Charity and Justice

"Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity; it is an act of justice"- Nelson Mandel

The virtue of justice touches on many aspects of the moral life. It springs from the fundamental obligation to give others their due. When individuals do this for one another, we call this justice.
This is why some people have said that charity and kindness to the poor are not just charity but also justice.

The Bible is full of encouragement to be charitable. The good wife of Proverbs 31 is commended because “She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy”. In Deuteronomy 15, God’s people are told “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy.” Jesus, too, calls us to compassionate charity and justice for those neighbors who need it.

What is the justice that we "owe" our neighbor? Who is our neighbor?

In the parable of the Good Samaritan, the neighbor is defined universally to be any suffering person, not just a member of the same country, race or faith. Jesus said "the one who showed mercy on him" proved to be his neighbor. (Luke 10:29-37)

Fr. Benedict Groeschel had this to say in his book The Virtue Driven Life :
"Christian justice causes us to give to God what is due Him and, within that understanding, to give to others what is due them as children of God. Christians have a much greater responsibility to justice. We must be more aware of the fact that we all accidentally participate in injustice, that we are well-off because others are poor, and that without ever willing it, we reap the fruits of economic exploitation and impoverishment.

If you feel guilty about some of this injustice, then generosity is a great way out, especially if you're not looking for too much thanks. We could begin with generosity with those who work in restaurants, taxi drivers, and others who work for tips. We can make a habit of showing generosity toward those who work at menial jobs and who are often not treated well. And we can support laws that give a better chance to those who are victims of injustice."

Be faithful. Start today. Start right with the person in front of you - at home, in your office, in school, in traffic, in the store, in church. True, we must be charitable on a global level, but it's important that we look at the person in front of us -one face, one smile, one heart, one person at a time.

We may not be successful at first. In fact, we probably won't see the fruits of our efforts. In our human minds, this is hard to register since we are told that success equals self-worth - constantly bombarded with messages and images of worldly success on billboards, TV adds, magazine pages...

They all cry out - how successful are you? If we can't see our success or measure it, then we must be a failure. But, no, we are not failures if we step out in faith and try. If we are laughed at or shrugged off, then that is an opportunity to grow in the virtue of humility and fortitude!

As Mother Theresa said so many times, "We are called upon not to be successful, but to be faithful."

Lord Jesus, you who willed to become poor,
give us eyes and a heart directed toward the poor;
help us recognize you in them --
in their thirst, their hunger, their loneliness, and their misfortune.

Enkindle within our Christian Family
the virtues of charity, justice and humility

Strengthen us, so that faithful to the practice of these virtues,
we may contemplate you and serve you in the person of the poor,
and may one day be united with you and them in your Kingdom.
Amen.

Embracing poverty and humilty

"For the Christian there is no stranger. Whoever is near us and needing us must be "our neighbor"; it does not matter whether he is related to us or not, whether we like him or not, whether he is morally worthy of our help or not.
The love of Christ knows no limits. It never ends; it does not shrink from ugliness and filth. He came for sinners, not for the just. And if the love of Christ is in us we shall do as He did and seek the lost sheep." - Edith Stein, Selected Writings of Edith Stein

An amazing thing happens when we strip ourselves of our possessions, admit our sinfulness and acknowledge our need for a Savior - Jesus Christ. We can no longer see ourselves as more important than anyone else. We become simple children of God - equals.

This world of excess materialism keeps us at bay from one another because it tries to get us to look through a "have or have-not" lens when we are called to look through the lens of Christ.
If you have more than me, does that make you better, smarter or more motivated?
If she takes the bus and I drive a Honda, does that mean I'm more favored?

"The commercial advertisements that fuel television deliver one common message: Do not be satisfied with what you have - only more "stuff" can make you happy." -excerpt from When Did I See You Hungry?
Of course, it doesn't take long to look around and see that more stuff does NOT make us happy, only more in debt and still longing for the only ONE Who can fill our emptiness. When we take more than we need, we are, in essence, stealing from those who do not have enough.
Yes, I can be as guilty as the next person, but it's the questions/prayers we ask ourselves and our God when we think we need something that can make the difference in how we live.

Lord, give bread to the hungry and hunger for You to those who have bread.

There is but one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:6)
That means that if you call God - Father, then the young man taking his daily "bath" in the gas station bathroom is our brother. The woman in the Philippines living in a shack alongside the railroad tracks is our sister.

The pregnant mother who's husband has just left her with three kids and is now seeking an abortion because she feels lost and alone is our sister. She needs our compassion and help. She needs to hear the truth - that abortion is murder and will only make her feel worse - physically, emotionally and spiritually.

The inward parts of the leper in Brazil were formed in her mother's womb in the same way as mine. The man suffering from addiction on the streets of Grand Rapids was made in secret by the same God who made you and me.

Our God, who knows the number of hairs on my head also knows the number of hairs on the mother's head in Kenya who is suffering from AIDS. Does she deserve to have her hand held and her brow wiped any less than you or I do?

Jesus came for the children living on garbage heaps in India, just as He did for our children.
Justice requires that these children have enough food to eat and a place free from danger to sleep, but justice often times goes by the wayside when it means sacrifice on our part.

I recently met a man - unemployed and living in the mission - who drove his car after drinking too much twelve years ago. He was caught and arrested.
In my youth, I also drove a car after drinking too much - too many times. I was not caught. This man still has a police record that will follow him around for the rest of his life. Even though he has done his time, he will not be forgiven by many in this world. He has been forgiven by Christ, but how about by us? Isn't that what our faith commands us to do?

It is only through our eyes which Christ's compassion can look upon the earth. Are we looking through His lens or is that too inconvenient?

Are we denying ourselves daily and taking up our cross or have we passed it off to others in the world who already have too many crosses to bear and no one to help ease their burden?

We brush the homeless from our minds because their misery might disturb our otherwise beautiful day. How beautiful can our day be when we refuse to acknowledge and take action for our brothers and sisters who are hurting?

Yes, it's true - The scope of poverty and hunger can be overwhelming to us. That's no reason to stop us from starting.
Years ago, my friend, Jim Flickinger, said, "I can't do everything, but I will do everything I can." This is a beautiful motto because each one of us is called to embrace each other in our daily walk. We have all been called upon to give.

Jesus embraced simplicity, poverty and humility. What do we embrace?