Notions of Poverty

So much of my consciousness remains unaffected and unmoved by the plight of the poor in my community and in the world. I think a lot of it comes from the fact that I have this *wrong* view that the poor are poor because they...deserve to be so. They don't work or study hard enough; they made poor/bad decisions with their finances; they are reaping the consequences of an unsustainable lifestyle.

But as I read Jeremiah I stumbled across a couple of verses that alter my particular landscape-view of poverty. God is speaking to King Josiah's son, Shallum. He essentially condemns Shallum for oppressing his countrymen and exploiting them in the pursuit of his own glory and fame. I think, 'Yeah, he should be condemned for his unjust tyranny,' and keep reading. God goes from rebuking Shallum to holding his father Josiah up as an example:

'Did not your father [Josiah] have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him. He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?' declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 22:15-16)

It does not matter if I avoid direct oppression and exploitation of the poor. God boils knowing Him down to this: defending the cause of the poor and needy. And guess what? He does not qualify "poor" or "needy." Poor through laziness? Needy because of past mistakes? Dwelling in squalor through ignorance and illiteracy? Not mentioned here. Just "poor." Just "needy."

Of course, there are other places in Scripture that caution us to be wise, discerning and even clever. These cautions will obviously temper indiscriminate, blind dealings for and with anyone. But the unqualified statement from God--that to defend the cause of the cause of the poor and needy without added notions of 'deservedness' (!) is what it means to know Him--at the very least directs me to err on the side of extravagant, nonsensical generosity and advocacy. Otherwise, knowing Him remains an illusive, distant and unattainable dream.