Do You Love the Poor?

Many American Christians would answer, YES, I love the poor; I give generously to charities.  Good, but is your love informed by biblical wisdom, biblical truth.  The book When Helping Hurts documents that well meaning, but misguided, generosity can do more harm than good.

I would hazard a guess that the majority of well meaning Christian aid given to Haiti over the years has been misguided and therefore ineffective.  Why?

1.  It is not informed by the extensive biblical teaching on oppression and justice.  Instead, it is informed by conventional wisdom, by cultural ideology, resulting in flawed analysis of both the causes of poverty and the best solutions to end poverty.  Few American Christians have an in-depth understanding of oppression which in the bible is the primary cause of poverty.  If you love the poor and want to end poverty, you first must end oppression.  Few Christians do this.

2.  Biblically, love must always be combined with justice and wisdom to make helping socially healing.

3.  John Perkins would assert that the first and crucial step a person must take to assist the poor is to relocate---decide to live among the poor.  The gift of yourself---your presence, knowledge and skills---is much more important than your money, though your money is needed.  Think long term; plan to relocate for 10-20-30 years in one place.  It will take years before you really know what you are doing, before you gain a deep understanding of poverty, oppression and justice.

4.  If you can't or won't relocate, then PARTNER with an indigenous leader who has relocated and is combining church and community development, who has his/her ministry undergirded with a biblical theology that combines Christ, Kingdom, church and community.

So the question: Do you love the poor? needs to be followed by two other questions: Are you and your church releasing the oppressed? And are you and your church doing Jubilee justice in a poor community?