Prescription for poverty

Every week I go to three different events where I have the opportuntity to meditate on scripture. On Monday it's the Canterbury Way group at Grace Cathedral; on Tuesday it's the Taize group at St. Gregory's; and on Wednesday it's lectio divina at my own church. This week, at all three meetings, the reading was the Beatitudes as they appear in Luke 6.

In this account of Jesus's famous speech, Jesus follows the blessings ("Blessed are the poor," etc.) with curses: "Woe to you who are rich now; you shall be poor. Woe to you who are full now; you shall be hungry." The reader is forced to come down on one side or the other. Am I someone presently poor who longs for the coming of God's reign, or am I rich, and need to cover my ass PDQ?

Listening to the blessings and curses Wednesday night, I was reminded of how I felt when I was a child. I was bullied and ostracized, like most young queers, even before I knew what queer was. Back then, I was definitely a candidate for the "Blessed are the poor" side of things.

Now, 35 years later, I'm an affluent, middle class, middle-aged white man. I own a house, make a preposterously large salary, and can afford to take my partner to Paris for her birthday. (We leave tomorrow.) By any measure, I'm rich, and as Jesus said, I have received my consolation.

What to do? The third part of the reading (verses 27-31) contains a solution to the dilemma. Without taking a breath, Jesus announces a series of actions that at first seem unrelated to the previous paragraphs.

But I say to you that hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from him who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt.
Give to every one who begs from you; and of him who takes away your goods do not ask them again. And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.

At first, I didn't understand how these are related to the blessings and curses. Then I realized that these statements are addressed directly to me, the rich man. Rich? Woe to you -- unless you can figure out a way to become poor again.

That's what this is -- a prescription for poverty. Too rich? Become poor. In San Francisco, if you "give to everyone who begs from you," you'll be poor pretty soon, all right. I dunno if I'm ready to do that. Maybe when we get back from Paris.