It is not our fault that people are poor, but it is our responsibility to do something about it.

Richard Stearns
The Hole in Our Gospel (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2009), 123
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  • T.

    Hey, I’m poor because I borrowed a lot of money I couldn’t pay back and am really lazy about looking for a job. Spare me a few thousand? 

  • http://perichoreticlife.blogspot.com/ Michael Thompson

    ‎”Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” –The Talmud

  • http://bentheredothat.com Ben Patterson

    Amen.

  • Anonymous

    timely reminder for this time of year

  • http://uma-maheswaran.blogspot.com/ Uma Maheswaran S

    True Mike! As it is spelt out in Psalm 82:3, it is important to “defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.”

  • http://www.SpencerMcDonald.net Spencer McDonald

    I believe we are coming into the age of responsibility. What I mean by this is we are the chose people to lift a world so in need. If each of us give our gifts and help those most in need we can irradicate much grief and suffering. In our heart that would be goodness kept for all time. What will each of us do this coming year to give without need for getting anything except a smile, a tear of joy, or an ounce of happiness out of another. 

  • http://twitter.com/JessBlogSchmog Jessie Gunderson

    My favorite Christmas tradition started in a season of poverty for my parents. Someone put a box of presents and all the fixings for a feast on the porch with a note of blessing for our family signed, “Friends in Christ, praying for you this year.”

    It doesn’t always look the same but we’ve carried on the tradition ever since.

    I’m praying we live all year that way!

  • Anonymous

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  • http://www.jeffrandleman.com Jeff Randleman

    Great quote!

  • http://tomgrey.wordpress.com TomGrey

    And what are the means we will use, and what are the ends we wish?
    Almost all “deserving poor” in America need one thing:
    a job.

    That is, work to do for which they will receive money.
    I doubt, strongly, that Richard Stearns, or the Pope and Cardinals, or other religious leaders who claim to want to “do something” are actually offering more jobs to more poor people.  Even tho that is what is so so needed.
    Peaceful, voluntary, win-win jobs.  Not win-lose tax-based gov’t handouts.

    Instead, most likely, the “something” that is actually done is to support using government force to take from the hard working and give (other’s money) to the poor, including the lazy (not all are, but those who are get gov’t money, too);
    to non-voluntarily take from the responsible, who have money, so that a gov’t program can give some of it to those who have less, including those who are irresponsible (not all are …); to take from the careful and give to the careless.

    We need more HONESTY — what poor folk need are private jobs.  Those who want to help, perhaps especially religious leaders, need to be more responsible for helping to create jobs for poor people.

    This is really hard, but most do not even try. 
    They merely
    do not.

    • http://michaelhyatt.com Michael Hyatt

      You should research what Richard Stearns is doing, along with his organization “World Vision.” The very much believe in the concept of “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and he can feed himself for a lifetime.” I have spent time personally observing their work in Africa. They are doing tremendous work in creating robust, private economies.