Hugo Chavez has been the president of Venezuela since 1999. He passed away Monday at 56 years of age.

In Venezuela, Chavez was a larger than life figure who dominated the country for years.

In the early nineties, Chavez attempted a failed coup in Venezuela. He then ran for president on a platform of helping the poor and redistributing wealth. He won the election and has repeatedly seized private property for the government of Venezuela.

Of all the things that struck me the most about Chavez is the belief that he died with $2 billion in the bank (Criminal Justice International Associates, a risk assessment and global analysis firm). While promoting the cause of the poor, he lined his pockets with the treasures of Venezuela. The same report estimated the worth of the Castro brothers of Cuba at $2 billion as well.

We all know the sad state of affairs of the people of Cuba. What would $2 billion do for the economy of this once thriving island nation? Ironically, Chavez has kept the Cuban government afloat by selling oil to Cuba at a large discount. Presumably that will stop with the death of Chavez.

Venezuela is also in a state of extreme decline in spite of having the 2nd largest reserves of oil in the world. Only Saudi Arabia exceeds the reserves of Venezuela. Venezuela recently severely devalued its currency, causing severe difficulty for the poorest of people.

All of this should remind us the best way to help the poor is to give them respect and dignity, along with the opportunity to work and produce. Like our children, we need to help others help themselves.

God gave the people of Israel a great system to help the working poor. The people of Israel were to harvest their fields only once, leaving the remainder of the crop as well as the corners of the fields for the poor to harvest. This is exactly how Ruth provided for herself and her mother-in-law.

The so-called Book of the Covenant in Exodus 21-24 repeatedly calls for care of the poor. The Sabbath Year was given to help the poorest of the land (Exodus 23:10-11). The Book of Deuternomy tells us not to shut our hand to the needy.

We need systems which bless people rather than curse them. We don’t have a Sabbath Year, but we can seek ways to help needy people. We certainly should not accept political leaders who plunder the nation and make life miserable for the poor.

God wants us to be those who love mercy, do justice, and walk humbly with our God.

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