An Alternate Reading of Poverty

Scott and I recently read a great article titled 'An Alternate Reading of Poverty' by Jayakumar Christian. There was lots in it about power structures and maintaining the status quo along the lines of Walter Wink's 'domination system', making the point that poverty is essentailly about disempowerment and oppression and power in the hands of some at the expense of others. It also speaks of poverty in terms of broken relationships, exclusion from the mainstream and fragmentation of community. Hopelessness that comes from the history of people and the narratives that shape people's lives is a powerful force shaping the experience of poverty. He also outlines the inadequate world views and the marring of identity that perpetuates and defines the poor. Most significantly for me was how Christian describes the underpinning of poverty by principalities and powers. More than interpresting these principalities and powers in a political and economic sense, Christian exposes their spiritual nature and the web of lies that ties all the above aspects of poverty together.

I remember during our time in Thailand being confonted by the deep sense of evil that was holding people on poverty, particularly in the slums. It was a realisation that there was more than a political or economic injustice occuring. There was a presence of evil that wanted to destroy people. At times it made the whole exercise of working against poverty feel hopeless.

Increasingly I'm feeling that our response needs to be multidimensional but always undergirded by prayer acknowledging the spiritual dimention of the battle we are in when we seek to challenge the status quo that keeps people in oppression and bondage.

In the article Christian concludes that we must respond to the poor in a way that addresses the whole context of poverty in a way that is more about transforming movements than projects. Our response must be spiritual, proclaiming the truth in the face of lies which requires that if we are to be agents of transformation we must be transformed oursleves. That is we need to be growing in our relationship with God, living with intergrity and in life giving relationships. He contends we must 'graduate to becoming communites where celebration, diversity and accountability are importnat hallmarks'. We need to become a prophetic and coventnal community that knows the discipline of standing in 'the counsel of the Lord' before rushing to help people. 'We must be equiped with the whole armour of God, the gifts of the Spirit and prayer and fasting as tools for social action.'

So for us splendid nobodies it is an encouragment for us to support one another as we deepen our spiritual lives and seek to be fruitful for God's kingdom.

Rachael