Below is one of the most important passages in his article. The Christian approach to dealing with poverty is neither the liberal approach nor the conservative approach. Please forgive the long quote but this is a very important subject, which I feel in general the Church does not get. Please read the rest of his article at the link below.
A Balance of Analysis: Justice and Mercy
It is one thing to want to help the poor. It is another thing to go about it wisely. It is extremely easy to become involved in the life of a poor family and make things worse rather than better. One of the main reasons this happens so often is because of the two unbiblical political ideologies and reductionisms that reign in our culture today. Conservatives, in general, see poverty as caused by personal irresponsibility. Liberals, in general, see poverty as caused by unjust social systems; poor individuals have no ability to escape them.
The Bible moves back and forth in calling ministry to the poor sometimes “justice” and sometimes “service” (diakonia) or mercy. Perhaps the most famous biblical appeal to help the poor is the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which this aid is called “mercy” #Luke 10:37#. But elsewhere, sharing food, shelter, and other basic resources with those who have fewer of them #Isa 58:6–10; cf. Lev 19:13, Jer 22:13# is called “doing justice.” To fail to share is considered not simply a failure to be compassionate, but also a failure to be fair.
I think that the reason for this usage of both the terms “justice” and “mercy” is that the biblical explanation of the causes of poverty is much more complex than our current ideologies.34 The wisdom literature provides a remarkably balanced and nuanced view of the “root causes” of poverty. In Proverbs we see the familiar statements to the effect that “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” #Prov 14:23#. And yet we are also told, “A poor man’s field may produce abundant food, but injustice sweeps it away” #Prov 13:23#. Both personal and social, systemic factors can lead to poverty.
Actually, the Bible reveals at least three causal factors for poverty.
Injustice and oppression: This refers to any unjust social condition or treatment that keeps a person in poverty #Ps 82:1–8; Prov 14:31; Exod 22:21–27#. The main Hebrew word for “the poor” in the Old Testament means “the wrongfully oppressed.” Examples of oppression in the Bible include social systems weighted in favor of the powerful #Lev 19:15#, high-interest loans #Exod 22:25–27#, and unjustly low wages #Eph 6:8–9; Jas 5:4#.
Circumstantial calamity: This refers to any natural disaster or circumstance that brings or keeps a person in poverty. The Scripture is filled with examples such as famines #Gen 47#, disabling injury, floods, and fires.
Personal failure: Poverty can also be caused by one’s own personal sins and failures, such as indolence #Prov 6:6–7# and other problems with self-discipline #Prov 23:21#.
These three factors are intertwined. They do not usually produce separate “categories” of poverty #except in acute situations…
via Themelios – Issue 33-3.
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