God's Dictionary: Poverty

pauper = poor This is one of the greatest fears of human beings: poverty. Our current worldwide economic meltdown is exacerbating this fear mightily. I’m not sure we in the West really know what true poverty is. There are those in this world—many—who live on less than a dollar a day. Some of us pay five times that for our morning cup of coffee! Some people live in grinding poverty; they cannot begin to see the end of their current experience. I do not write about those in need to shame those who are not. The fear is real whether experience backs it up or not. We are afraid of poverty. Its Latin roots tell us why. No one wants to be a pauper, to be poor. The Great Nazarene Rabbi, Jesus, tells us that the poor in spirit are blessed because they will be given the kingdom of God. For many years, I struggled with the meaning of “poor in spirit.” The poor in spirit are actually the people who are generous—with whatever they have, no matter how little or how much. Haven’t you ever known a family who didn’t have a lot of money but the money they lacked was more than made up for by joy, by presence, by faith? Ask: How can I be poor in spirit and generous with others today? Infinition: Everyone is afraid of poverty, and spiritual poverty is the least desirable kind. Right now, I decide to be grateful for and generous with what I do have rather than focusing on what I don’t have.