The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends.

Those that despise their neighbor are in error, but good things come to those who are kind to the needy.

Poverty - Redefined
Underline idea(s) that you find intriguing
The textbook definition of poverty is any deficiency of elements or resources that are needed or desired. Most people consider it a lack of financial or material resources. This is an error similar to defining an elephant as creature with large ears. It only captures a component of all that we need to know to fully understand what an elephant is like. Any complex topic must be examined in its entirety before one can fully understand how it may affect them or they may affect it. It is true that those that help others are more fulfilled and see good things happen. Showing kindness to the poor is important but how we show kindness can greatly impact the results of our kindness. Relationships play a vital role in how poverty is manifested in the world around us. In order to help people in poverty we need to have a framework which conceives of poverty as being rooted in the effects of brokenness in four foundational areas: relationships with our self, others, creation, and the Creator. When defined in this way, we are all poor. No one experiences the fullness that is intended for each of these relationships. For the economically poor, these broken relationships often include shame, a lack of identity, social isolation, and a failing sense of vocation that contributes to a lack of income. For the economically rich, these broken relationships show themselves in pride, selfishness, workaholic tendencies, materialism, etc. that lead to all sorts of individual and social ills. Unfortunately, when the economically rich interact with the economically poor, they tend to do so in such a way that increases the shame that the economically poor feel, while also raising the pride of the economically rich. Poverty is the result of relationships that do not work. These relationships are not just, they rob us of life, and they are not harmonious or enjoyable. Poverty is the absence of peace in all its meanings. Central to poverty alleviation is understanding our own mutual brokenness so that we can truly help others without hurting them and ourselves.

BENEFITS OF REDEFINING POVERTY

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We will learn to see poverty as a problem that can be solved with the resources available to us now. We will realize that everyone is poor in some area and no longer feel inferior or superior to others. We will be able to properly diagnose the root causes of why our communities may not be functioning the way we know they could. We will no longer wait for aid agencies to develop programs to meet the needs our communities. We will realize that helping others out of superiority or guilt may lead to negative outcomes as we might try to solve poverty without correctly identifying what brokenness lead to the problem.

POSSIBLE STEPS FOR REDEFINING POVERTY

Write down your own definition of poverty and compare it to ideas presented in this lesson. Identify how the outcomes of your definition may differ from the outcomes of a relational based poverty framework. Evaluate your life in the four areas mentioned; relationship with yourself, relationships with others (family/friends/community), relationships with creation (animals, environment), relationship with the Creator of these three categories. Are there any areas that may be broken but were never given much attention?