Dear Friends,
I think Jonathan Edwards—back in 1732—expressed with perfect clarity a concept that the Church struggles with today:
Recently, I listened to Tim Keller's sermon "Blessed are the Poor." You can listen to it here, and I would encourage you to make time for this message. In the sermon, Keller reflects on Jonathan Edwards' words on the poor (read here), as well as many of the hundreds of biblical references to the poor. In short, Keller agrees with Edwards, saying that one of the clearest things in all of scripture is the mandate to know the poor, become the poor, and love the poor. Keller goes as far as to say that we cannot remain "middle class in spirit," but must embrace poverty of spirit, something that happens in relationships of reconciliation with real people living in poverty over a long period of time.
So it's clear that scripture says loving the poor is imperative--but do we really see it as imperative? Do we see it as an essential part of our personal identity as Christ followers? Or do we see it as an option? Do we see it as a personal mandate? Or do we see it as something that can be "outsourced" to a church committee or a para-church ministry like Advance? The truth is that none of the important kingdom activities that the church should do, whether soup kitchens, shelters, job training, tutoring, widow-support health care, justice ministries--or any other effort--can be effective without ongoing relational reconciliation between rich and poor. And as Keller argues, these relationships WILL INEVITABLY challenge and change our lives as well.
I was convicted of this recently when we interviewed a group of Advance Memphis graduates about the role of Advance in the community. We were gathering information to inform our strategic planning process, and we asked students, "What does the community need more of?" I was humbled to hear the answer from "Mary," a recent grad, aged 24: "Not more money or food. We need more people to spend time with us. Teach us. Teach us about God." Friends, Mary is a single mother of 5. Throughout Mary's childhood, her mother was addicted to crack and she had no relationship with her father until the very end of his life. Right now, Mary is living with a family member in Foote Homes. Her extended family is eating her food and leaving her kids hungry. She is working part time, studying for her GED, and raising 5 children. I asked myself, "DID THIS WOMAN REALLY SAY THAT THE GREATEST NEED WAS RELATIONSHIPS? She DID!" And I remembered again how we so often consider poverty solely in material terms, forgetting the importance of relationships of reconciliation for RICH and POOR alike!
I often meet people who ask what we need at Advance—how they can help. My prayer is that I'll be bold enough to share our biggest need: the presence of Christians, loving, serving, and building relationships in the neighborhood. We need these relationships because social support is key to life change. We need these relationships because the gospel calls us to reconciliation between communities divided by race and economic class. And we need these relationships because theoretical solutions to poverty designed in board rooms rarely work, and neither do blank checks without accountability or understanding. We've got to stop DOING THINGS FOR poor neighborhoods and start DOING THINGS WITH our poor neighbors. Bob Lupton argues in his book Toxic Charity that anonymous aid, given without the wisdom and consent that comes from relationships with the targeted community, can do far more harm than good. As an example, Lupton describes the effect of aid on Haiti, as witnessed by Tim Schwartz, an anthropologist and long-time resident of the country.
What does it look like to DO WITH the poor instead of FOR? That's a big question, but if we're really working relationally with the poor, we'll not only be seeing financial generosity, justice in business and legal relationships, and education for poor neighbors...we'll be seeing Luke 14 parties!
So is my friend Mary crazy to say there's more to economic healing than money? No! Toxic Charity powerfully reminds us that disconnected aid is not enough, while we see first hand the powerful life change in EVERYONE'S life when the gospel calls individuals and communities "to the other side of the tracks"—the Kingdom community.
What I didn't tell you is that my friend Mary has gone from zero income to $2,000 a month. She hasn't achieved this through a hand out, but rather through a whole host of educational initiatives, supportive relationships, and employment opportunities made possible by business partnerships. I wish you could see her pride and joy as she experiences some level of economic self-sufficiency. She remains grateful for her diminishing public assistance while being filled with the dignity God designed for us through work. She wants to keep growing and fulfill all her God given potential. And what does she say when she asks what would help her and her neighborhood? MORE relationships and MORE time with Christ-followers.
So I want to invite the Body of Christ to respond to God's imperative to engage with those who are unlike us. We cannot help the poor if we do not know them, and God tells us that through relationships with the poor we ourselves will be changed. Our lifestyles, economic classes, recreational activities, neighborhoods, workplaces, and yes, even our churches often segregate us from our poor neighbors. Please take a minute right now to look around wherever you are. I'm sure you see the segregation of the rich from the poor. Now consider: how can we respond to God's imperative and help shape a world that looks different?
Responding to God's imperative means we've got work to do. We need to ask why in the poorest city in the nation there are no poor people in our Sunday school class or on our block, and then DO SOMETHING about it. And we need to find places to engage in relationships of reconciliation with the poor neighborhoods right now, today. If you need help with that, we'd love to introduce you to some of our neighbors through a Champion small group, a GED tutoring session, or as an assistant in a computer class. We'll take everything we can get! What might happen if every Christian in our city was actively pursuing healing in their own lives and in the lives of their poor neighbors through personal relationships? We don't know. But we'd love to find out. Pray with us! Struggle with us! Learn with us!
Thanks for all your time reading this note. It's longer than usual, but I'm grateful for your time, and grateful for the staff, friends, and volunteers who helped me take this from a first draft to a finished letter...the body of Christ at work!
Steve Nash
P.S. As you consider all these things, join me in challenging yourself to make God's Kingdom our target; not a human kingdom with some room for God, but—truly—God's Kingdom.
"Where have we any command in the Bible laid down in stronger terms, and in a more peremptory urgent manner, than the command of giving to the poor?"
Recently, I listened to Tim Keller's sermon "Blessed are the Poor." You can listen to it here, and I would encourage you to make time for this message. In the sermon, Keller reflects on Jonathan Edwards' words on the poor (read here), as well as many of the hundreds of biblical references to the poor. In short, Keller agrees with Edwards, saying that one of the clearest things in all of scripture is the mandate to know the poor, become the poor, and love the poor. Keller goes as far as to say that we cannot remain "middle class in spirit," but must embrace poverty of spirit, something that happens in relationships of reconciliation with real people living in poverty over a long period of time.
"We may also observe how peremptorily this duty [giving to the poor] is here enjoined,
and how much it is insisted on." Jonathan Edwards
and how much it is insisted on." Jonathan Edwards
I was convicted of this recently when we interviewed a group of Advance Memphis graduates about the role of Advance in the community. We were gathering information to inform our strategic planning process, and we asked students, "What does the community need more of?" I was humbled to hear the answer from "Mary," a recent grad, aged 24: "Not more money or food. We need more people to spend time with us. Teach us. Teach us about God." Friends, Mary is a single mother of 5. Throughout Mary's childhood, her mother was addicted to crack and she had no relationship with her father until the very end of his life. Right now, Mary is living with a family member in Foote Homes. Her extended family is eating her food and leaving her kids hungry. She is working part time, studying for her GED, and raising 5 children. I asked myself, "DID THIS WOMAN REALLY SAY THAT THE GREATEST NEED WAS RELATIONSHIPS? She DID!" And I remembered again how we so often consider poverty solely in material terms, forgetting the importance of relationships of reconciliation for RICH and POOR alike!
How wide is the gap between you and your neighbor? Join me in praying
that God would close the gap a little more each day for all of us.
that God would close the gap a little more each day for all of us.
I often meet people who ask what we need at Advance—how they can help. My prayer is that I'll be bold enough to share our biggest need: the presence of Christians, loving, serving, and building relationships in the neighborhood. We need these relationships because social support is key to life change. We need these relationships because the gospel calls us to reconciliation between communities divided by race and economic class. And we need these relationships because theoretical solutions to poverty designed in board rooms rarely work, and neither do blank checks without accountability or understanding. We've got to stop DOING THINGS FOR poor neighborhoods and start DOING THINGS WITH our poor neighbors. Bob Lupton argues in his book Toxic Charity that anonymous aid, given without the wisdom and consent that comes from relationships with the targeted community, can do far more harm than good. As an example, Lupton describes the effect of aid on Haiti, as witnessed by Tim Schwartz, an anthropologist and long-time resident of the country.
What does it look like to DO WITH the poor instead of FOR? That's a big question, but if we're really working relationally with the poor, we'll not only be seeing financial generosity, justice in business and legal relationships, and education for poor neighbors...we'll be seeing Luke 14 parties!
Do you have the relationships in place for God's design for a Luke 14 party?
So is my friend Mary crazy to say there's more to economic healing than money? No! Toxic Charity powerfully reminds us that disconnected aid is not enough, while we see first hand the powerful life change in EVERYONE'S life when the gospel calls individuals and communities "to the other side of the tracks"—the Kingdom community.
What I didn't tell you is that my friend Mary has gone from zero income to $2,000 a month. She hasn't achieved this through a hand out, but rather through a whole host of educational initiatives, supportive relationships, and employment opportunities made possible by business partnerships. I wish you could see her pride and joy as she experiences some level of economic self-sufficiency. She remains grateful for her diminishing public assistance while being filled with the dignity God designed for us through work. She wants to keep growing and fulfill all her God given potential. And what does she say when she asks what would help her and her neighborhood? MORE relationships and MORE time with Christ-followers.
So I want to invite the Body of Christ to respond to God's imperative to engage with those who are unlike us. We cannot help the poor if we do not know them, and God tells us that through relationships with the poor we ourselves will be changed. Our lifestyles, economic classes, recreational activities, neighborhoods, workplaces, and yes, even our churches often segregate us from our poor neighbors. Please take a minute right now to look around wherever you are. I'm sure you see the segregation of the rich from the poor. Now consider: how can we respond to God's imperative and help shape a world that looks different?
Responding to God's imperative means we've got work to do. We need to ask why in the poorest city in the nation there are no poor people in our Sunday school class or on our block, and then DO SOMETHING about it. And we need to find places to engage in relationships of reconciliation with the poor neighborhoods right now, today. If you need help with that, we'd love to introduce you to some of our neighbors through a Champion small group, a GED tutoring session, or as an assistant in a computer class. We'll take everything we can get! What might happen if every Christian in our city was actively pursuing healing in their own lives and in the lives of their poor neighbors through personal relationships? We don't know. But we'd love to find out. Pray with us! Struggle with us! Learn with us!
Thanks for all your time reading this note. It's longer than usual, but I'm grateful for your time, and grateful for the staff, friends, and volunteers who helped me take this from a first draft to a finished letter...the body of Christ at work!
Steve Nash
P.S. As you consider all these things, join me in challenging yourself to make God's Kingdom our target; not a human kingdom with some room for God, but—truly—God's Kingdom.
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