conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

a feast for the poor

Today is the feast day of St Brigid of Ireland (Wiki).

Keeping up with the feast days is something I don't do particularly well. As a baptist, I really have no call do do so at all. But as an ecumenist, I try to plumb the depths of other Christian traditions to see what spiritual wealth might be found there. This morning I opened up one of my Celtic prayer books. The Northumbria community has some interesting resourses and I like to use their prayerbook.

This mornings liturgy reminded me that today is the feast day for St. Brigid. What was most compelling for me was the poem that was shared. I cannot find it online, otherwise I would post it. It essentially speaks of the Kingdom of Heaven (read: church here on earth, too) as a place of feasting for the poor and the ill. It would seem that our esteemed Brigid was quite the philanthropist. Not only did she found monestaries and convents (some co-ed?), but she spent much of her time in ministry to the poor.

It was an interesting juxtaposition to listen to reports of the SotU this morning, have those reports echoing in my head, and read about sanctity and ministry to the poor going hand in hand. Some say that terrorism (religious extremeism) is directly related to poverty. Our own nation's poor go without medical care and even food. I pass homeless people in the streets every day.

W has a big job on his hands. I don't understand it all. But I do wonder about the course that this nation has chosen for itself. What have we decided is important to us? Would it not make more sense to extend aid to the poor of the world, our own included, and see if that reduces terrorism? What if a War on Terror were a war on the terror of poverty?

These are thoughts. That's all. But I feel that we are missing something in the public political conversation in this country.

*In our island of Hibernia, Christ was made known to man by the very great miracles which he performed through the happy virgin of celestial life, famous for her merits through the whole world.

Posted by tripp at February 1, 2006 11:11 AM