When wealth and poverty collide

This is a picture of an area in Sao Paolo.

It might as well have been a picture of the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg and Diepsloot or Silver Lakes and Nelmapius.

This problem of economic disparity seems to be everywhere. The middle class seems to have ceased to exist. Now we have wealthy and poor. I am using this picture as a focus-point during my mediations in preparation for Christmas. I try to imagine how a person would encounter the Christ-child while playing tennis on the court. Is there any guilt? Is there a sense of justifying their wealth? How does this person view those across the fence?

I imagine the person in the shack. How does this person encounter the Christchild? Is there envy when hearing the ball being hit on the other side, on a court which is the same in area-size as a dozen shacks? Is there a sense of anger, desperation, or has this person decided that this is his/her lot? How does this person view those across the fence?

The Christ-child comes into this world and does not discriminate. He is the Saviour of all and in His lifetime had a lot to say about economic disparity.