Pain and Affluence

What might they have in common?

The other day I reposted a list of pain problems and my first statement was that pain isolates.

When we hurt, and it doesn’t matter if it is physical, spiritual (guilt), relationship difficulties, or psychological pain, we lose mental flexibility.

It is harder to solve problems and to behave in ways that invite others in.

Pain draws us into ourselves exclusively and erects walls limiting our ability to hear accurately to what others are trying to tell us.

Not only is it true that pain isolates, but so does affluence.

When everything is taken care of, we are not experiencing overwhelming pain, there are no significant threats on the horizon, and the bank account is fat, our needs for others (other than as servants) can be lost, or in some cases, never learned well enough in the first place.

We forget who we and they truly are — brothers and sisters inhabiting finite weakening bodies that will someday pass on from here.

Many affluent people are no different than spoiled children. Some started out that way and never grew up from there.

And some, strangely enough, go into politics.

You would think politically gifted people are fond of other people in general.

My suspicion is most do not love people they do not know. This means their love for country is relative and usually does not have humanity in mind at all.

Most politicians have a tribal way of thinking — they are loyal to those who are affluent enough to keep them in power. A way to determine the underlying human or inhuman nature of politicians is to see how they treat employees and those who make livings in the service industry — when the cameras are off.

Are they gracious? Especially when mistakes are made?

If affluence and pain can both isolate people, what can bring them closer together? How about overcoming both of them?

This is a change, not only of mind, but especially of heart.

When pain softens us enough to understand the pain in others or when we realize that we actually own nothing, and that all we possess including our talents and inherited wealth are gifts, it is then that generosity is able to flourish. And it is then that politicians are fit to serve.

The Words of King Lemuel

The words of King Lemuel. An oracle that his mother taught him:

What are you doing, my son? What are you doing, son of my womb?

What are you doing, son of my vows?

Do not give your strength to women,

your ways to those who destroy kings.

It is not for kings, O Lemuel,

it is not for kings to drink wine,

or for rulers to take strong drink,

lest they drink and forget what has been decreed

and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.

Give strong drink to the one who is perishing,

and wine to those in bitter distress;

let them drink and forget their poverty

and remember their misery no more.

Open your mouth for the mute,

for the rights of all who are destitute.

Open your mouth, judge righteously,

defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31:1-9 (ESV)

Thank you Roseann for sending me this song.

King Lemuel could have been Solomon since his writings are found in Proverbs.

It doesn’t really matter.

I believe its value comes when we understand it to be sage advice for each one of us, apply it to our lives, and teach it to young people.