This great state we learned to spell so many years ago presents us today with a perplexing paradox:
#1 Lowest per capita income
#1 Highest charitable donations per capita
Why is it that the poorest people give the most?
In an attempt to sort out this contradiction, one suggested it is because they themselves experience the need for charity and therefore understand its necessity, resulting in their monetary support.
This spun a web of thoughts...
As middle class citizens if we do not eat three healthy meals a day, it is our own fault. We drive our cars to work, consume ourselves with topics of choice, watch our entertaining television shows, and sleep in our warm beds. In our daily lives we may not experience hunger, abuse, third trimester abortions, child trafficking, mental illness, loneliness... we may even ignore it.
To the homeless on the street we say,
"they should get a job, i worked hard for my money".
To the lives lost at abortion clinics we say,"i would never do something like that".
To those who have no one to share Christmas with we say,"I have two families to see and a turkey to cook, I can't possibly spare 30 minutes".
Perhaps our greatest fault is we are afraid to open Pandora's box. We are afraid to see what evils are in this world. Because if we don't see them, they may not exist. If they do exist, we may be responsible to do something about it - how can we truly live knowing that others suffer injustices.
If we were exposed to those same injustices, would we respond similarly as our fellow Mississippians?
...maybe Pandora was on to something
3 comments:
At the bottom of the box, lay 'hope'.
"And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (Romans 5:2)
Internalizing what it means to live in a world where everything is a blessing, it becomes obvious that many joys come from the support, materially, physically, mentally, or socially, of others. It becomes a duty to offer the same.
If one desires to see that life they must give up something of themselves so that they are bonded to others. Then that community understanding can begin.
If a house burns down, it is supposed to be the community that builds it back up.
My dad and I just recently discussed this very topic: it often seems to be the people who are needy who give the most to the needy.
Perhaps it's because they feel that they understand; they know how it feels to be cold, hungry or lonely. Maybe it's because they feel a bond, or at least a mutual understanding.
Regardless, it is imperative that we all take the time to look outside ourselves and realize that there is more to the world and to life than just our own busy schedules.
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