Poverty

For the last several weeks, the Outreach Ministries Dept has been facilitating a discussion about poverty...what is it? what causes it? how do we respond to it? The discussion has included staff and leaders at the mission and from the community. The conversation continues and hopefully will provide guidance to our programs and to our relationships with others in the body of Christ.

I am enjoying the discussion we are having at the Mission about poverty. But I have observed there seem to be many opinions how what poverty is. Some spiritualize it, some compare cultures. Some use pure economics.

I have been to India, Nepal, Thailand and African countries where the poorest person I know in the USA would be considered wealthy by the poor on those countries. I understand the economic viewpoint where poverty is viewed from the vantage point of its surrounding wealth (or lack of wealth). If the economic system in the US allowed for the poorest 10% of the population to receive $50,000 a year, but the remaining 90% of the population received $150,000 - would we not choose to define that 10% as “being in poverty”?

I think our challenge is to engage in our discussion from a place of supra-cultural principles. This would allow us to talk about poverty without cultural issues confusing our conversation. Perhaps we would be better served to define poverty without the help of economics.

Perhaps it should be defined according to the relationship a person has to oppression or opportunity. The Biblical instructions to followers of God are to help the oppressed, the prisoner, and the person in bondage. I suggest that using this lens to view poverty helps to lessen the cultural bias that we each have and allows for meaningful discussion about how we engage with those who are our neighbors.

-Jere Shertzer, President