Don’t Forget the Poor: A Biblical Approach to Addressing Poverty
Within a period of just a few years, this investment paid off handsomely. The business was employing a team of salesmen, administrative staff, and technical support staff. We moved from an old apartment complex to the fashionable suburb of McLean, Virginia. When my father sold the business six years later, the seven of us could return to South Africa with enough capital for him to reestablish himself and pay for our college educations. This is just one example of the power of the social capital at work in the local church.
We are thankful for taxpayer-funded programs like Social Security, Medicaid, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, previously known as the food stamps program). However, these programs are impersonal and leave many individuals lost between bureaucratic processes. We need to reclaim the care of the poor and marginalized in our communities—beginning with our church members—so that they can thrive in the dignity and loving-kindness that characterizes the family of God. This assistance needs to be expanded beyond material help, so that the local church takes responsibility to ensure that every church member flourishes in their families, work, and calling to mission.
The Prophetic Voice of the Church: Addressing Structural Issues
Fifth, and finally, God may call us to confront the sources of poverty and address structural evils. Robert Linthicum writes, “The power of the world’s evil is far greater than the sins of its individuals (and what is needed is) a biblical theology that would be equal to the challenge of social and individual sin of the world.”12 Most of us would not be able to address the complex structural causes of poverty. However, we celebrate and support those who have been called to prophetically address these political and economic evils in high places. We acknowledge that their success will contribute to the goal of releasing people entrapped in poverty.
The world groans under the power of rulers who abuse their influence to launch military attacks on their neighbors or enemies. Others use their position to seize, expand, or cling to influence and power; to enrich themselves through lucrative contracts; or to grant rights to their cronies to exploit the natural resources of their nations. Unscrupulous businessmen and bankers played a major role in the economic collapse of 2008, which caused poverty to proliferate globally.
In many countries today, just as in biblical times, we find judges who ignore justice and twist the truth (Micah 3:9). Instead of standing up for the poor, they take bribes from those who are able to pay and make rulings to favor their cronies (7:3). Modern political observers refer to this as “pay to play” and it happens globally, both in political and judicial circles.
We also find that businessmen and financiers may oppress the poor and crush the needy (Amos 4:1). The description of these structural evils in biblical times is similar to today’s global economic exploitation of the poor and the shrinking of the middle class. The greedy rich levied heavy rents on the poor who were unable to make a living (Amos 5:11). They demanded more money for less produce, lied about weights, exploited foreign workers, and marketed waste products for food (Amos 8:4–6). They also exploited strangers and returning war veterans and their families (Micah 2:8–9), promoted unfair trade practices (Micah 4:13), and used their wealth to foment wars and violence (Micah 6:12).
The Bible clearly opposes these structural evils. “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream” (Amos 5:24, emphasis added). “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8, emphasis added).
Category: Living the Faith, Summer 2016
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