Christian Mission and Poverty

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Christian Mission and Poverty

at the level of root causes of poverty by addressing needs related to employment, education or health care. After several years of living and ministering in our under- resourced community, I became aware that I could no longer talk about our neighborhood and neighbors in a way that I would be ashamed to do were we together. I was no longer able to share “success stories” at conferences for the benefit of outsiders in a way that objectified my friends and parishioners. I was no longer able to view my work as Christian mission to the poor in a way that didn’t value what I was receiving as well. I began to see the paternalism 3 inherent in picturing wealthy Christians as the prime actors in Christian mission and poor Christians as the objects of Christian mission. I saw that living together across socioeconomic and ethnic lines simply means being the body of Christ together. While it’s true that our community is in need of economic resources, it’s also true that there are deep (and often unrecognized) ways in which wealthy Christians need to learn from their sisters and brothers living in poverty. As we advocate for economic and social justice or provide space for our neighbors to speak about their needs for justice, we are often viewed as strange or subversive. It can be difficult to raise funds when we are unwilling to picture our neighbors primarily as recipients of charity. If we give things away, we are likely to be praised. If we work toward the redistribution of power and economic resources, we are likely to be looked upon with suspicion. I have often reflected on the words of the Brazilian Archbishop Dom Hélder Câmara: “When I give food to

3 Paternalism – imagining that you know better what other people need than they do, picturing yourself in the role of a parent to children.