Oppression

Hopefully this isn't too over the top and you can get something out of it.  We start with a quote.

 

Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. -C.S. Lewis

 

Think about that...

 

I read this the other day.   How true it is, that those that think they are doing good, can do so much harm.  I think of a mother 'loving' her child too much, she coddles it and ends up doing more harm to her child then she would like. 

 

But I also think of our broken welfare system. My understanding of welfare is that it is there to help people get back on their feet when they have fallen on tough times.  But I have found in working with people that are in our welfare system, that it appears to be there to keep them down, not to help them get out.  

 

We had a single mom at my daycare (a while back)whose two kids were part of my class, and part of their payment was made by DSHS (department of social and human services).  She worked for a small company doing front office work I think. After about a year she received a small pay raise.  Great, she is moving up and forward in her work.  DSHS saw the pay raise and cut off all her child care payment (even though the amount cut was more than the amount she would make in a month with her raise.  Now she would be forced to make a decision, keep her job and lower her lifestyle further, or quit and so she could take care of her kids.  The DSHS payment should have gone down to allow for her to pay a little more, but it makes no sense taking it away.  It was there to keep her down.  

 

This is how our welfare systems work, they punish success, and encourage contentment with the status quo.  And I understand that is only one example, but there are many many more stories just like that.  Government in my opinion will never be able to fully solve this problem.  It takes people working and building relationships with those in need, that can encourage and promote a better lifestyle.  A personal help, one that can look at the situation and make the decision to help and not just one that has to follow the rules.  And the Church and other NGOs (non-government organizations) need to step up and find ways of filling this hole. We as Christian's need to get off the side lines and show how real lasting change can come about, by being the hands and feet of Christ.  

Poverty in America

I came across this story on the website for my local new station.

Cliff notes version:
There is a roaming population of homeless that call themselves Tent City3.  It is made up of about 100 men and women with out children. They go from site to site every 90 days (by law, I think).  Mostly they stay at churches.  Frequently they are invited back to sites where they have been before.  To be in Tent City 3 (TC3) you have to operate by their code of conduct. The residents of TC3 rotate duties (such as security and cleaning).  You can read more about them Here.  So this group has been invited to stay at a Church in a neighborhood in northern Seattle.  Many of the neighbors there don't appreciate that the church is inviting them (at least it seems like many, according to news reports).  They say that the neighborhood can't support having homeless, in the area, even though the church has and continues to off shelter to some 20 homeless most every night.  It amazes when I hear people say that the church is irrelevant these days, yet when the church tries to do what Christ has called it to do, people don't like it. 

Recently our church put on two BBQ's for TC3.  One at the site they are at now, and one at our church. I was only able to attend the one at our church.  However, it was a very good experience.  I got to hear some of their stories, and share a meal with them.  I also was able to talk with the people that BBQ'd at TC3 and many of them came back to our BBQ, because they knew that what they were doing was worth it.  They had been at their current location for 2 months when we talked to them, and there had been only 1 police call, and the police were called because someone saw a homeless person (didn't know that was a crime). 

TC3 I think could be an effective way of helping to alleviate poverty.  The people that choose to stay there, have to live with in rules and want to get out of their current situation. It is not something that just anyone can walk in and be a part of, thus it weeds out most of those that are just looking for free hand outs.  They become a self governing group that has rules to follow.  Arguably most importantly, it becomes family and community. In my time working with homeless, the thing that keeps them down the most is they have no one to be accountable to and no one to share experiences with.  It becomes a steady place (where they can shower) from which they can leave their stuff and go to a job.  Not too many homeless have that opportunity. I think we should continue to give them the opportunity and applaud this church for giving them this opportunity.

In the future I would like to see people come along side the church and use the practices of When Helping Hurts (see link of book).  This would include building relationships with the residents so that they can get more training (to secure better jobs), skills for managing money, building relationships, being a good employee, etc.  A wholistic approach, so that they are offered more than just shelter, they are offered a chance to live life how Christ wants them to live life.

Here is one person's take on TC.

Sleepless in Shoreline

So, My wife is participating in this event with a bunch of women from our church. Check it out here.  They are trying to raise $4,000 to help build a women and children transitional housing complex.  It is pretty sweet. I also heard that they have 2 people that have said they will match that 4k.  That would be a grand total of 12k.  Pretty sweet deal.  Check it out and if you want to donate click here. It is a wonderful organization and they are doing great work to help those in need in our region.

James 1:27 (New International Version)

²⁷Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

What I'm Reading - When Helping Hurts

My book that I am reading right now is called When Helping Hurts - how to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor and yourself.  It is a great book, I will post a review of it when I am done with it (2 chapters to go). I think it would best be read in a small group study where the people involved are looking for ways (or currently are) serving the poor in their community.  It is set up as a study, with questions before and after each chapter. 
NDL