The poverty issue.

In Cambodia an average days wage is $1-$2.  I found it challenging to live on $5 a day, not to mention feeding a family with one measly dollar.  Many parents can’t provide enough for their children by only selling trinkets or vegetables in the markets, so they send their kids out to the streets after school (if they go to school) to beg.  In my travels around Cambodia, I happened upon this particular beach and returned every couple weeks for a vacation.  Everytime I went to relax on the beach, there was a wise 15-yr-old girl (Mali, whom I have mentioned before) who I would get fruits from.  Over the few weekends I spent at the beach, I got to know this young girl and learn her story.  She was 15, had a few sisters, went to school 6 days a week and sold fruit on the beach in the evenings to pay for school and school supplies. What is left she brings home for her family. Mali is determined to go to University after school and not to date any boy until she is done school.  Smart girl, right?  

But she gets her motivation from somewhere. 

Her poverty-stricken circumstances have made her yearn for a better life, momentarily out of reach.  

If this story isn’t quite touching your heart like it does mine, picture yourself in this life:

First, take out the furniture: leave a few old blankets, a kitchen table, maybe a wooden chair.  You’ve never had a bed.

Second, throw out your clothes.  Each person in the family may keep the oldest suit or dress, a shirt or blouse.  The head of the family has the only pair of shoes.

Third, all kitchen appliance have vanished.  Keep a box of matches, a small bag of flour, some sugar and salt, a handful of onions, a dish of dried beans.  Rescue the moldy potatoes from the garbage can: those are tonight’s meal.

Fourth, dismantle the bathroom, shut off the running water, take out the wiring and the lights, and everything that runs by electricity.

Fifth, take away the house and move the family into the tool shed.

Sixth, no more postman, fireman, government services.  The two classroom school is 3 miles away, but only 2 of your 7 child household attend anyways, and they walk.

Seventh, throw out your bankbooks, stock certificates, pension plans, insurance policies.  You now have a cash hoard of $5

Eighth, get out and start cultivating your 3 acres.  Try hard to raise $300 in cash crops because your landlord wants one-third and you moneylender wants 10%.

Ninth, find some way for you children to bring in a little extra money so you have something to eat most days.  But it won’t be enough to keep bodies healthy - so lop off 23-30 years of your life.

Sadly, this setting, as well as Mali’s story are not uncommon for the majority of the world outside of North America.

So what do we do?  We can’t just turn a blind eye to these people, especially since James has written: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress ...” (1:27) and also in Isaiah where God is reprimanding the Israelites: “Seek justice, encourage the oppressed.  Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.” (1:17)

For a moment, I’m going to focus on the kids here because well, they are the most vulnerable in our world, and also that’s where my heart has been for the past 6 months.  If we as a society are going to help with any kind of sustainable remedies for the future of the nations, we might consider going to the young members who will make up the nations in the future.

Children are not able to advocate for themselves.  They are the smallest and the most vulnerable in society, seemingly insignificant.  But it is the way the worlds smallest members grow up and learn that will effect the future of every culture.  So when it comes to “looking after the orphans” and “defending the fatherless”, what better place to start?  The mindset of poverty begins in childhood.  Children learn by what they live through.  A poem by Dorothy Nolte puts it into simple words:

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.

If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.

If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.

If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.

If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.

If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those around them.

If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice in which to live.

I realize I’ve kind of gotten off track here, but I truly do believe what I’m saying has power and is truth in the Kingdom.

To return a little more to the question of, “What do I do with poverty?” Let’s start with Luke 12:48:

“From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and for the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”

Whoa.  

Read that again.  

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and for the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

We have been born into the 20th percentile of wealth in the world, that means we have tons of responsibility on our shoulders. It’s kind of up to us to show the rest of the world, especially the children, what Love is, and how to grow into healthy adults who can give back to society.  Jesus himself exemplified the importance of children in Matt 19:13,4 (and Mark 10:14) when he rebukes the disciples for pushing the children away from Jesus.

As for our lives here and now, our Western cultures desire so many things that we neither need nor really enjoy.  We define people by how much they can produce or what they earn.  Jesus’s views on this stuff then, seems completely backwards.

• 1 Cor 1:27-29 - the Bible condemns the exploitation of the poor and warns against the accumulation of wealth (for selfish desires ... “toys”)
• Rev 3:17-18 - wealth blinds us, we think we don’t need God because money can buy us everything.
• Luke 1:52-53 - Mary’s song at Jesus’ birth is a prophesy about Jesus and the Christ and the coming of God’s kingdom which will bring changes affecting every area of life: the humble are exalted and the proud are brought down.

Living responsibly with what we’ve been blessed with in Canada begins with Living Simply.  Living Simply allows us to view our possessions as the gracious provision of God, which means we can enjoy our possessions without being ruled by them, or making idols of material things.  So, I can enjoy the benefits of a car, but I don't need the best, fastest or loudest.  I appreciate having more than enough food to eat but don't stuff my face every chance I get, then toss out the rest.

There are 2 ways to practice living simply: Inward and Outward.

Inward:

• 1) acknowledge that everything we have from God (or at least a Higher Power) is a gift and don’t covet what we don’t have.  
• 2) We must not get too possessive about our possessions, we are merely stewards to care for all we’ve been given (money, toys, etc) so hold it loosely ... as in take care of what you have but be open to lending things out to those in need.

Outwardly

• 1) get into the mindset of buying things for their usefulness instead of the status/reputation it’ll bring you.  
• 2) Careful of idolatry or addictive attitudes with your possessions; if you feel you can’t live without it, maybe some priorities need to be changed (I'm so guilty of wanting things to be cool ... whoops!).  If it’s distracting you from God or important relationships, get it out of your life!  
• 3) Refuse to be consumed by consumerism; (guilty again ... but I like to think I know when to say “No” to myself and see when I don’t actually need 2 new sweaters, a new pair of sandals, pair of jeans and new watch ... you get the point)  
• 4) Learn to enjoy things without owning them; borrow things instead of buying them.  
• 5) On the flip side, get into the habit of giving things away/lending things that others may need.
• 6) Appreciate creation and what it has to offer: instead of spending money always going for dinners or coffees, grab a bike and for a ride with a friend.  Get some friends to play soccer. Go for a hike.
• 7) Avoid debt and loans (school's a killer but do the best you can!).  
• 8) Reject anything that attracts oppression of others: sweat-shop produced clothing, unfair labour wages, buying something to get ahead of others. Plus, fair-wage it's all the rage these days, you'll look cool being picky!
• 9) Support a child overseas.  Through World Vision, Hope International, Place of Rescue or where ever, you’re contribution makes a HUGE difference, not just for the kids but for their families also.  I’ve seen it, this kind of support doesn’t go unnoticed by the kids that are receiving it. They will pray for you until the day you die!!

Living simply isn’t just something to do every now and then, it’s a lifestyle to adjust to and a mindset to shift.  It’s not easy but it feels so much better not feeling bad for the things we’ve been given here and knowing our hearts and actions are glorifying to God.  It may seem like you’re not doing much at times, but God knows your heart and people do notice and question.

These thoughts evidently have been upon return from my adventures this year.  My writing has been a result of many readings, prayers, and discussions in search of what my experiences in regards to poverty will mean for my life.  I feel undoubtedly quite strongly about all this!

Peace yo.

-c.

(excerpts from Too Small to Ignore by Wess Stafford and various life experiences)