“He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the
needy honors God. He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD and he will reward him
for what he has done.” Proverbs 14:31; 19:17
“’Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to
drink?’ And the King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least
of these brothers of mine, you did for me’” Matthew 25:37, 40
I have a confession to make.
The last time I visited and served in an area of extreme poverty was in 2014 in Nicaragua. I confess that I’ve been away from the poorest of the poor for far too long. Busyness ruled and memories faded as I settled back into my way of life. This cannot continue because God identifies with the poor; their cries express divine pain. The Bible teaches us that our treatment of those who suffer poverty equals our treatment of God and I need a re-alignment.
One of my favorite John Piper quotes is, “Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” Today we had the opportunity to serve and encourage Milkias, Danieal, Mesfen, Yifrut, Fikru, and Yordanos on the front line of severe/extreme poverty with Children’s HopeChest (CHC) in Addis Ketema, Awassa, Ethiopia. These five amazingpeople love God and strive to help others see God’s greatness and goodness through the gospel, providing basic necessities, and fostering self-sustainability with accountability. They are new friends to us but father, big brother, and big sister figures to approximately 80 kids. Every day, they come to work to help children and their families survive, thrive, and succeed when all hope seems to be lost. They need our support and encouragement lest they become discouraged as they face conditions of biblical proportions.
Most of the kids here are single orphans(one parent deceased) making the children most vulnerable to the dark effects of poverty (including HIV). The CHC team works with local churches to identify who is at highest risk and provides supplies to make and sell injeralocally to provide food and an opportunity to earn much-needed money. The parent is also connected with a church community group so that they can encourage each other and bank their earnings together. Once earnings reach a certain level, a portion of the funds are deposited in a bank while the remainder is used locally for immediate needs and enterprises. For example, after one woman’s basic needs were met, she was educated in animal husbandry and given two oxen to multiply the animals. Within a short period of time, she had a fair-sized herd of cattle and sold some of them at market and gained some independence. She said her dignity was restored when she realized that Jesus suffered in her place and being productive in her community so that she wasn’t simply relying on continuous relief. In another case, a man was provided with a donkey cart so that he could begin earning a living hauling items. He paid off his cart soon after and bought a sewing machine so that he could earn a living mending worn clothing. Similar accounts abound in and around Addis Ketema.
Right now, there are millions suffering the affects of poverty. They need the hope that only Christ can give while having their most-basic needs met. As part of the global Church and as one with means (like most who live in the U.S.), part of my responsibility is to not only be aware of poverty but to actively engage it through prayer, resourcing, and personally encouraging those who fight the darkness each day.
If we are really serious about our faith and the sacrifice of Christ, we have to face the darkness of poverty and its affects head-on.
I’ll be reassessing my priorities. Will you assess yours?
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