Day 5 - Poverty

How do I feel about what I am seeing?
How does this impact my view of sin, the world, and God?
How does what I'm seeing color (change) my view of my life, my culture, my church ...?

Short-term missions often serve as a wakeup call to the injustices in the world around us: the hazy awareness from the evening news transformed into grizzly reality.

Our "bedrock" convictions should rest on three Biblical truths: 1) Jesus died on a cross 2) Judgment will come beyond judgment on earth 3) God wants me to be involved in the solution (Ezek 22:25, 27,30)

Three responses:

1) Some are able to separate their missions experience from the rest of their life.  They did their thing for missions and the world.  Now they can resume the pursuit of the American dream without much guilt - "served my time; checked that box."

2) Other returnees from short-term missions have a very different reaction.  They are incensed and burn with righteousness and anger at all that is wrong with our country, the West, or what they now perceive to be the "blind spots" of the western church (materialism, comfort, timidity, or perceived lack of faith).   When these individuals see how naive they were before their missions experience and how difficult it is to reprogram attitudes (both their own and others), they become depressed and cynical (especially of the church and their fellow believers).  

3) A more healthy response is found in those that process their experience and incorporate what they have learned about God and his world into their lives and bring awareness to those around them. This response is coupled w/ a love that refuses to judge fellow believers and instead extends compassion to the individual.

The goal: (1) Cultivate a compassionate, Christ like heart (2) Develop an understanding of what the Bible says about injustice.  God stands against injustice (Ps 146:5-10; Ps 11:5,7, Zech 4:6, Amos 5:24) (3) Be willing to take action God wants us to share his heart for the lost and oppressed.  The exposure we have to the disenfranchised during our trip stimulates an awakening or a deepening of our compassion (this reflects Christ's heart).  To ignore this awakening is to waste opportunities for our selves as well as for those around us who may be stirred by our experience.

How will you respond to poverty?
What action can you take?