Blessed are the Merciful

Graphic by Katy Stokes

Recently I was asked to write a poem based on Matthew 5:7  this is what I came up with.  Know that I have been "the merciful" many times in my life and I strive to be "merciful".

God Blessed! Are the Merciful

Webster defines Mercy as “kind or forgiving treatment of someone who could be treated harshly, kindness or help given to people who are in a very bad or desperate situation.” 

That’s easy. 

Are you hungry? 

Here is a can of soup.

I just gave this hungry man a can of soup!

Cream of Crab soup!

It has been sitting in my cupboard for three years 

because not a soul in my house likes Cream of Crab soup 

and I just gave it to this poor, hungry, man. 

Did you smell that poor, hungry, man?

Wow! You’d think he could have more money for food if he didn’t smoke so much.

I guess it is just a different set of priorities.

See, I just like to be healthy and have food to eat. 

You know, if this poor, hungry, smelly, man needed my help, 

I don’t understand why he had a cell phone.  

I don’t even have a cell phone that nice.

I’m not saying HE was scamming the system 

but you know that people scam the system.

Did you hear what happened? 

I gave that poor, hungry, smelly, man soup 

even though he may or may not be scamming the system 

and you know what he had the nerve to do? 

Ask me for more food! 

I mean, I want him to feel comfortable at our bible study 

I just don’t think he should be hitting people up like that 

when we are here to worship the lord.

God Blessed! Are the Merciful!

Don’t get me wrong,

people need soup,

but PEOPLE need soup.

That man, has a name,

It’s Mr.Aban Nagi,

He works 60 hours a week maintaining rental properties 

for $9.50 an hour.

He has three hilarious, creative, smart, daughters 

Ara, Lana, and Najla, 

three sons Fakhir, he is in ROTC in the 11^th grade,  

Dabir plays soccer and can name you all players on the Brazilian  National Football team, 

and Halim who is quiet, sensitive, loves books about African Cats.

His wife, Rihab attends Community College 

where she is almost finished with an Associate’s degree in family studies. 

Most of the members of his eight person family are allergic to shellfish 

and their microwave is broken.  

Aban smells like smoke from the many rental properties 

he works in each day and his cellphone is his only access to the internet.

And you know what?  He also has a 47 inch flat screen TV. 

Because even though he and his family escaped war in Sudan with their lives and even though they are settled here in the United States and they have work and education they still don’t have a lot of money.  So they rented a TV for $100 a month so that their kids 

can feel less poor. 

God Blessed! Are the Merciful. 

They are stuck in their homes isolated from others in their community. 

Willing to clean out their closets for others but missing the point.

They are missing the point,

We miss the point,

 I miss the point. 

I collect soup from people for a living!

It is an important job, people need soup. 

But you know what they need more? 

They need us to know their names.

We need to taste Rihab Nagi’s Goat stew and Sadza. 

We need to dance with Ara, and Lana, and Najla,

play soccer with Fakhir and Dabir, read books with Halim,

and honor Aban’s dignity.

Blessed are those who honor dignity. 

Those who are merciful and meek and peacemakers and pure in heart.

God, Blessed, are the merciful