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Greetings, Everyone!
As I reflect on the state of the world, especially the human catastrophes in such places as Syria, Sudan, Haiti, Gaza, and Ukraine, I find myself wondering what individuals can do to fill the gap currently left by the freeze on USAID. As children, many of us most likely participated in classroom projects that focused on fundraising for charitable causes. I remember saving pennies, sixpences, and shillings for the cardboard "Mission Boxes" that appeared every Lent; the heavier the box became and the louder it rattled, the prouder I felt that my contribution would somehow save babies from malnutrition or cholera. As I grew older, I organized Advent carol singing groups, going from door to door with my friends to raise funds for OXFAM. Those were safer days, of course, and the mince pies and mugs of hot cocoa that sustained us in our boisterous caroling were an additional incentive for caring about those who were starving overseas.
Today, Mission Boxes and carol singing are not going to make the slightest dent in the needs of the world. Given the enormity of these needs, along with all the logistical complexities, only well-established, internationally recognized organizations are going to make a difference. An organization like USAID has the staff, knowledge, and connections to operate effectively across the globe; in its absence, food security, health interventions, and disaster relief will all be undermined, with grievous consequences.
Perhaps what is needed at this time is a new organization -- GLOBAL AID-- that will be funded by all the nations of the world, according to their means. This cannot be created overnight, and so it is my hope that USAID will be reinstated ASAP to avoid further loss of life and worsening calamities.
As for Mission Boxes, their greatest use is to form character and encourage children to grow in compassion towards their suffering brothers and sisters everywhere. At the same time, pennies do count, so Lent might be a time to focus on targeted giving, even if it provides aid to only one person in some far-off land...
Many Blessings,
Elizabeth
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SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Link to Sunday Readings
Thus says the LORD:
Cursed are they who trust in human beings,
who seek strength in flesh
whose hearts turn away from the LORD.
They are like a barren bush in the desert
that enjoys no change of season,
but stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed are they who trust in the LORD,
whose hope is the LORD.
They are like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
it fears not the heat when it comes;
its leaves stay green;
in the year of drought, it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit. Jer 17:5-8
Today's readings are clear; there is no ambiguity as to who is "blessed" and who is "cursed." Whether we focus on Jer 17:5-8, Psalm 1, or Lk 6:17-26, the message is consistent: those who idolize humans, listen to false prophets, turn from God, and oppress the poor, will ultimately bring disaster upon themselves, whether in this life or the next; conversely, those who put their trust in God, no matter how dire their circumstances, will find blessing. Of course, it is difficult to see this when those who lack any sense of compassion, common decency, and ethical restraint prosper in every outward way; publicly, they amass fortunes, exert power, and trample over anyone they deem disposable. The poor, meanwhile, sink deeper and deeper into misery, lacking the basic necessities for survival-- food, shelter, safety, health care, education, employment...
Where is the blessing, and where is the curse? Both Jeremiah and Jesus reverse societal perspectives with their naming of beatitudes and woes. For Jeremiah, those who sell their souls to follow false princes and prophets are "like a barren bush" standing in a lava waste. Outwardly, they flourish, but their soul sickness will eventually infect their capacity to feel joy and experience peace; though they accrue more wealth, power, and influence, they will find that nothing satisfies them, as they crave more and lose all sense of meaning and purpose. They are like the bones in Ezekiel 37-- dried up bones, devoid of flesh and sinews, lacking hope, cast off from the living spring within. They are the Walking Dead, people with hollow laughs and vacant eyes who no longer bear any resemblance to the God in whose image they were created. To them, Jesus says,
"But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
Woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets
in this way.” Lk 6: 24-26
It is not wealth that is the "woe," but failing to use one's resources and influence to benefit the poorest and most vulnerable in our midst-- in biblical terms, the widow, the orphan, and the "alien" or foreigner. In addition, we could add that wealth is accursed when it is procured by illegitimate means, often to the detriment of those who had little to begin with. Sadly, "white-collar crime" often goes undetected and unpunished, especially when the perpetrators know how to buy off judges, witnesses, and juries!
But what about the poor? Where is the "Good News" for those who are homeless, stateless, exiled, destitute, starving, separated from loved ones, imprisoned, tortured, and abused in ways too numerous to name? In the first place, Jesus assures his disciples that there will be a future time, in God's kingdom, when they will no longer weep, be hungry, or experience hatred. However, in Jesus' teachings, "heaven" is not just a geographical place but a state of being. Unlike their rich counterparts, the righteous poor have the capacity to weep, to cry out to God, to endure persecution for the sake of Truth. Trusting in God, they stay "green," bearing fruit even in times of distress (Jer 17:8). And God, who hears the cry of the poor, will be their comforter and guide through the darkness...
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