Reducing Poverty as Personal Vocation
Part I: Biblical View on Poverty
Leonard Winardi

What is the purpose of my life? It is one of the big questions in life that will haunt everybody for his/her entire life. This question can be articulated in many different ways. One may ask, what success means to you? Or what satisfies and comforts you? The answer varies depending on the person's worldview. For us that have been intoxicated by God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ this question changes and becomes what is God's purpose for my life? Put in other way, what is my vocation?

What is my vocation? This question rings louder when our comfort bubble burst. This question becomes more personal as we feel, smell, and interact with injustice and persecution around us. This question becomes truer, when our security and comfort are shaken as we graduating from school, finding graduate school, looking for job, or looking to serve in different area. For us Indonesian Christians, Jesus vocational statement in Luke 4 can not be more truthful. It really captures the essence of Indonesians' struggle as a nation with extreme poverty, depraved political institution, and very low social capital. Luke 4:18-19 says: “The spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” We do not need to look far away to Africa to find extreme poverty. 28% or 62 millions of Indonesians are currently living close or below the poverty line 1). Indonesia always ranks at the bottom in freedom, corruption, and human right violations. We have to really close our eyes and ears to avoid seeing, hearing, and experiencing injustice and persecution in Indonesia. It is no doubt that God has purposes for us the Indonesian Christians. The purpose so dear to His heart, which are to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom for oppressed so that He could proclaim His glory over His creation again.

The author discusses poverty in Indonesia in three parts. This paper will review the biblical perspective on poverty. The next papers will discuss the historical and present cultural aspects of poverty in Indonesia. The author hopes the readers can consider eradicating poverty in Indonesia to be his/her life vocation.

Biblical Review on Poverty

The word poverty appears 15 times in the bible (King James Version). The Old Testament mentions poverty 12 times, and 11 of those are mentioned in Proverbs. All of the 11 verses in Proverbs generally describe poverty as a state of being in need of the necessities of life. Proverbs 18:23 gives good illustration about poverty, “The poor useth intreaties (needs to beg for mercy); but the rich answereth roughly”.

The New Testament distinguishes extreme poverty and adversity or inadequate living. The Greek word for extreme poverty is ptochoi and in 2 Corinthians 8:2 and 9 is described as a state of being in urgent needs of life necessities from daily needs to spiritual and security needs. It is this extreme poverty that made Christ had to interfere for it is no way we could lift ourselves up from poverty. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor (a mendicant, a beggar), that ye through his poverty might become rich”. Another type of poverty is described as adversity to sustain a daily life. The Greek word for the struggle to sustain daily life is penes. One example is the poor widow that had given all she got regardless of her poverty (Luke 21:2). Like this widow, the bible tells us that we should not dwell in our own poverty. Instead, we need to be joyful and still be generous to others in need. 2 Corinthians 8:2 says, “How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality”. Paul praised the Macedonian churches that although were in deep poverty, still involved in supporting the works of the Saints.

The definition of poverty in the bible is wider and deeper than just physical needs. Poverty means incapability to attain physical and spiritual needs. The bible also distinguishes between extreme poverty and hardship. Jesus Christ voluntarily helps us because we are living in extreme spiritual poverty that there is no hope and future found outside Him.

Bible reveals that there are four main causes of poverty. The first cause is oppression and fraud. Proverbs 28:15 says, “As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.” Like a hungry lion, the wicked ruler can not wait to devour their people. Poverty is imposed to the poor to be exploited by their ruler. This oppression can be manifested in unjust policy, one-sided law, or even direct terror and intimidation.

The second cause is persecution and misfortune. One source of misfortune and persecution is God's judgment. When Israel turned away from God and sought other gods, God allowed Israel to be conquered by other nations as a judgment of their disobedience. Job provides another example of misfortune when God allowed Satan to test him. The other sources are natural calamity such as Tsunami, earthquake, and wars. The second cause provides spiritual dimension on poverty that it could serve as an instrument for spiritual renewal.

The third cause is a self imposed poverty resulted from inability to break the human sinful nature. Proverbs 10:4 says, “Laziness lead to poverty; hard work makes you rich.” Moral poverty leads to material poverty. Proverbs 21:17 says, “He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man: he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.” Man that seeks pleasure through immoral means such as, pornography, drunkenness, and gambling will suffer spiritual emptiness (moral poverty) and material poverty. Other moral poverties, such as, greed, dishonesty, and neglect (of the poor and apathy to surroundings), are also mentioned in the book of Proverbs as one of the cause of poverty.

The fourth of cause of poverty is the culture of poverty. Proverbs 10:15 says, “The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty.” The poor could be trapped in poverty because of their worldviews, which disabled them to engage (compete and contribute) in economic and political process. For example, the superiority of certain class over the broader population resulted from utter respect and tolerance in Javanese ethics, could discourage the culture of meritocracy 2). In fact, this rich and powerful bunch will most likely demand payment for sharing their power and influence, which leads to corruption and weak political institutions. Sin is easy to spread and change the culture. Cultural renewal, on the other hand, takes more efforts and time, but it can be done and the first step of cultural transformation is worldview transformation.

This poverty trap is very difficult to overcome. It is more likely for the trap to be deepened. The poor that grows up in impoverished condition with very little education, health, and political capability will be less able to compete and contribute compare to the rest of the society. Over time, the gap between the poor and the well-to-do will be widened if no serious efforts to remediate this gap are taken.

Biblical Review of Poverty Reduction

Mathew 25: 31-46 describes the urgent calling for us to not just be compassionate but also involved personally in the live of the poor. The passage emphasizes personal relationship between the poor and the fortunate ones. In verse 35 and 36 Jesus said, “I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me into your home. I needed clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.” Impersonal efforts in reducing poverty by creating welfare state like the West produced undoubtedly fail to eliminate or even reduce poverty. The failure of impersonal efforts and the triumph of more personal approach in the fight against poverty are well documented in Marvin Olasky's book titled, “The Tragedy of American Compassion” and Robert Woodson's book titled, “The Triumphs of Joseph”. This fact also leads to the next questions, what is the reason and what should happen during this personal engagement with the poor.

Why our personal engagement with poverty is more effective compared to merely outsourcing our engagement to the state? The answer really depends on the goal or what it means by not poor. If poverty only is defined merely by inadequate physical needs such as education, health, and food, more concentrated efforts led by state might be better since they have more resources to be distributed. Of course, bureaucracy (to categorize and identify the people, collect and distribute resources) will always hamper the state welfare's program. However, if one uses the biblical definition of poverty, which is defined as the lack in certain capabilities hence in dire wanting of physical and spiritual needs, personal engagement will be far more efficient than concentrated impersonal approaches. Because building capabilities always starts from the change in mindset from a depraved state of having no future, feeling disabled and disadvantaged, being terrified with life, and having victim mentality, to the proper mindset according to God's design. To change one mindset, we need to understand him. We also need to gain his trust and respect before we even begin to shape his worldview. Jesus gives excellent example, He was born poor, lived poor, died in poverty, and hang in the cross so that He could gain our trust, respect, and honor.

Building capabilities and employment should follow suit after the worldview transformation works begin. The proper view of man as God's partner in developing the world and shaping history requires man to work. Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and keep it”. However, one should note that this work should best fit to his talents and gifts so that the person could perform diligent work and fulfilled life. Proverbs 22:29 says, “Sees thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before men”. A skillful and talented man will be sought out and will have many benefited from him.

To know the proper employment suitable for a person requires personal knowledge about the person and discernment from God. The discernment is needed especially to identify person that requires tough love. Proverbs 13:18 says, “Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction; but he who regardeth reproof shall be honored”. Proverbs 23:21 says, “For the drunkard and glutton shall come to poverty.”

Capability to attain freedom is very important for a person to break his poverty trap. Luke 4:18 says that Jesus came to proclaim and liberate the oppressed so that they can exercise God's mercy. In our present culture, people are being oppressed mainly because they are incapable to channel their aspiration upon their future and decide matters that are important for their daily survival. Matters such as opportunity to work, to get education, and health should be granted fairly without the need to bribe. Hence, the ability to decide such matters is extremely important to daily survival. The 2004 and 2005 World Development Reports (published by World Bank) suggested the stubborn poverty problem plagued the third world country could be caused by the incapability for a person to be involved in decisions that affected his future and daily living.

The capability to attain personal freedom needs to be balanced with the capability to be responsible and be content with God's gifts. It is for this purpose capability to live and build a productive community need to be developed. Extreme personal freedom will lead to selfish life purpose, a purpose that focuses on individual needs, as oppose to God's glory. Darrow Miller in his book titled, “Discipling Nations”, says that “The focus in a community is not rights-either for individuals or for groups-but responsibilities.” What Mr. Miller describes here is basically the essence of body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Living in community also teaches about contentment. Paul in Philippians 4 says, “No matter what the situation, I've learned the secret of how to live when I'm full or when I'm hungry, when I have too much or when I have too little.” Paul found the secret to be content, which is through Christ who gives him strength. Paul feels Christ's love through the mercy of his Christian brothers and sisters in the churches of Macedonia and Philippi.

The last component but the most important thing to do is for the person to understand the purpose of his labor and ultimately his life that is for the glory of his creator, God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” To know God and His attributes will give us faith and hope for us to go through adversity and to put life struggles in the right perspective. Christian faith views that life adversity as suffering with God not to suffer for God because God is alive within the believers. Such believe should give and contribute for gaining confidence and hope for better future.

Epilogue

I feel fortunate to be born in middle class family that provided me enough resources to get excellent education and economic opportunity. However, my experience living in US make me reconsider my purpose of life. The church and the society in general are not segregated much by race anymore, but more by economic class. I am part of the church and because of my background I always go to the church attended by the middle and upper class. One of the reasons is security and personal comfort, but the main reason is I don't know how to interact with the poor. Probably I am not the only one. Marvin Olasky the author of “Tragedy of American Compassion”, could surely confirm this. While there are many reasons for this, my inability to interact with the poor is due to my mere compassion. Sure, I am very compassionate with the poor and willing to give anything beside one thing that is truly important; the security and comfort of living for me and my family.

But it really takes more than just mere compassion and the occasional pity donation. It really takes everything of you to help this people. Marvin Olasky summed up what it takes to help the poor in his seven marks of compassion: affiliation, bonding, categorization, discernment, employment, freedom, and God. We need to be affiliated and have strong personal bonding with the person that we are helping so that we could change his worldview, personalize the help, and start to put faith in God. However, nobody is willing (and probably should have) to give everything or anything for nothing. Is the fight against poverty worth your life? It is surely worth God's son life. For the sake of us, he became poor so that we can experience and supply God's mercy to others (2 Corinthians 8:9).

The bible teaches us the guiding principle, but the appropriate mean to fight poverty in Indonesia needs to be formulated without neglecting the historical and current cultural context. The next paper will then expound the discussion on poverty into history (Part II) and present cultural context (Part III) in Indonesia.