The Lessers

Society contends that I am of greater value because of my nationality, educational background, socio-economic class level, and the experiences I’ve had around the world. The poor and uneducated individuals living all around me and earning less than two dollars a day are labeled as individuals of lesser importance. I refute this.

As I’ve come to understand, these individuals are some of life’s greatest teachers. Do they know this? Of course not. However, I have found that theses individuals are often deeply convicted on truths that tend to pass us – “the privileged” – by. The poor often live lives of perpetual unease and discomfort. This drives many of them to constantly seek spiritual comfort. As a result, many discover truths that are overlooked by the majority. It is only in places of discomfort that radical spiritual growth tends to occur. The “have-nots” are forced into this without choice while the “haves” must consciously choose to enter places of unease. From a worldly perspective, the latter eludes natural reason. Thus, it can only be done when in pursuit of something higher. This is the essence of Jesus’ teachings.

Going forward, I realize that it is in my best interest to spend more time with the “lessers” as I’ve come to believe that “less” actually equates to a whole lot “more” in the spiritual realm. The poor friends that I do have feel that I have made a dramatic impact in their lives by simply showing that I care for them. Each one of these people tells me that they are praying for blessings to be bestowed upon me. And, for some reason, I find myself believing their words much more than a wealthy counterpart telling me the same thing. There is an irony, though, that my poor friends fail to grasp. It is their friendship to me that is the blessing they are praying to be bestowed upon me!

TS