Now put in those terms, I would hope that most of us would like to consider ourselves to be somewhere in the middle. But where exactly out we to stand? This is a complex issue that I think deserves a complex answer... both considering all the very complex issues going on in the urban scene, and also giving an honest and humble second look at all that the scriptures say in regard to this topic.
These two tasks are not easy by any means... at least to me. First of all, having worked in urban schools for a couple years (and Trish for a few) we are in some ways quite disillusioned to there ever being a solution to the problem of the urban life. This is for two reasons.
First, there is no ONE problem. The problems are many, and often there are vicious cycles of issues that are hard to steer onto a better course, such as the need of urban youth to have more time with their family, when the father has left and mom has to work three jobs to put a roof over their heads. Then you have another child raised to think its normal to get pregnant at age 15 or normal to get a 15 year old pregnant and then leave. There is nobody in that child's life to teach them otherwise. Secondly, those that are put into the lives of these children are either too powerful to want to spend that power on anyone but themselves (ie. school administrators) or too entrenched in meaningless beaureocrasy to have enough time or resources to give the students a meaningful education (ie. teachers).
Finally when I approach the scriptures on this issue, the texts that address this issue seem to lean to one extreme or the other. I know that the word of God has one divine author, but I also know that there are many instances where we have opposing ideas presented in scripture that are not at all contradictory but are hard for our minds to think of any other way. Take for example the fact that we are monotheistic and yet believe in three persons in our Godhead. Or take for example the fact that God is directing everything that happens in this universe, and nothing can happen without His express permission... and yet we are not to view ourselves as puppets but rather seek his help while we take on our daily responsibilities.
Where do I see these extremes? In one moment the scriptures tell us to "condescend to men of low estates" or in many other words we are to help the poor. On the other hand, books like Proverbs speaks harshly about the sluggard and how he brings himself to poverty. The scriptures even gets as harsh as to say that those that don't work ought not to eat. Today there are certainly sluggards who are poor because they like to be. There are also folks who have been put into a bad situation outside of their own will and would like to do what ever little they can to make things better. Some of these folks are the children of sluggards. Some of these children don't even want a better life because they had no idea there was one... at least for them.
Here's the last thing about this topic that often confuses me. Take this quote for instance:
"If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:"
~Deuteronomy 15:7
My question is this... what qualifies as "of thy bretheren"? What can I consider to be "within my gates within the land which the Lord my God gave me"? Who is my "poor brother"? All these phrases that seem to qualify verses like this must be understood both in their original context, as well as their present day appropriate application.
So where do we stand? At what point do we get ourselves involved in the lives of the poor? And which poor do we help? How do we effectively help them? It is my prayer that I and hopefully our entire congregation will come to a fuller understanding of these very complex issues. Please, please, if you've come this far to read this, prayerfully consider helping me to sort out this matter.
Stay well and strong in Christ Jesus,
Andy Gruswitz
