Presbyterian Bloggers Unite April post: POVERTY

 

 

This month I have joined up again with the Presbyterian Bloggers Unite crew as we discuss Poverty. Our instructions are below:

• how would you define describe POVERTY and its impact in your community?
• how has or has not your community of faith addressed issues of POVERTY?
• what are the greatest hopes and challenges that you think face your community, larger church and the greater society in dealing with issues of POVERTY?

Just out of curiosity I searched the U.S Enviornmental Protection Agency (EPA) website to check our their definition of poverty. It read:

Poverty Level:
An income level below which an individual or family is considered poor. The U.S. Census Bureau defines poverty level based on a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition. If a family’s total income is less than that family’s threshold, then that family, and every individual in it, is considered poor.

In addition I would take that definition in another way - spiritually. I would define spiritual poverty as one who has a low level of identification with God's Holy Spirit which causes one to be devoid of the workings of God in one's life and in turn we are not able to use our gitfts to help another.

Our church is in downtown Raleigh which is going thru a redevelopment. We have upscale condominiums/townhomes that are upwards of $250,000 - $500,000 two blocks from the church but a few blocks away on the other side we have people who are either homeless or defined as the "working poor." Because of this displacement combined with meeting the needs of those who have difficulty, it presses our church into action.

We do some things as a congregation but can do more. We provide a food pantry to those in need every 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. We also conduct clothing drives about once a quarter. What we need to do better is identify and address the institutional and systemic root of poverty itself. To me this is also the greatest challenge and hope for us as a denomination, local community and world. I believe that we need to live by the Chinese proverb -

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

 

Comments

[Craig Nygard]

Byron, I agree with you about "doing more" with actions focused on the daily needs of our neighbor's in need.

I am challenged, as are most of us, with the actions to change the conditions that require those needs to be met. I am struck by the words of Jackson Browne's Christmas Carol "The Rebel Jesus":

But if any one of us should interfere
In the business of why they are poor
They get the same as the rebel Jesus

(cf. the recent responses demonizing anyone who might think of restoring past tax rates on the wealthy)

[Byron Wade]

Craig - thanks for the response. Like the poem ;-) By the way - congrats future Grandpa!