The poor will be with you always

Autumn is almost upon us, and that brings with it all the predictable fall activities:  schools opening, football season starting, and church stewardship campaigns starting up.

Most of us know the source of the quote in my title.  (Interesting comparison of sources and interpretations here.)  When Mary Magdalene wanted to comfort Jesus with soothing oils, certain disciples railed at the expense.  Jesus said, "The poor will be with you always, but the Son of Man, not so much."  OK, maybe not in those words, but who knows what His actual words were?  It took me many years to understand that saying, and even now I don't think "understand" is the right word. I might have gained some insight, however, from all those years in the choir loft trying to ignore the sermons.

I am reminded of a law enforcement television show when the police officers were instructed in their priorities: First, themselves. They could help no one if they were dead or injured.  Second, their partners/teammates. Same reasoning. Third, the public they were there to serve.

Well, guess what?  The same is true of the rest of us.  If we can't take care of ourselves, we certainly can't take care of anyone else.  I don't care if that means a designer outfit or a Lexus or a nice meal out occasionally, if you can still spare a dime to help the needy.  However you take care of yourself spiritually and emotionally.  That is not as easily measured by price tag. Some might object to stained glass windows or professional church musicians, but we need these things.  St. Francis said, "God, you are beauty!"  To my extremely grammatical mind, that means beauty and God are one.  If those stained glass windows or beautiful anthems bring us closer to God, we are better prepared to serve the world, aren't we?

My point?  Yes, give what you can to the church, to social welfare organizations, to medical research and education and animal welfare charities.  Give 'til it hurts.  Bring coffee from home to skip that bought cup of coffee.  Buy a smaller SUV or television than you've been dreaming of.  The usual advice.  If you are reading this article, if you have food in the cabinet, if you have a roof over your head, you understand what I mean.

If you are shopping for charities at Walmart, you have missed the point completely.  Recognize that not all gifts are tangible. Those stained glass windows, that beautiful music, those television commercials that make you cry--those things are necessary.  They bring value that is not measured in dollars and cents.  To paraphrase a quote, the purpose of the church/charity/etc. is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.  I have my doubts about whether quarterly reports are an accurate means of measuring the success of that goal, but I have no doubt as to whether keeping in fit spiritual condition allows me to serve my fellow man.