Musings on poverty

Last night I was using the free wifi at Panera and got kicked out at closing. So I took a stroll through the open air mall to Borders. I have to say, it's the first time I've been at the mall in months and months and the first time I've been alone... ever?! Oh, PotteryBarn. So beautiful! And Williams and Sonoma right next door. I lingered. I slowed my stride. The colors, the contours of the applicances, the dangly glass balls hanging in the windows...

And I was asking God how it works. I mean, instantly I'm picturing Slum Dog Millianaire and how I've heard the producers actually made India look better than it is. And the refugee camps and the brothels and the... It's just not right that there could be so much wealth here and such suffering as well. It's not right that the two extremes exist on the same planet.

And yet, God created beauty...colors and texture all to give him glory in the hands of the creator and the work of the creation. I think God would like Williams and Sonoma too! I think he would appreciate the hue of pink they use for their Spring line.

So I'm in this internal battle. I take my lust to Fred Meyer, the more affordable local superstore chain. They have pretty household things too. I try to avoid the whole section, but recent birthday parties have required me to walk to that side of the store! Oh, the new blue pillows...

I'm just wondering how it all works. How it should work. I mean, how do we live with this knowledge of the billion who live on $1 a day? How do we not just become numb, or hopeless, or believe that our little budgetary decisions don't matter? Oh Lord help me not go there! Help me wrestle and wonder and question and respond...