The Poor

Poor,
The following is a poem from a book entitled Images.
Poor

Poor...
is relative,
The experts say.

Poor...
is criticism from those who
               Don’t understand.
    Ignorant uncaring haves!

Have...
       Calling you a crook!
Screaming “get a job.”
   When you have two.

Poor...
is having a job and another and more
   And seeing the ends don’t meet.

It’s
work you can’t find because...
    You have no skills or education,
Or the money to get it.
 Or society telling you,
       You’re too old.

Poor...
Is telling your children
   No because you can’t afford it.
       All the time.

Poor...
Is the despair of trying to help yourself,
While society intentionally or not
       Beats you up.
In my years as a Christian here in North America I’ve heard a lot said against the poor by everyone from the person on the street, to politicians, to evangelical preachers.
There was and still is in some quarters the idea that the poor are somehow lazy and need to get a job.
The reality is there are many poor people who are working at two even three jobs. Families where both spouses are working and still there are more bills than money at the end of the week.
It has always amazed me that governments can give tax cuts to the rich that take millions out of the government coffers, yet they can’t put millions into giving the poor a legitimate hand up.
What is wrong with making the minimum wage a wage that ensures families will have enough to eat, clothing and a roof over their heads?
Yes I know it will cause those companies who pay their employees minimum wage to earn less profit. Still just because such companies are earning less profit doesn’t mean the owners and share holders of such companies are forced to skip meals so their children can eat.
Why should employees of any company that is making a profit have to go to food banks to try and make it through the month?
I think we as a society need to do all we can to help the poor.
The Jews have a practice called Tzedakah. I think it would be good for Christians to follow such practice. A Jewish website explained the concept this way,
“Tzedakah is the Hebrew word for acts that we call charity in English: giving assistance and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. However the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity. The word “charity suggests benevolence and generosity, a magnanimous act by the wealthy and the powerful for the benefit of he poor and needy.
In Judaism giving to the poor is not viewed as a generous, magnanimous act, it is simply and act of righteousness, performance of a duty giving the poor their due.
Giving to the poor is an obligation in Judaism, a duty that cannot be forsaken even by those who are themselves in need. Some sages have said that tzedakah is the highest of all commandments, equal to all of them combined, and that a person who does not perform tzedaka is equivalent to an idol worshipper. This is probably hyperbole, but it illustrates the importance ot tzedakah in Jewish thought.
According to Jewish law, we are requiered to give one-tenth of our income to the poor. This generally interpreted as one-tenth of our net income after payment of taxes.”
The Talmud suggests different levels of Tzedaka and one Jewish scholar place the levels in order of least meritorious to most meritorious,

“Giving begrudgingly

Giving less than you should, bu giving cheerfully,

Giving after being asked

Giving before being asked

Giving when you do not know the recipient’s identity, but the recipient knows yours

Giving when you know and the recipient’s identity, but the recipient doesn’t know yours.

Giving when neither party knows the other’s identity.

Enabling the recipient to become self-reliant.”

The Apostle James writes,
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  
Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  
If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  
In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. 
But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.  
You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. 
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?” 
                                                                                                           James 2:14-20.
Irrespective of who we are Christian, Jew, or for that matter someone from any faith, even atheists have to agree it is a human tragedy to let the poor go hungry, without adequate clothing and a roof over their head.
We all need to be doing something to help the most needy of our society.
Think about it