In 2007:
520 140 people in the Chicago area were living in poverty. More than 6% of the region’s population were living on approximately $200-400 to feed, house, educate, clothe and provide the necessary daily essentials for a family of four.
416 119 people were living in extreme poverty. This means that a family of four would be living on less than $200 a week.
Since 2007 it has been estimated that:
253 000 more people are living in poverty...
...87000 of them children.
160 000 more people are living in extreme poverty...
...54 000 of them children.
How does the gospel you seek to share meet these needs?
In comparison to global poverty, are these truly needs?
Which is more important: feeding a child or teaching them a Bible story?
What does God say about helping these families?
What strategies have you seen being used by Christians to tackle these issues? Do they work? What IS success in the realm of urban poverty and the gospel?
How can YOU begin, today, to present a whole gospel to those living in poverty in the US?
I wonder if, by making the 'gospel' something so small and formulaic, we have created this 'hole'? Perhaps, at the core of these issues (meeting the needs of the poor/maintaing a 'gospel' ministry) is a need to redefine the gospel more biblically and understand its true depth. I feel as if we say 'gospel' so glibly without truly understanding what it is. Surely it's not simply the 'Four Spiritual Laws'...?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this post, I think of the reality of a conversation I had recently with a man living in Cabrini. He engaged me by talking about God and it segued into him asking for food to feed the many mouth's in his household. It started with an ask for bread, and quickly turned into a ask for meat. A man needing to feed his poverty-stricken family for one night, so he begs for it.
ReplyDeleteI think back to that day, how I could have responded more in a Christ-like way or preach the Gospel. What does it mean to meet needs and push the Gospel?
I think nothing was more impactful for me than when he offered to invite me to his home and teach his family about the Bible. It reminded me of my purpose, to deny myself and take my cross daily, so that others may know Christ.
Maybe meeting the needs are a segue to the Gospel, or maybe meeting the needs serves as part of the Gospel? I wrestle with it when it comes to urban ministry, and it is important that we wrestle with God about it.
At end of the day, we must live incarnationally and to do so and meet the felt needs, must come with sacrificial love for others. The same sacrificial love that drove God's Suffering Servant to such lengths as the cross.