Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.
Loneliness is the most terrible poverty.
Poverty that surrounds our poor land.
She drives alone to work listening to other people's woes and the propaganda men all shouting at once on the radio about the defects of their imaginary foes. In her cubical working furiously for the quasi-religious sect of Chase Bank or Citi Bank...
Locked behind the door of her "beehive existence" in Apt 3216 watching "The Bachelor" her poverty of loneliness is so profound that she does not even know to cry. The TV commercial asking for donations to the poor of Africa should include a message for this lonely soul.
"Can we love our neighbor? do we even know our neighbor?
Our neighbors just want someone to listen, to know they matter. To hear their story. Reaching our hand out to the ones drowning in the unquiet city.
-Dave
4 comments:
I read a meditation on how it's easy to send off five or ten bucks to causes that help multitudes of impoverished people (say, in Africa)--but, we hesitate to give the one homeless panhandler a dime out of our car ashtray.
Look at the Gospels: Christ was moved into action by the needs of individuals. I'm certain Blessed Teresa of Calcutta did not look out at the one crowd, but rather saw a crowd of ones.
Very true. A handshake goes far to show some solidarity as well.
The quote you share by Mother Teresa has always been on of my favorites from her. That being said, I often forget to reflect on its simple, yet profound importance and reality. Poverty of soul, mind and heart are a reality that we often neglect to minister to in our neighbor and even sometimes ourselves. I think that it is why we fill ourselves with so many material things, almost masking the real issue. I really enjoyed this reflection because I have been trying to be more aware of my neighbor, "the other" and not so much on myself. It is hard, but it must be done. Thank you for this post. Peace and all good things to you.
JEK
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