A couple I know divide their giving into three categories: their church, various charities and a poor fund. They are always on the lookout for potential recipients of their poor fund andbecause they have reserved the money they have no hesitancy over whether they can afford to make gifts to those in great need.
Martin Charlesworth
Parable of the good samaritan
Nowhere in the story does Jesus apportion blame to the man, even though he shoudl have known better than to take such a risky route on his own. Instead Jesus is concerned with how we should respond to the person in need as we come across them.
Martin Charlesworth
From the book "The Myth of the Undeserving Poor - A Christian Response to Poverty in Britain Today"
Facing up to poverty and raw human need is a complex business. It challenges our culture, lifestyle, busyness, assumptions and comfort zones. Some Christians get angry and defensive when poverty comes knocking on the door. Some give money and hope that nothing else is required. Some are overcome with compassion and identification. Some get taken for a ride. Some give until it hurts.
Martin Charlesworth
From the book "The Myth of the Undeserving Poor - A Christian Response to Poverty in Britain Today"
Doing good feels good because it is good! It is one of the things we were created to go. Kindness, compassion, generosity – these are things that were always supposed to come naturally to us. It’s a mark of how far humanity has fallen that often our hearts default to responses that are the exact opposite and can feel even more “normal” to us.
Martin Charlesworth
From the book "The Myth of the Undeserving Poor - A Christian Response to Poverty in Britain Today"
Our starting place should always be that every single person is created in the image of God, known by Him and loved by Him. This immediately gives each individual dignity and worth.
Martin Charlesworth
From the book "The Myth of the Undeserving Poor - A Christian Response to Poverty in Britain Today"
Who are the poor? has four distinct elements:
Economic poverty – lacking teh material means to support themselves to live viably within our society.
Relational poverty – lacking a family or community support network to which they can turn in troubled times (Family breakdown is a key issue here)
Aspirational poverty – lacking hope or capcity to extricate themseleves from the situation they are in.
Spiritual poverty – not knowing the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father (Eph 1:17)
Martin Charlesworth
From the book "The Myth Of The Undeserving Poor - A Christian Response to Poverty in Britain Today"
In a society where 70% of is don’t even know the names of any of our neighbours, let alone speak of them, we areincreasingly reliant on the media to inform us about people we don’t know.
Martin Charlesworth
From the book "The Myth of the Undeserving Poor - A Christian Response to Poverty in Britain Today"