Help Make Poverty History… Here
Several years ago, while working on staff with YWAM in Vancouver, we came into the office one morning to discover emergency vehicles parked in the YWAM lot. We soon learned that over the previous night a kid on heroin ODed under the overhang in the back of our building. When the neighbour called 911 it was already too late. Shaken up, we went inside the office as the body was taken away.
Later that day we went into staff intercession where we were spending time praying for the recent events of the September 11th attacks. So many of us were moved by compassion for the people impacted by these tragedies (as we well should have been), some even crying through our time of passionate prayer. When we had finished, I returned to my office to work. I suddenly stopped at the realization that where I sat was only a few short feet from where the young man had died. With this realization came the unsettling question of why his death on our very property had stirred so little in me, especially compared the depth of feeling I had for the 9/11 victims.
Now, I want to clarify a few things before I go on. First, the staff of YWAM Vancouver were then and remain now committed to the people of their city and their neighbourhood. Second, I believe our time and passion in prayer for Sept. 11th was warranted and honouring to God. Third and finally, this post is about challenging towards something, not an attack on something else.
Over the last few years I have become increasingly involved on dealing with issues of global poverty and injustice- Northern Uganda (Invisible Children, Gulu Walk, DTS), Micah Challenge Canada, Make Poverty History, Join RED Campaign, etc. I believe in all of these things, will continue to be involved in them and continue to challenge others (yes, you!) to get involved as well. However, I have begun to wonder if they might make us susceptible to another all too common danger.
One of the most exciting shifts in larger Christian culture is an interest and engagement of justice issues that lie at the heart of the Gospel. However, as we seek to engage them, we can spend a great deal of time, energy and resources into large, but distant causes that, while they deeply touch and inspire us, keep us at a “safe” distance. The reality is that, should ever get close and personal with these issues, we would be exposed to the complex and messy realities of these issues (see my post “Demystifying Poverty”). This doesn’t reduce our need to be committed to them, but not out of some romantic sense of deservedness (as this is a huge part of the marketing machine for good causes).
I believe that for every degree of commitment we have to these important issues of global and systemic justice, we must put equal- nah, greater investment into these realities in our own community. Here’s the challenge- if we really want to engage these realities, we will only go so far with overly programmed approached, such as short-term missions or larger scale charity. These approaches are good, even essential, but will not truly bring real change. Rather, it will require very personal connection with the lives of the people impacted by these realities, as well as bringing change to our own lifestyles.
Therefore, my challenge to all of us, including myself, is that we work to make poverty history here. Does this mean I think local poverty is more important than AIDS in Africa or debt reduction in the global south? Not at all. However, there are two things we need to keep in mind (ok, there are more than two, but I’ll name two here): First, the way we live our lives, individually and together, in the Western world is deeply connected to the realities of global injustice. Many of the assumptions behind the (North) American Dream fail to acknowledge the costs our prosperity and even “freedom” exact on other, both within our borders and around the world. Second, until we can engage with these issues free of the romantic, paternalistic ignorances that play a (well intentioned) role in our involvement in justice issues, we will bring true and lasting change, either in society or in our hearts.
So, how do we do it? How do we start together to make poverty history here?
“we can spend a great deal of time, energy and resources into large, but distant causes that, while they deeply touch and inspire us, keep us at a “safe” distance.”
This is a excellent observation Jamie. You’ve articulated something here that has usually made me uneasy about large compaigns, although I didn’t have such insight into why. I want to be committed to justice, but in exactly the incarnational way that you’re talking about here.
But still, I’m glad for the awareness that these campaigns raise.
“we can spend a great deal of time, energy and resources into large, but distant causes that, while they deeply touch and inspire us, keep us at a “safe” distance.”
This is a excellent observation Jamie. You’ve articulated something here that has usually made me uneasy about large compaigns, although I didn’t have such insight into why. I want to be committed to justice, but in exactly the incarnational way that you’re talking about here.
But still, I’m glad for the awareness that these campaigns raise.
Destroy poverty? Kill the devil.
Matt,
Absolutely. We need to engage these challenges without abandoning the good of the campaigns. Thanks!
Peace,
Jamie
Henry,
I am not convinced that is true. The enemy has little more power than we give him. If he didn’t exsist, I think we would find ourselves quite capable of injustice. Sad, but true. While I agree with you that there are demonic dynamics involved, I think they can become scapegoats too often.
Peace,
Jamie
It’s difficult, but we must strive fro a holistic approach. Just my 2 cents worth!
EP,
You’re right. We need to find a way to do both/and. I can only hope to help answer the specific challenges of how that is played out. Thanks!
Peace,
Jamie
make poverty history? make affluence history.
live simply so all may simply live.
Ellie,
A good sentiment, but still not easy to accomplish. Thanks for weighing in.
Peace,
Jamie
That was a very honest blog and something at the heart of the gospel, loving our neighbor (who just happens to be our physical neighbor). I often challenge people around me (even churches) to care about the people in their lives and help those people to get things together…and sometimes it involves giving money or groceries. It’s something I take to heart and do as much as I can for those around me (at least the one’s asking for some help). I think helping in other nations is a grand ideal but I also feel we neglect our own backyard.
ja-r … excellent thinking, as usual. I think these two thrusts maybe someday meet in the middle? we work, hard, at serving missionally locally, while participating, on purpose, in the big picture things. tough thing is the sheer number of big picture things. how can a local group like YWaM Winnipeg, or a local church, grasp all that is out there, chose one or two, and still juggle local stuff too? maybe some kind of focus? alignment? some sense of understanding that no single faith community can do it all or even a chunk, so be faithful in the small things, a local expression and a specific global investment? we have had to discipline ourselves to do a couple of things well, not 5 things sort of well, or 10 things half-baked. tough.
sv,
Thanks. Finding the balance can be challenging. And I promise that the personal, local stuff will be way more difficult and costly than we imagine. And yet, it has proven itself worth it, again and again.
Peace,
Jamie
Don,
I think you are right, it that we need to find a balance. Some have said, “Think globally, act locally”. I think there is wisdom insofar as we begin to recognize how our local actions impact the global community. However, it isn’t true insofar as we need to be more actively engage around the world (as we tend to be very ethnocentric and self-centered).
I think one of the biggest challenges in engaging the multiplicity of challenges is that we still try to engage them as individuals (i.e. Should I shop at Walmart?), which is important, but when we start thinking and acting collectively, we will find we are killing multiple birds with one stone (i.e. developing a huge co-op garden will lower our spending our money at corporate monsters, increase the quality and healthy of the food, AND create a missional opportunity to engage our local poor (allowing sweat equity for sharing in the crop).
Peace,
Jamie