Jack’s Winning Words 1/11/21

“The unwise use of wealth, I feel, is much worse than the wealth denied the poor, for the poor cannot spend what they haven’t.”  (Jerry Ungerecht)  This is an excerpt  from a diary kept by Jerry during the Viet Nam War.  His comment was about the discrepancies he saw in Nam.  I find it interesting that what he saw 50+ years ago is playing itself out in America today.  What do you think Jesus meant when He said, (Matthew 26:11) “You’ll always have the poor with you?”  ;-)  Jack

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  woe is the poor, the poor poor... whom are we really talking about here in the US? people who have no food for their kids bc they make poor choices? certainly there are enuf govt programs to cover that...when all we do is harp on poor v not poor, do we not put just as much emphasis on money as the greedy “not poors” we revile?  i prefer we provide a useful education and a healthy economy that produces good jobs to constantly wringing our hands and whining about “the poor poor” decade after decade.===JACK:  Jerry was distressed about how the poor in V-N were taken advantage of during the War.  I'm commenting on how classism seems to exist all around us in every age.

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Another thought-provoking WW this morning.  The scripture from Matthew 26:11 is irritating to me.  I absolutely trust and believe Jesus said this, that it is inspired and full of truth but it is disturbing when a person sees all around all the lack and suffering and insecurity there can be for people.  Of course though, wealthy people can also have lack and be suffering and feeling insecurity too--go figure huh???  Actually, I wonder if such a scripture is actually a check on us limited human beings having sort of grandiose ideas that we can devise any sort of social contract that will solve the problem of poverty--not communism, not socialism, not capitalism, not feudalism, maybe even not democratic capitalism, what other systems are there?  Maybe finally, solving the problems of poverty rests on people seeing other people and one way or another extending help and resources to them.  The help can't be institutionalized but operates best personally?  That puts the onus on me, on you, on people and we can't morally get rid of it and "expect the government to do it."  or others to do it. ===JACK:  Sometimes it's hard to realize that some of life's problems have their solution starting with ME!@!!! 

FROM WILLMAR REV:  I often see the unfairness of it, but again the Word of God (as found in our Bibles) shares God’s take on it: “The Lord makes some poor and others rich; He brings some down and lifts others up” (1 Samuel 2:7 NLT). I’m betting it will all make sense tomorrow for the best is yet to come?! 0;-)   Give thanks with a grateful heart, give thanks to the Holy One; Give thanks because He's given   NJesus Christ, His Son (Repeat)  And now, let the weak say, 'I am strong', et the poor say 'I am rich,  because of what the Lord has done for us.' (Repeat)   Give thanks! -- Give thanks! -- Give thanks! ===JACK:  In your work as Commmunity Chaplain I'm sure that you see alot of "unfairness" in the lives of people.===REV:  True!

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  and the unwise use of wealth often has a lot to do with how the poor come to be in the first place.===JACK  "Money talks," and what it has to say isn't always kind to those who are poor.

FROM SHALOM JAN:  My "take" on Jesus' comment:  You'll always have the poor because you'll make sure of that by making sure you're among the rich.  yes, that's a negative "take" but pessimism is sometimes a lot closer to the truth. ===JACK: You are right!  Loretta Lynn sang in her song, Coal Miner's Daughter..  "We were poor but we had love; that's the one thing that daddy made sure of."

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I imagine that every country has this problem! Accumulation of wealth by; the "haves" and the denial of enough  money to really live comfortably to the "have nots". Although some of the wealthy in our society are really using their millions to do a lot of good in the world!  There are always SOME good people!!===JACK:  Remember!  This diary was written during the Viett Nam War.  Jerry could see how soldier's could use American dollars to buy "favors" of poor native women who had nothing to offer but themselves. ===OAKS:  Yes, and that IS so sad! Always a problem with occupational soldiers, even in Germany, after WWII...===JACK:  It was more common after WW 2 that servicemen would come back with "war brides."  After Viet Nam there seemed not to be as many...probably because of racist attitudes.