Craziness!
I''m having a dinner and invite the usual group of friends or relatives. I might even invite the cute neighbours, the rich friends of friends or whomever else i wish to decorate the room with. My motives? Jesus suggests my motives are self-fulfilling. I expect something in return of equal or greater value; at least, it might be a future invitation. I play it safe.
And now i'm to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind to dinner, suggests Jesus, simply because they cannot return the favour. My modern cynicism (that's the frail ego crying out for protection, it's comfort zone threatened) warns me that such a dinner could be politically incorrect. How could i be so cruel to put those poor souls in such an awkward position? Again, i look to my own motivation. If my motivation is good, then why not?
I am not a rich man and the streets are not filled with the poor, crippled, lame and blind. National health-care ensures that all are cared for and fed. More or less. Obviously, not everyone is cared for at the same level. There are holes in the system, as there are in all human systems. Even though we are richer than ever, there are still poor people, crippled, lame and blind people. We encourage them to be as independent as they can: to give them dignity, we say, to 'take care of them' so that they aren't on the street begging for our charity. If our tax money has taken over this traditional role of saints and church, who do we invite that our charity might be rewarded by God? Ah, but it does not have to a dinner. Maybe it's helping someone in need cross a street? Signing 'hello' to a deaf man in a noisy crowd. Helping others, even if they can never repay one in kind ... because what could they possibly give us?
They help us by allowing us to help them. It's not so crazy after all.
Oremus:
I'd like to pray for a woman with a chronic mental illness, who is re-admitted each time she stops taking her medicine. Who among us wants to be chronically ill, to be daily confronted with the fact that we are not entirely 'normal'? And a prayer for patience, those who care for her directly and indirectly, that they may greet her always with enthusiasm, understanding, motivation and humility. Amen.
Deo gratias.
I''m having a dinner and invite the usual group of friends or relatives. I might even invite the cute neighbours, the rich friends of friends or whomever else i wish to decorate the room with. My motives? Jesus suggests my motives are self-fulfilling. I expect something in return of equal or greater value; at least, it might be a future invitation. I play it safe.
And now i'm to invite the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind to dinner, suggests Jesus, simply because they cannot return the favour. My modern cynicism (that's the frail ego crying out for protection, it's comfort zone threatened) warns me that such a dinner could be politically incorrect. How could i be so cruel to put those poor souls in such an awkward position? Again, i look to my own motivation. If my motivation is good, then why not?
I am not a rich man and the streets are not filled with the poor, crippled, lame and blind. National health-care ensures that all are cared for and fed. More or less. Obviously, not everyone is cared for at the same level. There are holes in the system, as there are in all human systems. Even though we are richer than ever, there are still poor people, crippled, lame and blind people. We encourage them to be as independent as they can: to give them dignity, we say, to 'take care of them' so that they aren't on the street begging for our charity. If our tax money has taken over this traditional role of saints and church, who do we invite that our charity might be rewarded by God? Ah, but it does not have to a dinner. Maybe it's helping someone in need cross a street? Signing 'hello' to a deaf man in a noisy crowd. Helping others, even if they can never repay one in kind ... because what could they possibly give us?
They help us by allowing us to help them. It's not so crazy after all.
Oremus:
I'd like to pray for a woman with a chronic mental illness, who is re-admitted each time she stops taking her medicine. Who among us wants to be chronically ill, to be daily confronted with the fact that we are not entirely 'normal'? And a prayer for patience, those who care for her directly and indirectly, that they may greet her always with enthusiasm, understanding, motivation and humility. Amen.
Deo gratias.
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