Eyes to SeeSample

How would you respond if you got to meet someone famous? In the book of James, God invites us to consider a couple of scenarios: “Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes.” (James 2:2). How do we react? Do we, as James suggests, “show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you’” (v.3)? If we’re honest, many of us might.

If some famous or clearly wealthy person comes into our church, chances are good that we will treat that person with honour. But there’s another scenario in James: “A poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.” James suggests we often say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet” (v.3). When we do this, James says, “Have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor” (James 2:4-6).

The Salvation Army surveyed Canadians to understand our perceptions of impoverished people. They found that “the vast majority of Canadians do believe that everyone, despite their socioeconomic status, deserves dignity, and most agree that the poor deserve a helping hand. The bad news is that many believe that the poor have mostly themselves to blame and that poverty is a choice.”

Among the survey findings, this belief expressed itself in a variety of ways:

• Nearly half of all Canadians feel that if poor people really want to work, they can always find a job.

• About a quarter of Canadians feel that people are poor because they are lazy and have lower moral values than average.

• 96 percent of Canadians believe everyone deserves a sense of dignity, but only 65 percent believe that being poor can rob you of dignity.

Each human was made in the image of God. Each person was crafted to bring God glory in their unique gifts and abilities. What if, instead of coming to the table with all of our preconceptions, we simply got to know people living in need?

Blythwood Baptist Church in Toronto has offered an Out of the Cold program for the past 21 years. Pastor Abby says, “It’s not just about a meal and a place to sleep. We sit with people, have dinner with them, talk with them, find out their names, and how we can pray or offer support.”

Before we can help others, we need to recognize that people living in poverty are real people with real names, gifts, and abilities. They are people as worthy of dignity as we are. They are people who God

created with a purpose in mind.

Reflect:

• What specific things could you do to treat someone living in poverty with dignity?

Pray:

Lord, I confess to You that sometimes my perceptions of the poor are either stereotypical or I look down on people in need. Would You give me fresh eyes to see people around me as people with names, families, stories, resources, and gifts? Amen.