This, I Also Saw: A Vexation!
Proverbs 14
KJV
20+ The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
Recently, a development led me to visit some folks at a clustered dwelling place! One would have expected joy and happiness, given the commonality of the facilities there. Unfortunately, this was not the case!
Those I met live and use common facilities such as places of convenience, bath houses, etc and yet to my surprise there were divisions, though on the surface there is the semblance of peace, love etc.
After my visit, I began to rehearse my observations and it was then that the above scriptures popped up!
Proverbs 14
KJV
20+ The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
Any little effort by anyone becomes a “ talk of the area”! Any small gain ( blessing ) made by anyone creates discomfort in others. It was a haven of “ envies “ Truly the poor are hated even by their own!
(To put it bluntly and in context my host has a used bicycle, a small- tabletop fridge and a ghetto blaster. Items he bought from the “open market” at Tema Meridian )
I observed to my surprise how uncomfortable the looks are on the faces of his neighbours!
Instead of uniting to improve their lot they were divided, one member’s blessings put him at “war” with the rest.
While tossing this misplaced attitude that existed there, I remembered what a friend once told me.
He said a “ foreign visitor who visited the country on the eve of his departure was asked what his general thoughts and impressions were of the country.
He said the visitor praised us for being very hospitable, kind and generous. However when it came to what he observed with regards to the relationship among ourselves; he said the visitor (with due respect) used the example of how crabs behave in a bucket.
We all know how crabs behave in such circumstances., They lack cooperation, when one tries to climb out of the bucket the rest pull it down.
As a result, they all remain captives in the bucket waiting only to be cooked for food! Instead of helping each other they worked against each other
This was exactly the spirit that characterised the area I visited! Yes, sadly the poor “envied” themselves instead of collaborating to improve their lot. Instead of being inspired, challenged, and motivated they saw things differently!
(To digress )
Let me tell you something you’ve probably never heard or thought about! There are two sides to “ envy” there is the “negative” and “positive “sides. Yes!
The negative side of “ envy” is what the poor know and practice and this is what keeps them poor. It closes their eyes and minds to the good that they see on display by some. Instead of desiring to be like them if not better, they look the other way.
On the other side, the rich know and practice the “ positive “ side of envy. This leads to competition among them which results in the creation and production of wealth. Improves their living standards etc.
For example, a man owns a beautiful house, but driven by “ envy” another puts up a nicer and more beautiful one; the first person seeing what the second has done decide to build another that will surpass that of his rival.
The ensuing rivalry resulted in several beautiful buildings owned by a few that brighten and line up the streets of Accra making Accra a beautiful city. Research to find out who owns most of the buildings in the Central Business Centre ( CBD) in Accra.
Though Solomon concluded that such a pursuit is a waste yet he admitted that such achievements were driven by “ envy “. Read it again;
Ecclesiastes 4:4
NIV
[4] And I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another.
Did you read this line “ all toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another.” Yes.
( This is the positive side of envy And this is how economies grow! Capitalist economic ideology /philosophy is grounded and driven by ENVY!)
This is to explain but not to endorse or recommend “ envy” in the spiritual context. I am only sharing with you what I know from my studies of what factors lead to economic growth. The “unseen” hands that drive an economy! This Solomon knew and admitted.
“All toil and all achievement spring from one person's envy of another.”
Back to the visitor’s comment; Is this not the same spirit and attitude that has made many a congregation poor?
The few who are blessed, gifted etc are “ envied” by the majority. Instead of encouraging , supporting and working with them ; they are rather “ shunned “ and “ maligned “ etc!
Instead of challenging themselves to learn and improve to become like ( if not better than ) the few, they pull them down through apathy, lack of recognition and collaboration.
A thought, and an observation to share! The poor envying the poor is an absurdity and a vexation.