When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.
-Leviticus 19:9-10
‘No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
-Matthew 6:24
“Excuse me,” the boy said, “Do you have a couple of dollars to spare? I’m trying to buy something to cook for dinner and I don’t have quite enough.” He was a young teen, maybe about 14, and I paused for a moment on the threshold of the Dollar General, perplexed. Why would he be buying groceries, and cooking dinner? I fumbled a bit hesitantly in my purse and brought out some modest amount, maybe a five- or ten-dollar bill. (This was a good 7 or 8 years ago, when I used to carry cash, and before grocery prices crashed through the roof.) “Oh wow!” he exclaimed, “this is great, thanks.” And he dashed off down the aisle. We crossed paths again near the checkout, me near the back of the line with a basket of cleaning products, and him already checking out with a box of pasta, a can of tomatoes and what looked to be a pound of ground beef. “He really is making dinner,” I thought – and then my heart cracked open as I saw him, through the glass door of the store, cross the parking lot to a waiting pair of younger children before all three walked away.
What other burdens were on his youthful shoulders, beyond the care and feeding of his young siblings? And why on earth had I been so cautious about sharing my resources when he first asked? I wanted to pull out my remaining $20s and press them into his hands, but it was too late; he was already around the corner.
Meditating on today’s readings, and reflecting on the fact that May Day is celebrated as Labor Day in most of the world, I’m feeling, well, a bit reproached. Have I been keeping the gleaners, the itinerant laborers, the poor and dispossessed, as an afterthought rather than an intentional part of my planning? What are the social and ecological “externalities” of my economic options, and can I mitigate anyone’s suffering by making more thoughtful choices? Who really am I serving with the resources entrusted to me: is it mammon, or is it God?
The imagery Jesus presents to his listeners, and to us through the millennia, may seem stark. The account he calls us may seem exacting. Yet the changes of heart he invites are life-giving, not diminishing. In contrast to the impossible choices faced by countless millions of people who struggle to keep their children fed and their families alive, they offer the promise of God’s kingdom – on earth as it is in heaven.
Musical Reflection- We Labor Unto Glory - The Porter's Gate
Almighty God, Creator of the world, we give you thanks for the gift of stewardship and work. Deliver us, in our various occupations, from the service of self alone, that we may do our work in truth and beauty and for the common. God of justice, we pray for all workers, that they would receive fair compensation and treatment in their labor. For those who cannot work, provide sustenance. Deliver us, Lord Jesus, from the maligning evils of greed, sloth, and gluttony that we may lead lives of holiness in service to you and our neighbor. Amen.
Excerpted from a prayer from Bread for the World
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