I gave a dollar to a homeless guy yesterday while waiting at a red light.  And he did something I’ve never experienced before.  He took my hand that was extended out of the window and kissed and it and said with emotion “God bless you, Brother!”.  And I was overcome with emotion as well.  The Spirit of God moved so very powerfully there in that instant.   I knew somehow and instantly that this man knows God deeply.  So, I pleaded with him to please pray for me….knowing that the heart of God is close to the poor.  Their cries are especially dear to him I believe.  They are akin to the cries of children.  Desperate, helpless, in need of help.  Amazingly, he said “I will pray for you without ceasing, Brother.  Without ceasing”.  And those of kind of prayers I got for a stinking dollar!  He kissed my hand in gratitude over money that can’t even buy a soda at most convenience stores!!  I was at once shamed and honored. 

I am a man of an unclean heart in the presence of purity.  Who am I?  Am I better than he?  I am not.  And the only thing that separates him from me is a bi-monthly pay check.  That’s it!

I came away with a deep, deep sense that God’s heart is so different than what most of American Church’ianity thinks it is.  The poor are the ones that are often the closest to God.  Blessed are the poor for theirs is the Kingdom of God.  Yeah, yeah…I know it adds ”in spirit”.  But, even if it isn’t strictly referring to actual, literal poverty…I think the poor so often are in despeartion (and therefore certainly “poor in spirit”). 

Please hear me, I in no way think being poor is enviable or good or desirable.  I am well aquainted with the common effects of poverty.  It brings with it a severe brokenness.  Broken families, health disparities, crime, mental illness, depression,  short lived lives and more.  And yet, in that desperation, people often turn to the only place they can…to God.  Again the poverty of spirit is the revelation of the need for God.  And God honors that!  Oh how He loves it when people turn to Him.  All the mulititudes of bright and mighty angels rejoice over one single person turning around from their selfish ways and reconciling with their Creator!  Oh how He loves us all so….more than we can ever, ever conceive of!  If only we who are prosperous would have that kind of desperation!  That’s my prayer today for us all!  May we all be poor enough in spirit to realize our ongoing need for Jesus!