Psalm Meditation 868
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
February 5, 2017

Psalm 14
1 Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.
3 They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the LORD?
5 There they shall be in great terror, for God is with the company of the righteous.
6 You would confound the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.
7 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
(NRSV)

It is tempting to paint as godless everyone who does not believe the same things I believe. That makes for a very broad brush. I have been painted with that brush by those with whom I disagree. At times I wear that label proudly as a reminder that I am not one of those folks. This psalm is not really about beliefs, it is about putting our beliefs into action. Especially, it is about caring for the poor, all of whom have a special place in God’s heart.

It is tempting to blame poverty on those who live in it. If only they acted as I do and made the choices I make they would be in my same situation. In India, the answer to this thinking has been codified into the caste system. If you are born into a particular caste you are unable to rise above your birth and it is difficult to fall into the level below. While American culture does not have a strict caste system, we do have a habit of telling people by words and actions that they need to learn their place and stay in it. At the same time we tell stories of folks who have broken the barriers and risen above their station.

God and the psalmists do not tell us that we only need to care for those who are in poverty due to some unforeseen circumstance. We are to care for the poor because they are our brothers and sisters in the family of God. There is no word of blame for the poor. Blame is cast especially on those who take advantage of the poor in any way. There is also blame on those of us who do nothing to help. My friends and colleagues who work among those in poverty say that offering handouts is a temporary solution at best. While they help the individuals and families who come to them with daily bread, they also do what they can to change attitudes and systems that keep folks enmeshed in poverty.

January 30, 2017
LCM