More Emerging Thoughts...Yuppies and the Poor

Back to the notion of caring for the poor and what that looks like, who does it, and what about those yuppies of the world?

The comment that got me thinking more was, "yeah, but what about the yuppies of the world? God wants them too! And THEY may never go into the gutters...and if Jesus is only there, they will never meet Him!"

Reading this comment elicited a couple of thoughts:

• Absolutely God wants the yuppies too..which leads to the next thought...
• The poor are not just the poor physically, but also those who may be quite satisfied (so they think) with their life, thank you very much, but are decidedly missing something that every latest techno gadget, newer, bigger and better can't satisfy. They are poor in a different way. Although, with the mortgage crisis, they may also become monetarily poor as they now have homes worth far less than what they owe on their mortgage...
• These poor in spirit present a unique challenge, because they believe in the illusion that they are in control (believe me, I know, I was there for years) and don't perceive a need for getting to know Jesus.
• I shared my frustration a while back with a friend that I don't really fit in in my neighborhood. I live in a nice hood, but people don't come out and mingle much, and the homes get bigger, fancier, more more and that is where the rub is for me. The excess is what distresses me. It is that question of "do you really need the newest, biggest, best, replacement whatever when the original wasn't even worn out" because of the difference that could make in someone living in abject poverty's life. Kind of like the question of if you spent the money on the tummy tuck on the poor (or the bag of oreos) caring for them, well...
• I think there's a balance here. It's OK for me to put new carpet in my daughter's room (especially when the old is totally gross) but I don't want to do that at the exclusion and expense of making sure someone elses' needs are being met.
• We did some Christmas shopping yesterday. Our church has adopted some really needy families. The nine year old girl in that family doesn't have much. She is physically poor, but also perhaps poor in spirit. Hopefully reaching out to her will touch both.

Can not the poor in spirit also be those who are living without gentleness, self control, love, joy, peace, kindness goodness and gentleness? Isn't another label for that group the oppressed?

I think those are the poor I am thinking about the most, those that are oppressed in some way or another, and that isn't limited by their demographics or socio economic status...

How many wealthy people do you know who are poor spiritually?

If you are a committed Christian, are you living in what Dan Kimball refers to as "the Christian bubble?" That came up in our prayer meeting with the founder of HUF (Hand Up Foundation) the other night. He remarked that he didn't know any (or many) non-Christians, and those are who we are to share the love of Christ with. And that churned in him a spirit of Holy Discontent. I, on the other hand, know lots of people who don't know Jesus (yet) and I am to love them. Really love them. So that includes my neighbor's whose consumerism makes me ill at times (and who at other times I viewed with more than a sprinkle of righteous indignation, shame on me!). So he radically changed his life.

That is transformation. And God is blessing it.

Peace.