A Great Question

Vicki commented on my previous blog entry and asked a very compelling question: If we can afford to give so much away, why do we still have so many poor people here in the U.S.?

This is a pivotal question and I think most Christians think about this question, in one form or another, earnestly and often. It drives where we direct our giving (‘where is my money doing the most good?’). It drives whether or not we are motivated to give (‘if my giving is not having an impact… why bother?). It drives our perception of God (‘if He loves us so much why does He allow such poverty?’). And it drives a personal assessment of our individual ‘okay-ness’ (‘am I doing enough? All I can? what God requires?).

I would be very interested to get a dialog going on this subject. What is your experience? What have you discovered on your journey in this area? Are you discouraged? Motivated?

Please join in through the commenting feature and share your thoughts.

Personally, I believe that poverty is a very big and very complicated issue. It defies easy explanations and solutions. But it is a subject we all are compelled to consider given that we are called to be ‘the aroma of Christ’ on earth. So, here are some snippets of thought to get the dialog going.

ACT WITHOUT ALL THE INFORMATION – I have accepted that I may never understand poverty, its causes and what sustains it. Given that acknowledgement, I am faced with a simple choice: do what I can without all the answers or do something only when I have all the answers. For instance, I can’t tell you what has caused the person asking me for help to be in the situation they are in. And, I can’t be certain if the guy I give a few bucks to is going to buy alcohol, food or pay his rent with it. I can’t even tell if he/she is really wealthy and just scamming me. So, I have to decide what I am going to do with imperfect information. I choose to act in many of these situations as an alternative to inaction.

POVERTY IS A PART OF GOD’S OVERALL DESIGN (Part 1) – I don’t make this point idly. As I have thought, studied and prayed about the general question of why God gives differently to different individuals and people-groups (money, looks, talents, gifts, etc.) I have become convinced it is a part of His plan. God is the potter and we are the clay. He makes some to be beautiful vessels on earth and some to be meager. I believe He does this to challenge our understanding of who He is. How else would you understand true beauty if you don't learn to look inside instead of the outside for it? How else would you understand true love if you can’t understand that God loves the lowly and the exalted (on earth) equally? How could you understand true charity of spirit if you didn’t have the example of the poor widow who gave such a small amount – but all she had? How could you experience giving without someone in need? Is it possible that God designed the world to include ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’ to allow us to learn to be like Him? How else would we understand blessing if we did not have the counter example of lack of blessing? How else would we understand contentment if we were not in some level of need?

IT IS A PART OF GOD’S OVERALL DESIGN (Part 2) – I also consider that God gave us free will and an opportunity to exercise it. Therefore, to some extent, the exploitation of some people by the powerful and greedy is also a part of God’s design – in the sense that He has allowed evil to co-exist with His creation on earth for a time. In that regard it is a sad part. Obviously, God grieves when we choose the world instead of Him. But, he allows us that choice. It makes it even more meaningful to think of the angels rejoicing in heaven as we come to God when you realize their grief when we turn away.

POVERTY IS A CONSEQUENCE OF SOME PEOPLE’S CHOICES – this may be a bit controversial – but I believe that some people make their own bed. Some people are lazy. Some people are unwilling to work. Some people have too high a sense of worth and are unwilling to accept labor they believe ‘beneath them’. Some people don't take full advantage of their God-given talents.  Some people don't take advantage of readily available education. Some people are foolish and take ill-advised financial risks. 2 Thessalonians 3:10b says ‘If a man will not work, he shall not eat’. Proverbs is replete with warnings against foolishness. For some people, poverty is the outward manifestation of idleness and foolishness.

POVERTY IS A POLITICAL/ECONOMIC REALITY – some poverty is a result of unemployment. In strictly economic terms unemployment (specifically in a capitalist economy) is directly related to inappropriately high wages. When political entities (unions, the government, etc.) set wages artificially high (e.g., minimum wages, etc.) unemployment occurs. Wages are also set artificially high when Government implements price controls (e.g., grain prices, utility prices, etc). It’s straightforward economics. If you want to have lower unemployment (which contributes to poverty as much or more than low wages) get government and other political organizations out of our markets and allow the free market to set the price on wages. The fact that the US has a minimum wage and over 2,200 price supports in place is clear evidence we intend to maintain a higher than necessary amount of poverty indefinitely. It’s designed in.

THE POVERTY PARADIGM SHIFT- it used to be that taking care of ones self and one's family was first a personal responsibility, second a family responsibility, and lastly a community responsibility.  Charity began at home. We learned to be giving by being expected to meet the needs of those less fortunate directly among us (and then remote from us). We could directly see their needs and respond.  We also 'knew' our neighbors which allowed us the discernment to know how best to meet their needs.  Within the last 80 years or so the US has adopted a different paradigm.  The government has systematically inculcated itself into every aspect of society and has taxed us to to provide the resources to do so.  Where personal income taxes at the federal level were almost non-existent 80 years ago - they are now high and always likely to go higher.  Simultaneously, we have transitioned from not even thinking about government as the answer to a society where a majority of citizens now rely, in part or fully, on government assistance to survive.  We no longer feel personally responsible for people's needs.  Instead, we point them to the government (e.g., social services, social security, unemployment, etc...) to have their needs met. Personally, I believe government cannot be as effective as individuals and the private sector in meeting needs due to inefficiencies, fraud, waste and interference in the free markets. Therefore, this paradigm shift to government as the answer - and the payment of taxes that might otherwise be used for individual charity to support government in this role is a direct contributor to maintaining and increasing poverty.


Okay.. enough of what I think.  What say you?