Love, service, self-sacrifice, making things better for everyone, seeing and knowing that all of creation is from God’s almighty hands. Creatures great and small, some things and people great and tiny given to us by the almighty God; we love them as they are.

We respect the mountains and the hills, the rivers and the seas, the trees and the bees. As for ourselves we thank God for being who we are, we give and receive all that the Lord and others have provided for us.

Psalm 130

‘Praise you servants of the Lord,

Praise the name of the Lord,

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Both now and forever.

From the rising of the sun to its setting

Let the name of the Lord be praised.’

Silver and gold are what most men seek; we want more and more, we spend most of our time seeking wealth, seeking pleasure, seeking more land, more worldly possessions. We want what others have, we want to have more and more than what others have, we do not see that all our days will come to an end and it all ends in vanity. We grab for ourselves and our families.

We do not remember to show kindness, we forget the wretched poor and do not comfort the broken-hearted. Can’t we see that laughter ends up in tears and vanity ends up in old age, whereas the good deeds offered freely to the poor and forgotten ones will write your name in the book of everlasting life.

As Psalm 111 tells us;

‘You gave food to those who are weak

You are mindful of your covenant forever:

The works of your hand are right and true

They are established forever and ever

You send deliverance to your people

Holy and awesome is your name.’

How much time do we have? We must do as much as we can, pour out ourselves until nothing is left of us. It brings happiness to others, it brings good news to the poor. Please don’t be among those who acquire and acquire and even on the last day keep acquiring and saving so that even after your death your especial loved ones will continue to acquire. Thus we spend our last days worried, gasping for earthly treasures that we know must be left behind rather than gazing upon the heavenly home and treasure that the Lord has kept for us.

Take a look at the pattern of most people’s lives. We are born in the countryside of our small island. Today or tomorrow we will go up to the city of Kingston or to a city in the United States. We want to spend a year there, we will do business, make money, have fun. But we will not return to our small country or countryside where the pace of living is less pressured.

We know that in the rural places people are kinder and have much better manners. In the country parts there is time to sing songs, to have an old chat, to laugh and share a little dumpling from the pot. We long for the simple life, but we consider it backward. But we won’t go back. But as time goes by we get more money, we send some money back to our family members. We cannot appease our needs for more and more money.

Yes, we all need money, we all want to improve. But money is also the root of all evil. We must not love money more than we love people. We must love people
— the weaker people
— and our great God. We cannot and should not love money more than people. Be careful, we can gain the world and suffer the loss of our soul!

Please come and help our poor! To help, call Missionaries of the Poor at 8767821493.