"Now this was the sin of your
sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they
did not help the poor and needy." (Ezekiel 16:49, NIV2)
She was just fifteen and had just graduated from a
lace-making school in Brugge, far different from the universities we now know.
These schools were more like children's sweat shops, with the emphasis on sweat.
She was actually a bit old to be in such a school. 5 years-old girls were
attending it, hunching over lace pillows twelve hours a day.
Lace, the latest vogue, had begun to be popular in the
16th century. Even two centuries later, men favored giving lace items to their
beloved ones, and it was always being received with sheer admiration. And women
weren't the only ones to adorn themselves with lace. Men, especially those in
high society, used it to dress up their attire as well!
Unfortunately, those who toiled making these precious
gifts were totally ignored. Thousands of girls and women sacrificed their health
to make this delicate lace, and despite long hours, they hardly made enough to
make ends meet. Why? Because the stores naturally received a decent profit for
selling the lace, and those who served as the go-betweens between the workers
and the merchants also took 15-35% of the profits. In the end, the ones who made
the lace, and thus deserved to profit from it, were paid an outrageously small
salary. They were generally earning less than half of what a regular factory
worker was making.
Thinking about these poor people, my thoughts began to
drift, and I wondered if our world has developed more compassion for these types
of people. It's then that I remembered the few times that I've been approached
by a homeless person in search of a handout. You see, I had it all figured out!
If I give this homeless person money, he will spend it on booze and make himself
even more miserable. So I did exactly like the priests and Levites in Jesus'
parable "The Good Samaritan" (See Luke 10: 30-35). I passed by on the other side
of the road!
What a shame! I repent now for these actions, for I am
horrified that I was so filled with myself. After all, how would Jesus have
reacted to such a plea?
If we don't have the luxury of spending time with the
poor in order to feed them a decent meal, the least we could do is give them
support through monetary means. Love gives. Love builds up. "Knowledge puffs up
while love builds up." (1 Corinthians 8:1, NIV2). It is not our place to make
their decisions for them. Our place is to give, encourage, and support.
How many poor have we helped so far? Unless we live on
an otherwise uninhabited island, there are poor around us everywhere. They are
hungry for relief from their circumstances, and even more so, they hunger for
hope. Will we provide them with what they hunger for?
It is true that there are those who specialize in
deceit. They aren't poor at all, nonetheless, they beg for money. We all have
met this kind of person. Let us not fall into the trap of "Because of the
increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold," (Matthew 24:12, NIV2).
Love is always the answer. If it were not for the fact
that love came down from heaven, where would we be? Where would our hope be? If
love had not been willingly to die on a cross for each one of us, where would we
turn? Love is the answer to all problems, our own included.
Would you like to buy some lace? Your beloved one will
sure enjoy it.
But . . . Isn't love much more than
superficially-purchased goods?
Rob Chaffart
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
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The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.