27 July 2013 by Natasha KIm CM-
Jesus said we will always have the poor among us. We are all designed with the capacity for compassion and to help those who are less fortunate.
Michael Crane, (Director of Institute of Urban Ministry Studies at the Malaysia Baptist Theological Seminary) came to shed some light on the topic and his experience from being amongst the poor. He was one of the breakout session speakers at the Connexion Conference held at First Baptist Church (FBC).
Three out of seven billion people in the world live on less than $2 a day. Today half of the people in the world live in cities and it’s shocking that half of them are the urban poor. People aren’t dying of hunger because there isn’t enough food or money in the world, there’s enough! It’s just not getting to a large percentage of them. The fact that 26 to 30,000 children die each day due to poverty should be alarming to everyone. They need help!
As Michael stood in a classroom in front of a number of youths, he began by telling a few stories of different real life individual experiences. Many look down and are judgmental of the poor, criticizing them for the decisions they’ve made, but Michael wants everyone to know that there are many out there that utterly had no choice in this situation.
The three stories are as follows:-
1) Ibu Kartini – This woman lived in a fairly wealthy suburb in Bandar Aceh, Indonesia. When a hundred foot wave came crashing down and flooded the place, Ibu Kartini was fortunate enough to have caught a ride on something and floated her way through the flood. She was a hardworking middle class woman who suddenly lost everything that she worked for, and was down to zero. She found herself becoming poor in an instant.
2) Yani – This woman who also lived in Indonesia, made some really bad decisions in life. She went through a sad and abusive marriage and ended up having to support her two children. Yani found work in Malaysia, however she had uncompassionate employers who made her work 12 hours a day, every day of the week even when she didn’t feel well. She couldn’t take it and ran away but found herself in another difficult situation.
3) Prani – This particular woman grew up in Thailand. Her family was very poor and because of that she as the eldest daughter had to work to support her family. It was their culture. So she ended up selling her body in Bangkok. When she heard good news about the better potential in doing the same work in Singapore, she grabbed the chance. When she was taken to Singapore however, life became worse as she found herself being locked up in a room for years without any freedom while people used her. She wasn’t paid what she was told she was going to be paid either.
All the above cases touch on the causes below. Causes of poverty:-
- Natural disaster/geographical/situation
- Desperation
- Personal decisions
- Oppression (economic, political, religious etc)
“Warning to Rich Oppressors –
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you.2 Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. 4 Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. 5 You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.” (James 5:1-6)
Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field till no space is left and you live alone in the land. (Isaiah 5:8)
In the Bible there are a lot of commands for rich people and how they act. People are not caring about the poor enough. However, the Bible does not just say that it’s all somebody else’s fault, there also personal decisions that lead to poverty. “The Bible doesn’t just say its all somebody else’s fault; it says that there are also personal decisions that lead to poverty. There are multiple causes of poverty. In most cases there are multiple causes involved” said Michael.
“For drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags.” (Proverbs 23:21)
“The Bible has a lot to say about how we are to respond to poverty. The reality is that all people are created in the image of God so the Bible does compel us to respond to people as such” shared Michael.
According to Isaiah 58 in the Bible, the people were groaning to God because they felt like they made a lot of good spiritual decisions but yet they don’t hear from God. In the scripture God responded with:-
"Cry loudly, do not hold back; Raise your voice like a trumpet, And declare to My people their transgression And to the house of Jacob their sins. 2 "Yet they seek Me day by day and delight to know My ways, As a nation that has done righteousness And has not forsaken the ordinance of their God. They ask Me for just decisions, They delight in the nearness of God. 3 'Why have we fasted and You do not see? Why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?' Behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, And drive hard all your workers. 4 "Behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist. You do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high. 5 "Is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it for bowing one's head like a reed And for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? Will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD? 6 "Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? 7 "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house ; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh ? 8 "Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9"Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, 10 And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. 11 "And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.” (Isaiah 58:1-11)
In this long verse it shows that God’s heart is not only for his people to do spiritual actions. God wants us all to treat all his creation with that same love and desire.
What should you do?
- Connect with people (Everyone should be treated with dignity and love as Gods child)
- Work with the community and help them facilitate solutions that are sustainable and that they own themselves.
- Always look at the roots (causes) of poverty.
- Make decisions that ultimately help them in the long run.
- Do not support companies or any eateries that mistreat their workers.
Please do your part in the world to help the poor!
Dear Viewers in Christ, if you find this article edifying to you, please share with your friends or loved ones by using the social media plugs (Share, Email to this article). The Lord will surely bless you as you bless others. May the Lord’s peace and love be with you.
Picture References
http://digital-photo.com.au/gallery3/index.php/People/Street-Photography/Homeless-prayer_MG_0154
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