Who should respond to poorer people?

...is amazed by Andre Bauer (Republican) quote on helping the poor: "My grandmother was not a highly educated woman, but she told me as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed! You're facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don’t think too much further than that.”

Response: Wow! Is he saying (poorly) how not to fund and empower a welfare-state-of-mind, or is he really saying "let people starve since they cannot take care of themselves"? Or is he talking about the limited responsibility of national or local government? I don't think, despite their attempts, that any political party (Canadian or American) has the corner on charitable and humanitarian ventures - not sure they all see helping poorer people as essentially a political concern, but a social one. Some see this as the job of elected officials, where others see caring for our poorer neighbours as the job of everyone in our community, town, and city, and not the purpose of taxation. Some of us think that government workers should be the caregivers of poorer people, and that loving our neighbours needs to happen bureaucratically and through taxation and employment - not with personal concern, self-sacrifice, and local outreach by all the people of a community. I've never thought any government, in the history of the Western World, has done a great job of caring for its poorer citizens, especially people who suffer with mentally ill. I believe our biggest challenge is not with irresponsible government - but the biggest threat to the welfare of those in need of assistance is from within ourselves, with us, expecting someone else (government employees) to be missional, and to love our neighbours instead of us. It is time for people, especially Christians, to be more responsive and be truly counter-cultural, and stop passing the buck. Seems much of the political battles and finger-pointing is just dodging the call to be personally responsive - Christlike.

Perhaps we should ask the question: Are the best humanitarian "movements" more likely to be self-sacrificial social responses or government-run political reforms? Assuming a distinction can be made, we might divide what Wilberforce did between the two, but I think we can see from Jesus, and those inspired by him (Martin Luther King and Ghandi) that the climate that makes political reform possible is social responsiveness that finally gets like-minded people elected in. I'm not sure why, but one of my favourite movies is 'The Kingdom of Heaven'. The line: "It is a kingdom of conscience or nothing at all", makes me think that the issues and needs of our poorer people in our communities and cities needs to move from the abstract to deep within to our sense right and wrong, to justice and to reflection on some of the causes of marginalization, and to the condition of our own hearts, not away from us, past a pointing finger. Seems the Good Samaritan story (Luke 10:25-37) is all about not passing the buck, claiming responsibility for people and situations we did not influence or create - but are willing and resourced to simply embrace and help in any way possible. If there is anything beautiful about Christianity, beside God Himself and the mystery of His holiness and His self-sacrificing love, it is the strong, relentless, unflinching, Christ-like love of people.

Martyrdom, self-sacrifice, and the pursuit of happiness.

Question: “Christian martyrdom is the epitome of Christian Spirituality, why do many Christians feel that if they are happy it proves God loves them?”

Response: Interesting question – one that needs to be asked from every pulpit. I’m not too sure how people who don’t consider themselves Christians look at martyrdom, but it seems we in the Church often write our own definition of "blessing", taking from stories of people in the Bible (Abraham, David, Solomon, even Job) who had health, wealth and financial independence, and for some, maybe all of us to varying degrees, that spells happiness. Martyrdom is doing without (even unto death). In a consumerist, materialistic, individualistic Western World there is little recognition or appreciation of self-sacrifice - Mother Teresa is a type of hero, but not a practical role-model for us. Jesus' words "deny yourself" seems to be thought of as “deny yourself all that brings you happiness”, which is an unbearable proposition for us in the West – so we dispense with Mark 8:34-38. We won't even "martyr" a proportion of our bank accounts, and live simply, even to reach our own children and their generation with the gospel.

I'm part of a Church subculture where an older generation points its critical finger and calls for "commitment", but it is that older generation who have modelled workaholism, burnout, and divorce, and abandoned local mission and evangelism, and have often taken the path of least resistance on the road to personal health and wealth – instead of seeking out the mystery of the easy yoke and the narrow way. Renewal is missional. Renewal is embracing self-sacrifice, and for many there are no mentors and role models, just people with the baptised, worldly values of prosperity, security, and self-indulgence - where words like martyrdom have no meaning, and for many, Jesus dying on a cross has little connection with fidelity, honesty, purity, or even holding up and persevering under the burden of inconvenience or and the cross of discomfort for the sake of others. If we want to be part of a world that is shaped by God, and where His character is evident, we as the Western Church are going to have to change, and embrace local mission, evangelism, and church planting, alongside worship and fellowship – all five of these are what Jesus’ disciples did must define “Christian discipleship”. It is now our time to hear His call and follow His leadership – and live the life of disciples.

I believe, until this missional shift in discipleship happens, words like blessing and martyrdom have not the biblical connect to make much sense or to translate into much that is practical and a blessing to others. If martyrdom is doing something good for others (not just denying ourselves something pleasurable) and being killed for it, what self-sacrificial thing are we willing to do to let our light shine before others, so they see our good works and “give glory to (the) father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16)?