If I lived in the affluent suburbs I was raised in, would I be considered rich or poor?
To the outsider, of course, it would seem that I am part of a wealthy elite. But in reality, if I did choose to live that way, then I would in fact be poor.
Where we live says a lot about us, apparently. What if we live in a poorer neighbourhood in a poorer part of town? Are we rich or poor?
To the outsider, it may seem we’re people of low economic status, and therefore of low worth. Indeed that has sometimes been the assumption of those called to provide a quote to work on our home.
But could it be that those behind that rundown fascade are in fact wealthier than the ones that sneer, “You wouldn’t be able to afford that, would you?“
Could it be that while they own nothing except gargantuan debts, the apparently lowly within live lives unburdened by debt? Perhaps they own that little house and the second-hand car outside outright.
So who is wealthy and who is poor? The one with plenty or the one with little? It’s all a matter of perspective. A wise sage once said, “The best wealth is contentment in a little.” That’s true wealth.
Some people dream of status, yearning to live in particular neighbourhoods, with particular cars on the drive.
While some may easily be able to afford that, others may take on eye-watering debts to make it so, or else work every moment God gives them, at the expense of family or quality of life.
Others may simply yearn to live within their means, choosing to buy only what they can realistically afford. To live within the constraints imposed on them.
Who is rich and who is poor, no man can say, for in truth we are all in continuous need of the provision of the One.
It is not our outward appearance that truly defines us one way or the other, but rather how we choose to live our lives.
Walk humbly on the earth and be charitable, and see how your status rises in the sight of God. After all, it is the fuqara who are the true sultans, masters and princes on earth.
Last modified: 16 April 2023
