Around the world, poor people yearn to hear news that will lift their spirits and give them hope for a better future. Billions of people are born into poverty, live their entire lives on the margins of their societies, and then die in anonymity. In South Africa, this number might be in the millions. Some people have never had a job, are neither educated nor trained for any gainful employment,
and rely on handouts to survive from day to day.
On the other extreme, billionaires have either inherited wealth from their families’ colonial past and, therefore, have no need to work or have made a fortune with a combination of talent, timing, and lucky breaks. Somehow, they cannot spend money fast enough, and wealth attracts more wealth.
In the middle are the
vast majority of people who, “by the sweat of their brow, earn their food.” (Gen 3:19). To various degrees, they consider themselves to be ‘poor,’ by comparison with the wealthy. What is ample for others never seems to be enough for them. They have minimal time for recreation or relaxation, and life seems to be one perpetual grind.
So, what is the good news that Jesus brings to the poor? It is evidently not news about a
fairer distribution of wealth since this hasn’t happened in the 2,000 years since he began his prophetic ministry. Indeed, he tells us that our value does not consist of material wealth but of the love that God has for us. We are all precious in the eyes of God, who has no favourites.
This should not lead us to passivity or indifference toward the poor. God did not create anybody to suffer. Catholic Social Tradition teaches that
God created all goods to be shared by all people, not just the wealthy few. For example, the country's mineral wealth should benefit all citizens and not be super-concentrated in the hands of mining magnates or, even worse, in some offshore bank account or dynasty.
Reflections by Fr Peter Knox SJ
