I have to
confess that I have been hesitant to share this experience, because I am not
normally one who posts about these things.
But on further reflection I thought I would go ahead and put it out
there. I had a rather interesting
conversation with a young man (who I’ll call YM) that I met in Walmart a few
days ago...
YM: There needs to be a complete
shaking down of the system. It’s all got
to go. The 1% has such a hold on the
resources of this world while crushing poverty forces leaves otherwise decent
people no choice but to commit crime and violence.
Me: I can see where you’re coming from, but I
figure that change doesn’t start with government… it starts with
individuals. It starts with people of
faith living it out. People of
conviction reaching out to need where they see it. If it was just the Church that began to live
that way, the government wouldn’t have to deal with those problems anymore.
YM: Religion is a drug for people who don’t want
to think.
Me: Really?
Because it’s my faith that teaches me that Jesus said “Blessed are the
poor.”
YM: That just proves my point! Even your Jesus is more interested in the poor! The effects of poverty are evil! And the fat, rich, bloated people that cause
people to be poor are evil! Poor people
are the only hope for humanity.
Me: So if poor people are the only ones worth
saving, why would you want to stop them from being poor? It seems to me that by your own position,
giving the poor resources would make them evil.
If being poor makes people the hope of humanity, why should poverty be
eliminated? Wouldn't that take away hope?
YM: (silence)
