Number in Poverty and Poverty Rate (1959-2017), Author US Census Bureau, Source https://www.census.gov (PD as work product of federal govt.)
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” (Prov. 31: 8-9 NIV).
Poverty and abuse have much in common.
The traumatic and repetitive nature of child abuse, and the huge imbalance of power between adult and child, can leave profound psychological scars on victims – scars that may include PTSD, depression, and anxiety to name a few.
Often, victims are left with a fear of authority as adults. The impact of poverty is surprisingly similar.
Fear of Authority
Their hopes chronically dashed and their pleas for justice routinely ignored, the poor frequently assume further effort on their part will be futile.
People who have been repeatedly downtrodden – deprived of basic necessities, cheated of their rights by abusive landlords and the host of other scam artists who prey on the poor – will forget that they have a voice, and throw in the towel (already exhausted). Read more…
Prime Minister Viktor Orban – known for his antisemitism and xenophobia – was for all practical purposes made Hungary’s dictator for life, courtesy of the coronavirus [1]. Parliament voted Orban authority to rule by decree for an unspecified period.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Author European People’s Party, Source flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0 Generic)
In the Philippines, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte was granted sweeping emergency powers. In Brazil, Pres. Jair Bolsonaro accused the media of generating hysteria, then fired the health minister and chief of police [2][3]. In Turkey, Prime Minister Recep Erdogan detained critics of his response to the pandemic.
Around the globe, despotic leaders of all stripes are using the coronavirus as an excuse to consolidate their positions, spread false information, and silence the opposition. Read more…
Diamond from Crater of Diamonds State Park, AR, Author Robert M. Lavinsky, Source http://www.mindat.org (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
We continue with an examination of the treasures of darkness.
Secrecy
“Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You” (Ps. 139: 12).
Nothing can be hidden from the Lord. No secret plot, no hidden motive by others can harm us, if God does not allow it.
Whatever may befall us, God will use for good (Rom. 8: 28). He has numbered the very hairs on our head (Luke 12: 7). We are safely in His care.
Security is, therefore, the fourth treasure of darkness.
Evil and Sin
“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness…” (Isa. 5: 20).
We may at times be discouraged. It may appear that the world is growing ever more dark, ever more evil. But Christ has overcome the power of darkness. And we are promised justice – if not in this world, then the next.
Justice is, therefore, the fifth great treasure of darkness. Read more…
“I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden riches of secret places, That you may know that I, the Lord, Who call you by your name, Am the God of Israel” (Isa. 45: 3).
Diamonds are one of the hardest natural substances known. Billions of years old, diamonds form deep in the earth, under tremendous pressures and temperatures [1]. They are considered among the most valuable gemstones in the world, and are mined only with great difficulty.
Diamonds from Catoca Mine, Angola, Author Helgi (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
But the treasures of darkness which God promises us are infinitely more precious.
Literal and Figurative Darkness
The word “darkness” can be interpreted both literally and figuratively.
Strong’s Concordance informs us that darkness is not only to be found in mines (Job 28: 3). Darkness was over the surface of the deep at Creation (Gen. 1: 2). Darkness was one of the plagues God caused to fall on Egypt, giving it a supernatural dimension (Ex. 10: 21).
The word can, also, be used to signify ignorance; confusion/perplexity; doubt, depression, and mourning; secrecy; evil and sin; death, destruction, and judgment.
What treasures can these possibly yield? Let us examine them one at a time.
Ignorance
“…[T]he fool walks in darkness” (Eccl. 2: 14). But “…wisdom excels folly As light excels darkness” (Eccl. 2: 13).
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9: 10). Wisdom is, therefore, the first treasure of darkness. Read more…
WARNING: Graphic Images
On May 13, 2018 suicide bombers detonated explosives at three Indonesian churches, killing 15 people and injuring many more [1A].
The churches targeted were St. Mary Immaculate Catholic Church, the Indonesia Christian Church, and the Surabaya Central Pentecostal Church. According to Indonesian National Police, the bombs used were of a type known as “Mother of Satan”, the explosive of choice for ISIS.
Two years later, the injured continue to heal and the relatives of those murdered continue to mourn. But their faith is indomitable.
Relatives of the 2018 Surabaya bombing victims, Author Surabaya Municipal Police, Source twitter.com (PD as published by Govt. of the Republic of Indonesia per Article 43 of Law 28 of 2014 on Copyrights)
Washing hands, Author Beat Ruest (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
As we struggle to flatten the coronavirus curve and reduce deaths from COVID-19, lax enforcement by the Office of Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) may actually be a factor contributing to such deaths [1].
Infectious Disease Standards
In 2005 the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) petitioned OSHA for a rule addressing pandemic influenza [2]. In 2009 AFSCME sought a rule addressing occupational exposure to infectious diseases.
OSHA had already put controls in place for bloodborne pathogens that required hepatitis vaccinations by healthcare workers; the use of masks and gloves; and the disposal of contaminated needles. Before that, hepatitis had killed 300 workers annually.
Trump Administration Cutbacks
When the Trump Administration came to power, OSHA’s agenda changed. Rule-making and oversight were put on hold. The focus was now placed on rolling back existing regulations.
Currently, OHSA has the lowest level of inspections in 50 years.
Coronavirus and Meat Plant Workers
Meat workers are stationed in close proximity to one another. Enhanced cleaning and social distancing of workers slow production, so are not always attractive to plant operators.
Over 640 cases of coronavirus have been linked to a single Smithfield pork factory in South Dakota [3]. Four workers at a Tyson chicken processing plant in Georgia have died from the virus; two more have died and 186 tested positive at a Tyson pork plant in Iowa [4][5].
Cargill, Sanderson Farms, and Perdue have all reported illness [6]. Read more…
“Good Shepherd”, stained glass window at St. John’s Methodist Church, Davenport, IA, Author Robert Bruce (CC BY-SA 3.0 Unported)
The following message is by Jaimee Hatcher, Esq, the Director of Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia (CLCP) https://www.clcphila.org/, an urban ministry serving the poor. As those of you familiar with this blog know, I helped found CLCP’s predecessor. CLCP remains dear to my heart.
For more on clinics like CLCP, please, click on “Christian Legal Aid” (above).
“Clinics are closed. Calls have slowed down. Clients are still being served. Thanks to our faithful staff and volunteers we are still able to assist clients with pressing legal matters to the best of our ability. In times like these it is of the utmost importance for us to lean on the “Christ” in Christian Legal Clinics of Philadelphia. One client that we were able to assist this week said she comforts herself with the 23rd Psalm every morning and night. I was reminded a few weeks ago in a sermon of our Good Shepherd’s purpose and mission to bring us all home safely. Our Good Shepherd provides for all of our needs, gives us necessary rest, restoration, protection, discipline, and reward.” Read more…
A yellow fever epidemic struck Philadelphia in 1793, killing over 5000 [1]. Nearly half the city fled. Public services were so stressed that city government collapsed under the strain [2].
In the absence of a crisis plan, Mayor Matt Clarkson pleaded with residents for clothing, food, and donations [3]. Volunteers responded generously. They organized a fever hospital and a temporary home for children orphaned by the epidemic.
Members of the Free African Society were especially selfless. Black nurses tended to the sick; black men buried the bodies – white and black – others were afraid to touch.
Coronavirus and Food Banks
In an average year, America’s food banks struggle to feed over 46 million (including 12 million children, and 7 million seniors) [4]. During the coronavirus pandemic, that figure has skyrocketed. Food banks are desperate for supplies, as a result.
Meanwhile, farmers have been destroying crops and discarding milk, because of disrupted supply chains [5]. The USDA plans to offer $16 billion in grants to farmers and ranchers [6]. The USDA will purchase $3 billion in meat, dairy, and produce to distribute to food banks and charities.
Coronavirus and Community Health Centers
The community health centers that treat America’s poor and uninsured are close to buckling, in the face of this pandemic [7].
Indications are that African Americans and Hispanic Americans are particularly vulnerable to the virus [8]. This may, itself, reflect the disparity of medical and other resources in our society.
A. Staffing
Often short-staffed to begin with, the community health centers that serve our inner cities and rural areas have been hard hit by layoffs and furloughs.
For many, these non-profit clinics are the only source of medical care. Now, they screen patients for the coronavirus, as well. If hospitals are overwhelmed by a surge of patients, such clinics will be hard-pressed to absorb the overflow.
The coronavirus crisis has turned a spotlight on so called “ordinary” people – the farmers, truck drivers, warehouse workers, deliverymen, and cashiers who support the rest of us. Those in food production and delivery who so long toiled in anonymity have suddenly been recognized as heroic.
Ordinary people have always, of course, been important to God. They are the backbone of society, the salt of the earth (Matt. 5: 13). Read more…
“The Tears of St. Peter” by El Greco (1587-1596), Museo Soumaya at Plaza Carso, Mexico City (PD-Art, PD-Old)
“…Peter does not dare believe –
his guilt too strong,
his faith too weak –
unworthy of love
much less redemption, he confesses,
‘Lord, you know everything.
You know I love you.’
And finds himself suddenly
commissioned to forever feed us
from the fountain
of forgiveness…We are Emmaus bound,
downcast and discouraged,
without hope or happiness
till a Stranger opens our minds,
sets our hearts on fire,
sits with us at table,
and breaking bread,
bestows on us
and all the world
amazing grace.”
READERS CAN FIND MY VIEWS ON ABUSE AND ABUSE-RELATED ISSUES AT ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse
https://avoicereclaimed.com
A Lawyer's Prayers 