Ducks Fly South When You Least Expect It

I used to think about the poor in drastically different ways than I do now. It is interesting how one’s viewpoint can change over time when a few details of life are slightly altered. Secretly, I used to think that the poor were less intelligent, less moral, and somehow less human than people who could sustain a level of success in life. And because the poor seemed to me less human, it allowed me to flippantly discard them onto the piles of rejects that lay just outside the doors of privilege—hoping that by morning someone will have swept the piles away.

I used to hear Christians say things like: “All you need to do is get your ducks in a row to become an effective, productive member of Christian society.”

But ducks don’t like to stay still, much less stand in straight line.

I’m now, literally, a card-carrying member of the poor. My eyes, thankfully, have been opened to the struggle that churns inside the hearts and minds of normal, everyday people who, for the time being, just happen to be poor. I have been able to experience the feelings associated with standing in lines, waiting for your number to be called, and deflecting hopelessness while holding on tight to what’s left of fleeting self-dignity. I know what it is like to have to draw a deep breath before each and every step I take throughout my day. I know the turmoil that rages inside of people who have to reconstruct self-respect on a daily basis.

My ducks have flown south a long time ago. But because my ducks are gone I can now look intently into the eyes of the poor without pretense and see that they are more human than I ever imagined. They are more human because humanness is the only thing some of them have left. The poor rely on their humanness to rise out of the whirlpools of discouragement levied at them by lofty duck ideals. And I have discovered a powerful and glorious humanness unmatched by anything that can be bought. It is the gold of the soul.

I challenge anyone to talk with someone who is poor, see the light deep in his or her eyes, and then walk away and not be affected by the experience. Just for a moment, put aside your ducks—ducks are overrated.