Poverty in our midst

Everyday I walk through the streets of Manila, I see so many people sleeping on the streets…their dirty clothes serving as their blanket… they are lucky if they have used cartons for their mat…some have cans beside them… some seated with outstretched hands begging… families pushing wooden pushcarts that serve as their home… men and children scavenging plastics from piles of garbage… children climbing through PUJs to beg money from passengers.

Everyday they seem to be growing in numbers! Homeless children… homeless people… homeless families!

Poverty faces me everywhere!

And so many times as I pass such scenes I could hear Jesus’ response to Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar playing in my head…

“Surely you’re not saying we have the resources to save the poor from their lot. There will be poor always pathetically struggling… think of the good things you’ve got! Think while you still have me… move while you still see me… You’ll be lost and you’ll be sorry when I’m gone!!!”

These have been hard times… but I still feel so blessed that I have work, a roof on my head, food on the table and a family that cares for me… There really is much good things happening to me that I couldn’t help but be thankful.

Still a lot of times I wish I was really rich… very very rich that I could do something for all these people… but that is just wishful thinking. What good is that?

Then at times I’d blame the government for their lot but in my head I’d say our government with its available resources couldn’t really do so much… it takes so much work and so much time!

Ahh the corrupt politicians… yes! Yes! I’d like to blame them… then I think of the people who voted for them... ah serves us right!

The church… it should be unthinkable to blame them… but they too couldn’t do much for the poor! There are just so many of them!

JC was right… there will be poor always who will be pathetically struggling! One can not really do much to help but one can move in his own little way… You will not be able to save them all but at least you could touch some lives… Even just one life… or even for just some moments…
Think of them… and move!