Whoever is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward them for what they have done. – Proverbs 19:17

Today’s Scripture Reading (April 12, 2013): Proverbs 19

In 1932, Mahatma Gandhi started his campaign for the bettering of the living conditions of the Dalit – the untouchables of India. Gandhi’s involvement was controversial, but it was not his first foray into the fight for the rights of the poor. He had entered the political arena fighting against the high taxes that was making life impossible for the poor of India. In the 1920’s it was the salt tax that attracted his attention. Salt tax was thought to be a woman’s issue – or at least an issue close to the heart of women, so it was a small step from a campaign against the salt tax into the arena of women’s civil rights. Gandhi fought so hard for the rights of women that his female supporters considered him one of them. But maybe his biggest challenge was the campaign in support of the untouchables. But the name that he gave to the untouchables of India revealed his passion on their behalf – he called them the Harijan – literally the children of God.

The idea that God honors the poor is an ancient one – even though it seems to be often forgotten. And in the book of Proverbs we find the idea that whatever actions are undertaken in support of the poor are undertaken in support of God. And God is good to repay the debts of his children. So it is not surprising that Jesus would take up the same cry as he announced that any action done in support of the least of these – the untouchables of his society – was done on his own behalf. And any person that was willing to take action for these would certainly not lose out on their own reward. But the key is action. We are to live our lives in such a way that we are acting on behalf of those who are less fortunate all around us.  

Politicians often come to us with messages of what they would do on our behalf if we will just let them. It has become the given of every campaign. But the question that we ask in return is “will you stand behind the promises you are making to us after the final moments of campaign are behind you. ” And the honest answer seems too often to be “no.” When Mahatma Gandhi was asked to give the same kind of message to his people, he would simply reply “My life is my message.” For Gandhi there seemed to be no distinction between the things that he believed in, the actions of his life, and the character of who he was. It is a sentiment that Jesus would have applauded – along with the Bible’s ancient man of wisdom – King Solomon.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Proverbs 20