Job The Beggar

Linoleum print on masa paper, image is 12in x 8 3/4in. Image, carving, printing all by me. Edition 2/5

The dialogue in the Book of Job is fascinating to me - the trope of the righteous man who befalls disaster is even more ancient than the new testament, and was probably passed down in some form via oral tradition. It's a very human thing to do, to muse on our own mortality, relationship with god(s), karma, and our place in life. Something that always struck me when I was younger is how Job's three friends sit and talk with him, lamenting his position, but do nothing to help him - they give nothing of their own wealth, time, or effort to assist him, give him shelter or provide him with the means of bettering his position. They feel sorry for him and will talk with him, but ultimately they don't assist him. This reminds me so much of the homeless crisis in America that I experience on a daily basis. I see so often that the poor give to the poorer, put their time and efforts into grassroots organizing and volunteering, but the rich ignore them and blame their predicaments on drugs and alcohol.