give him nothing; and he cry to Yahweh against you, and it be sin to you. You shall surely give him, and your heart shall not be grieved when you give to him; because that for this thing Yahweh your God will bless you in all your work, and in all that you put your hand to. For the poor will never cease out of the land: therefore I command you, saying, You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your needy, and to your poor, in your land.”

Deuteronomy 27:19 (WEB)

"Cursed be he who wrests the justice due to the foreigner, fatherless, and widow. All the people shall say, Amen.”

Leviticus 19:9-10 (WEB)

“‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God.”

Leviticus 25:35-38 (WEB)

“If your brother has become poor, and his hand can’t support him among you; then you shall uphold him. As a stranger and a sojourner he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God; that your brother may live among you. You shall not lend him your money at interest, nor give him your food for profit. I am Yahweh your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.”

Throughout the Scriptures, the mind and heart of God has always that those with resources are to see to the welfare of those who don't have any. Repeatedly, He demands that the poor, the foreigner, the widow, and the orphan be cared for by His people. In the Old Testament, those who were called His people and chose to ignore or abuse these poor and destitute risked, and suffered, the wrath of Almighty God.

In the New Testament, St. James links how we treat the poor with whether or not our profession of faith is worth anything:

James 2:1-18 (WEB)

"My brothers, don’t hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ of glory with partiality. For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your assembly, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in; and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing, and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool;” haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts? Don’t they blaspheme the honorable name by which you are called? However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he has become guilty of all. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” said also, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak, and so do, as men who are to be judged by a law of freedom. For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you tells them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled;' and yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. Yes, a man will say, 'You have faith, and I have works.' Show me your faith from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.”

If we possess the means to help someone who is in need of food, shelter, water, clothing, or any of the basic necessities of life, then it has always been God's heart that we use what we have to help them as members of our own family. This is especially true of those who are members of the Church. We are just as responsible for them as we are for our own lives because we are all members of the same body. We are answerable to God for each other's welfare.