DO THE  POOR KNOW MORE?

INTRODUCTION

Today’s readings sort of po poos  riches. Today’s readings warn us about riches and power. Today’s readings talk about the top being toppled.

So at first I wondered if the title of my homily should be, “Is Poor Better?”  Or, “Is Weakness Better than Power?” Or “Is Sickness Better than Health.”

“Of course not,” came my inner answer.

Of course I thought of Simon and Garfunkel's song, "Richard Corey" - from the poem by Edwin Arlington Robinson.

Of course,  I also  thought about Woody Allen’s comment: “Money is better than poverty,  if only for financial reasons.” Cute… but….

Then I added to my thought process, the wisdom statement, “It all depends.” 

And in saying that, I realized that rich could be better than poor or vice versa, depending on what we learn, what we know, and what happens next in whatever situation we’re in.

In thinking about all this, I came up with my question and my title for this homily for this 20^th Tuesday in Ordinary Time: “Do The Poor Know More?”

GREAT QUESTION

I think that’s a great question.

I don’t have answers - but I do have wonderings and comments.

I think of the British TV series: Upstairs Downstairs or Downton Abbey. The comments by the servants - their observations about the life of the rich and the famous - interesting…. sometimes very sharp and very insightful.

I’ve noticed many a waiter and waitress eavesdropping on the conversations of those being served at the dinner. Is watching and listening as good a course as a college course while serving a 4 course dinner?

TODAY’S READINGS

In today’s first reading from Ezekiel 28: 1-10, the prince is stupid with all his wisdom and intelligence,  if he thinks he’s a god.

Doesn’t he realize what is about to happen?

Once we think we’re god, we might think nothing is going to go wrong. After all, all is in our power.

The poor - the powerless - often don’t know what’s going to happen in the next hour. They certainly know they are not God!

Not knowing what’s going to happen next, knowing things are out of our control for the most part, can trigger nervous habits - or better bending skills. It all depends.

Of course there are things we can control. We can pitch our tent not so close to the river in the rainy season.

Earthquakes?  Yes - some know where some of the fault lines are.  Yes - some places are worse than others. Yet, our whole kingdom could quake and crumble at any time.

I’ve heard that dogs get the signals that an earthquake is coming - long before humans know.  And when the earth  crumbles - when it’s attacked, the real me - is more or less -  human like every other human being. We are not a god.

So in today’s first reading Ezekiel the prophet is saying to the rich and the powerful: wake up - the future is fragile.

And in today’s gospel from Luke 19: 23-30, the one who is the fat cat ain’t going to be able to slide through the eye of a needle.  Nor will the loaded down camel with all the riches in the world  - be able to fit through the eye of a needle.

Camels think thin....

Both Ezekiel and Jesus are telling us to let go - lighten up - simplify - smart up - then we will be able to start slipping through the needle into God’s kingdom.

It’s then we can get glimpses of God’s plan for all of us - that we’re all brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, children - with the same Father - the true God of all of us.  We’re all called to serve - as well as to have a seat at the table. We’re all rich. We’re all poor.  

So it all depends what we’re looking at - and what we're learning. 

THE BIG CLASSROOMS

The poor, the people of Aleppo in Syria with battle raging right now, the person out of a job and on the street - are in a bummer of an experience, but they could become better by those  experiences or worse.

It all depends.

Experiences can make us better or bitter.

Absence can make the heart that much smarter, fonder, quicker - but also angrier.

Poverty can bring us to our knees in prayer.

Poverty can bring us to go back to school for new skills.

Sickness, cancer, can get us to grasp what’s really important.

We’ve all heard the saying, “Experience is the best teacher.”

I’ve heard people say to that, “Not necessarily so. People can have the same experience a dozen times and still be stupid.”

So once more, it all depends.

So the secret to life is learning from life.

So a secret is to ask: “What’s the lesson here?”  “What’s the message here?” “What’s going on here?” “Where are you, God, in this darkness or blinding light?”

Those who learn - can become the wise - and then they can bring their gifts to their others.

The poor, the uneducated, can become very rich and smart - with inner insights - even when there is nothing in the refrigerator.

Once we learn - that we don’t know - that we’re poor - that we’re not god almighty - then we can start to listen to others. It’s then the true richness of others starts to appear.

So the poor can know more.

CONCLUSION

Once we have that attitude towards others - that we really don't know each other - that we're not better than others - we are becoming rich with attitude.  

Once we know that the waiter and the waitress, the wheel chair bound and the toll collector at the bridge - the guy with the lawn mower - who can’t speak English - who is illegal - as well as his wife who cleans big houses - are all members of the kingdom  - are all children of God - then we’ve slipped through the eye of the needle - and now we can sew together the world God has called us to be part of - in this quilt called, “Creation.”