There have been several very disturbing news stories over the past 2 months. The first involved an Honor Roll student who was jumped an beaten in Chicago and the second happened over the weekend, a young woman was gang-raped after her high school homecoming. Both stories seemed to involve a young man who had graduated from high school, but was still "hanging around." And I have to admit, I am utterly overwhelmed by the depth of poverty in some of the cities here in America and the negitive consequences on society. It reminds me of third world countries where people don't have food and will kill for it or tribes who go to war over water. We have people here who are killing over turf and aimlessly wandering around looking for trouble because they simply can not find a job. I have to ask myself, what are we (my family, my church, my government) doing about it? To steal a quote from a recent Business as Mission Network article "Can we admit that we have subsidized lethargy and promoted the idea that God is simply not capable of providing for or sustaining them without indefinite charity?"
I think we've created a monster. We've been in the business of hand-outs for so long that now there aren't jobs left for people to have, or we have forgotten how to be indistrial, or people think they don't need one. "We need to be about the business of helping families be sustainable and pointing the way to Godly purpose and fulfillment." And we seem to be failing so badly at this! I look at my church, we're so good at HUGE service projects where we hand out food, and clothes and tracts, but are we really helping? Are we actually hurting those we are trying to help?
"I know it is not as glamorous and as personally edifying as being the amazing Americans that have come to bestow our gifts and prayers on them. But to me, sustainable missions and providing opportunity to others is compassionate, benevolent, spirit empowering and the highest use of our money, time and efforts." We are failing our neighbors.
My friend Amanda works for microfinance company; so I asked her, "Can we do microfinance here in America?" Our final conclusion was, yes, but no. The loans most people need are so big and not everyone can start a big company; raising pigs or cattle isn't going to help someone change the course of their family here. However, she did mention, group savings plans. Where a community starts saving together. Each month, each family gets the "pot" or a larger savings throughout the course of the year. This could revolutionize things for families. To have $1000 instead of just $100.
It is high time we begin to wean ourselves off of the easy displays of spiritual philanthropy and set our efforts to assisting people out of despair. Sow opportunity. Sow life. Life that sustains people, establishes families, builds community and endures for generations.I would LOVE to get involved in ideas like this. Anyone know of anything?!
