麻豆约拍

Good morning. I recently noticed two queues of hungry people. Both lines waited on the pavement, masked and social distanced, one for one of the cafes that keep our neighbourhood supplied with flat whites and pastries, the other outside the foodbank, where the fare is plainer but essential.聽

On first glance there was not much difference between the two groups. Externally, all seemed equal.聽

All is not equal. There are hidden privileges and unseen disadvantages that often determine which queue anyone ends up in. Poverty is not simply a matter of having less money: it is inextricably linked with aspiration, educational opportunity, family circumstance, and often is accompanied by a deep sense of shame and helplessness for the individual who ends up in the wrong queue.聽

The Bible commends generosity on the part of those who love God, but the answer is not as simple as giving everything to the poor. Rather, it鈥檚 about cultivating an attitude of generosity and compassion that flows from all of us being children of God.聽

Whatever privilege or advantage any of us has - wealth, education, family heritage, colour, gender - can be used to the good.聽

When I saw the queues, I couldn鈥檛 help thinking about Snakes and Ladders. Some people have a better start, a better roll of the dice, but we are not unthinking pieces on a board. We have choices. Jesus declared that he came to bring good news for the poor, not with another roll of the dice but through the hands and feet of those who call themselves his disciples.

Lord, help me to notice what is happening on my street today. Help me to notice my privilege. Show me how to use my advantage to help and love my neighbour. Amen.