Ashes VI

for I am poor and in misery.

 - From Psalm 86

In the Eighty-Sixth Psalm, there is not a hint of jealousy, or envy, or bitterness, towards rich people; no reference to any "One Percent."

The Psalmist doesn't regret his status. No self-pity. No mea culpas.

He doesn't even show anger to God. Just a calling out, a plea for God to remove his misery. A realization that God is in charge and is the only one that can really help.

For we are but ashes. No one is better or worse than you, or me. Donald Trump has no advantage over you. I am not smarter than my mortal enemy . . . at least, not relative to God's knowledge.

The imbalance of wealth is a serious problem. The increasing gap between rich and poor . . . a horrendous predicament.

But so is envy. Envy may be a bigger problem than wealth. Because, it's always better, more wise, more prudent, not to be envious. In fact, envy may be part of the root cause of the economic gap: What we notice, what we obsess over, grows. If people didn't envy wealth so much, maybe wealth would not be so desirable.

Envy sits down at the table with Greed. They share stories with one another. They discover that they have very compatible interests - - - they begin to like each other. They decide to go into business together, because they find that when they work together, they indeed experience win-win.

But ashes are swept up with ashesl dust with dust, and their is no difference between one speck, and the next.

Be emptied of your guilt, your envy, your emotions, your anger. And, let Lent begin.