Based on the last few Sundays, today’s text included, you would think Jesus talked a great deal about taking care of the poor. Ginger quoted George Buttrick (“Fundamental neighborliness is a barometer of the soul.”) and then asked these questions: What issues do we dodge? How do we gate ourselves off from the world? Whom do see as too disgusting to invite? Whom do we not think about?
How we hear a story depends on our perspective
and where we find ourselves within the scene;
so when we try to hear Jesus’ directive,
our point of view can color what it means.
the sharp dressed man, a Scrooge before his time,
ignored the poor, sick man outside his gate;
then rich guy died, and wealth turned into whine,
for Hell was not a temporary state.
Any way we slice it, we’re like the rich guy in this tale,
though it’s hard to see ourselves in such a role;
the poverty unanswered in our world’s our epic fail,
‘cause we’re the ones with capital and control.
One question stands quite worthy of a mention:
what does it take to get our full attention?
Peace,
Milton
