Poverty Cure

A billion people around the world live in extreme poverty. The love of God stirs us to help, and yet both private and public aid often goes awry.

When we understand that people are made in the image and likeness of God with creative capacity, it transforms the way we understand wealth and poverty.

The poor often lack the property rights and rule of law that would free them to pursue opportunities and escape poverty. They lack justice. The church should focus on this problem even though it rarely provides photo ops or quick fixes. This is not a call to a fleeting development fad.

The biblical call to solidarity with the poor urges us to connect with the poor in broader circles of exchange. The modern history of Ireland illustrates why. Ireland remained stuck in poverty until it was able to connect to broader markets and encourage entrepreneurship and investment. Globalization comes with dangers, of course, particularly if it is misshapen by cronyism.

Making diciples of all nations is a central commission of Christianity. At the same time, the Gospel encourages human flourishing in ways no amount of foreign assistance ever could. This is illustrated in the story of Immaculee llibagiza, who lost her family in the Rwandan genocide.

This session extends the focus of the fifth session by exploring the cultural/spiritual resources essential for communities to thrive-a culture of trust, a culture that encourages thrift, honesty and enterprise, and one that respects the dignity and capacity of people and the value of work.