Restoring dignity

“…she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on” (Mark 12:44)

Mark 12:38-44 (Year B: The Third Sunday before Advent or the 32^nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, 11^th November, 2018)

The insecurity of the rich

This story from the gospel of Mark contrasts two sets of persons – those who were poor and regarded as less worthy of social distinction and respect and those who were at the top of society by virtue of family, religion or wealth.  It is important to read this passage in its historical context. The poor were, frequently, blamed for their plight. Riches were seen in many quarters as a blessing and a reward from God.  The result was that those in positions of authority associated with religion or politics were accorded dignity and security. They were secure in their religious and secular knowledge as well as financial security. They could afford to be demonstrably ‘generous’ when it came to public manifestations of giving. They were also seen as persons of honour to be greeted in reverential terms wherever they went and given special places (‘the best seats’) at banquets, religious services and other occasions. As for the poor, they had the benevolence of the better off to rely on especially if they had little or no means of a livelihood such as might have been the case for the blind, the lame, the lepers, widows and orphans.

The ‘best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets’ (verse 39) would have been, according to scripture scholars, the bench in front of the ark containing the sacred volumes where those seated faced the congregation. How sweet!

The story today?

Does any of this sound remotely possible or familiar to a 21^st century community never mind a church community?  Have positions and practices of grandeur ever been created in the way business is done in universities, grammy awards, ordinations or State Banquets? Indeed, this Sunday marks the inauguration of a new President of Ireland. It also marks the centenary of the end of World War I.

We ought not to be too hard on others because one way or another we are party to a bit of show and pomp and that on the pretext that ‘it’s the done thing’ and ‘there is no harm in it’.  That may be so but when it comes to real poverty we need to watch our ways of behaving.

What has poverty to do with me or you, it may be asked? Isn’t poverty largely abolished in Western European societies? And isn’t much poverty caused by political corruption, environmental factors directly beyond our control and isn’t it the result of wars and famines that are man-made?

It is noteworthy how attitudes regarding poverty have come almost full circle in the last 100 years. 

There was a time – in the 19^th century – when famines, mass emigration and workhouses were a feature of many European countries including Ireland.  It was seen as somehow natural and tragic and the remedy was identified in terms of ‘charity’ or ‘correction’.  Advances in industry, medicine, education, democracy and the rise of various political movements changed all that (sometimes with the active support and engagement of Christians but very often not). In the process of change, the role of the State came to the fore to such an extent that the rich paid a very large proportion of their income by way of taxes to fund social programmes and payments. The calamity of the great depression in the 1930s reinforced the role of public authorities in providing a safety net for those who were out of work, sick, retired or unable to work for one reason or another. There was, also, the rise of the universal welfare state that provided public goods such as education up to and including higher level, national health and various other social supports. All of this began to change radically in the decades following the 1970s.

What has all of this to do with this Sunday’s gospel reading and why should Christians or other believers bother with the worlds of poverty, environmental change and political instability?  The answer is that God is alive today not only (or if only) in our churches and sanctuaries and choirs and on altars and in tabernacles but in the shanty towns of Sao Paolo, the open seas of the Mediterranean and the streets of Dublin where many people sleep rough this wintry November. The story of arrogance, presumption and public display on show in the Temple, as recounted by Mark in the first half of this Sunday’s gospel reading, is being retold, today, in many parts of the world.

While it is true that millions have been lifted out of poverty in absolute material terms compared to what prevailed in the 19^th century, it is clear that millions are still stuck in poverty particularly in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa.  The extent of inequality by, all statistical measures, has soared in countries such as the USA.  Europe may be following in that direction in the longer-term given recent trends since the 1980s. Poverty is associated with material deprivation and lack of access to fundamental goods and services compatible with human dignity and rights.  Two ‘I’s’ characterise real poverty: Indignity and insecurity

The irony of the scene described by Mark, here, is that those considered secure and with dignity were anything but. Their need to impress others and to command respect and deference showed how insecure they were in themselves. And there is no dignity in behaving this way in the sight of God and people. Here is the paradox: by elevating themselves they revealed their deep insecurities and inconsistencies. In a similar passage in Matthew 12:1-12 Jesus concludes that ‘All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.’ However, this week’s passage in Mark is not, primarily about poverty and riches but about how those who may be rich or poor or neither can be generous with their money, their time and their talents. Alongside this message, there is a coherent message that those who use power and wealth to exclude or put down others will answer for this. The conclusion that can be drawn is that generosity extends beyond offering a helping hand or some money from time to time to those in material need. Generosity invites us to consider what sort of society we are creating or helping to sustain. How is this reflected in the way we consume, invest, work, play, travel, vote?  - even pray for those for whom prayer is as precious as oxygen!