Words'nTone

I know I harp on this a lot.  I am not sorry for this, but it is what I think about: What is the Church’s role in reducing poverty?  At work I helped to develop our tag line which goes on emails, memos, letters, and most every other document of any correspondence:

Making a case for change…engaging the community to end poverty.

My work life, and really much of my outside of work life, revolves around this in some way.  However, I am pulled toward my faith in regards to reducing (or ending) poverty.  I have no profound thoughts on this.  Nothing to add to what more articulate and creative Christian thinkers have already said.  But, nonetheless I believe poverty is a Church issue.  But our narrow view of salvation, that is, God’s redemptive act in Christ is narrowed down to the individual without regard to wider socioeconomic structures and habits, is a barrier to dealing with poverty.  Additionally, among evangelicals, especially suburban conservative evangelical, there is a reluctance to intentionally get involved with the poor and the attending social structures associated with the poor.  And in this heated political season, I have even heard more on the subject of the “rights” of the wealthy and rich from my fellow faith community.  Please don’t misunderstand me—I don’t believe it is prudent to advocate taking more money from the rich and wealthy to just to transfer to the poor (in various ways).  The existence of poverty is not a problem of wealth distribution.  But with that said, I have never heard in the Scriptures where God, even remotely, suggests he is concerned about the “cries of the rich.” But we read over and over about His concern for the “cries of the poor.”

“You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.  If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless” (Exodus 22:21-24).

“Beware that there is no base thought in your heart, saying, ‘The seventh year, the year of remission, is near,’ and your eye is hostile toward your poor brother, and you give him nothing; then he may cry to the LORD against you, and it will be a sin in you” (Deut 15:9).

“You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he will not cry against you to the LORD and it become sin in you” (Deut 24:15).

“So that they caused the cry of the poor to come to Him, and that He might hear the cry of the afflicted” (Job 34:28).

“He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor; will also cry himself and not be answered” (Proverbs 21:13).

Again I ask, how are we Christians, the Christian community to address the issues of poverty and how are we to related to and care for the poor.  According to some of the passages that above, our own prayers will be affected as a result of the cries of the poor.  How does the community of faith “make a case for change” and thus “engage the community to end poverty”?

I can think of many ways that individual believers and communities of faith have worked together to reduce poverty (but I’m not sure it can be entirely eliminated, especially when we consider that sometimes an individual’s choices can lead to poverty, such as the case with out-of wedlock parenthood). I read about a retired pastoral couple who sold their house and bought a used school bus, where they actually live and minister to the homeless in their city. Eventually they opened several shelters where homeless people are able to live and receive job training and drug rehabilitation if necessary. I’ve also heard that microenterprise loans have been very effective in lifting the poor out of poverty in third-world countries, so maybe similar programs could be adopted by faith communities in the U.S. The C&MA does microenterprise training overseas through CAMA (Compassion and Mercy Associates), its relief and development arm. CAMA also provided funds for relief efforts to Hurricane Katrina victims. In addition, I know of individual Alliance churches in the U.S. that are very involved in helping the poor in their communities. 

According to the book “The Great Giveaway,” one of the problems in relation to the issue of poverty is that many churches in America tend to be very focused on outreach to the poor in their communities while ignoring the needs of the poor in their own congregations. So maybe this is an area that needs to be addressed.

Great examples, Julie.  I just talked to a pastor in an urban center in the Philledelphia area whose church has decided to find concret and practically ways to “end poverty” in the block areas around the church building.  I thought that was a great idea.  A church block party!

And yes, micr-loaning...a fantastic way of reducing poverty...I agree!

My “push” here isn’t that we, i.e., Churches, aren’t doing poverty-related activities, but that churches--exurban, suburban, and urban alike, need to include--my opinion, ought to include--as a deliberate and intential part of the mission, activities that “engage their communities to end poverty.”

Thanks for the comments!

Julie, I’d still love for you to writesomething for the Words’nTone “The Other Side” column...you writewell and you have great thoughts…

Thanks, Chip! I would love to do that. Do you have a word-count in mind?

By the way, I think it would be awesome if churches and local businesses partnered together to fight poverty in their communities. I’d like to find out if such partnerships exist anywhere.

Have a blessed Easter!

Julie...up to 900 words, but if it is more, i’d post it at a 2 parter… peace, Chip

PS Blessed Easter...take a look at the friday post here on WnT for a special “personal” surprise...peace