The Platitude of Poverty

A baby in the womb doesn't worry about the things of the world.

The word platitude is generally defined as an old saying that has lost its flavor. It's like a saying that everybody has heard countless times so what's the sense in repeating it. People have lost interest in platitudes, they are boring. Here's a platitude about poor folks that you might find somewhat cliche`:

"For the poor shall never cease out of the land: 
 therefore I command thee, saying, 
Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother,
 to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land."

Deuteronomy 15:11 King James Version

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we will will always have poor people around. 
 
Poverty is mostly a sad word. We might define the word poverty as lacking what is socially acceptable. Someone who is impoverished would be viewed as living in destituteness as a pauper. In the grand scheme of life, maybe it's like brokenness, we are supposed to embrace poverty like we embrace brokenness.  We cannot grow without conflict. That's a deeper view that envelops a spiritual view on poverty. Let's set that thought aside for now and come back to spiritual poverty later. Today's Saying of the Wise is Proverbs 22:22-23. Let's examine 4 different versions of the Bible for some added flavor.

Proverbs 22:22-23 New International Version

Saying 2

²² Do not exploit the poor because they are poor
    and do not crush the needy in court,
²³ for the Lord will take up their case
    and will exact life for life.

Proverbs 22:22-23 King James Version

²² Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate:
²³ For the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them.

Proverbs 22:22-23 Amplified Bible

²² Rob not the poor [being tempted by their helplessness], neither oppress the afflicted at the gate [where the city court is held],

²³ For the Lord will plead their cause and deprive of life those who deprive [the poor or afflicted].

Proverbs 22:22-23 The Message

1

^22-23 Don’t walk on the poor just because they’re poor,
    and don’t use your position to crush the weak,
Because God will come to their defense;
    the life you took, he’ll take from you and give back to them.

For the last 12 years, I have worked on the streets of one of the poorest cities in America - Buffalo, NY. With poverty comes crime: Buffalo is one of the most violent cities in America. Buffalo is consistently ranked in the top 5 cities in poverty and the top 10 cities in violence. Poverty begets violence begets death begets court begets jail begets fatherlessness begets social services. Awhile ago on Facebook, I posted my definition of poverty:

"Poverty is a disease spread by government containment."

I have watched people beg and die, go to court and lie - and be lied to. I have watched judges mistreat innocent people and I have seen innocent people in jail. I sat in a courtroom and listened to a judge sentence a homeowner to 30 days in jail because he couldn't fix his house. It seems like the days of Debtor Prisons will soon return. Poverty is food for churches and governments. Housing projects are constructed on words of hope: "We will create jobs building homes for low and middle income people." The truth is, the jobs require skilled labor and they last less than 15 months. The mortgage is subsidized by the government and financing is paid to churches. Wouldn't we be better off creating employment that paid people enough to buy their own houses without government handouts?

The way we treat impoverished people is reciprocal. God will turn back on to our own heads the same treatment we have rendered to the destitute folks. Yeah, here's another beleaguered platitude:

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." - Jesus

The poverty of the world is a spiritual smokescreen that obscures our vision of what spiritual poverty is.  Here is the simplest understanding that works for me:

"There is nothing that exists physically that can fill you spiritually.
The race for riches and adrenalin producing rushes will only result in fading feelings.
Denial of worldly possessions is not a spiritual gateway to God.
Put God first, people second and possessions third.
Your possessions are worthless in the grave.
God doesn't need you to bring them to heaven and
 they would only burn in hell if that's where you're headed."

Matthew 6:33

The Message (MSG)

^30-33 “If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met."

Yeah,
 Keep givin' and stop frettin' about what you're not gettin'

Thanks for your time. Go do something nice for somebody.
Jesus loves you and so do we.