Christian Mission and Poverty

Afterword

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Clare and Catherine both saw the ways that some people’s love of money contributed to other people living in poverty. They also saw that a good way to be free from serving wealth is to desire poverty as holy. While we should not romanticize the kind of poverty that crushes people’s spirits and bodies, we can certainly learn from Clare and Catherine that there is something refining about pursuing simplicity instead of riches. Clement maintains that having wealth is not necessarily wrong, provided that we do not worship it or put our trust in it. However, he also recognizes the soul-threatening dangers of wealth. He explains that people who are wealthy (which today includes the vast majority of North Americans) must submit themselves to spiritual direction and counsel in regard to their use of money. The point here is that no Christian leader in the tradition, even one offering figurative interpretations of Scripture, thought that the unrestricted pursuit of wealth was a good thing. Martin Luther helpfully summarized the disposition we should have toward money and physical things. He called us to work in obedience to God while trusting God to provide for our needs. He reminded us that God is the creator and that all our human work is simply collecting God’s good gifts. He exhorted us to be faithful in the ways we are able, leaving room for the creative work and provision of God. Conclusion The mothers and fathers of the faith have shown us that, while Christians may disagree about the details of how to alleviate poverty, we must agree that the Gospel is good news for the poor. The Christian tradition has much to