Poverty or Prosperity?

I've shared this story before, but I'm going to share it again.

When I was about 13 or so, my dad's church was part of a multi-church group that helped to house homeless women and children. They would travel every week or two from one church to another. The church housing them would provide food and shelter for the week they were there.

Our youth group helped prepare dinner one of the nights they were at our church. I looked at all the women and small children sitting on cots and waiting for food, and I asked one of the church staff, "Why are there so many homeless people?"

To which he replied, "Well, not everyone follows Jesus, and when people don't follow Jesus, sometimes they make bad decisions."

I remember my eyes going wide as I started at the women and the babies and the toddlers and wondered, what could they possibly have done to have deserved this??

Now, thirty years later, I see things much differently. I understand there are many factors leading to poverty and homelessness, several of which are social factors, not individual. I understand it is often not their fault at all.

Just before writing this post, I read an article talking about how the so-called Prosperity Gospel - which preaches that obedience to God leads to Earthly rewards like health and wealth - damages the Church's perception of the poor. For if obedience leads to health and wealth, then the logical conclusion is that the unhealthy and the poor are disobedient, even sinful. Therefore, we do not need to help them but rather to pity them or preach at them. We should not support them or programs that assist them because it's their own disobedience that leads to their condition.

But is that... right theology?

A Facebook user (schway text @Lexual_) put it this way: "Stop associating wealth and prosperity with goodness, God, and blessings. These people are not highly favored or blessed, they are privileged. When you think the rich are rich because they're good, it becomes easier to claim the poor are poor because they are undeserving."

This is a very dangerous theology and extremely contrary to the Gospel preached by Jesus. 

Thomas Merton once said, "Our job is to love others without stopping to inquire whether or not they are worthy." Jesus never said to only love and care for Christians, or to only love and care for those making good choices. He was even known for hanging out with "sinners" and outcasts. Nor did He ever say that those who follow Him in obedience will always be healthy and wealthy! 

Yet we see this theology spreading through the Church and influencing our social beliefs as well. There was opposition from Christians to mask-wearing during Covid, for example, for it was seen as a "lack of faith" because "God will protect us". There was opposition from Christians for the Stimulus plans sent by the President to help families struggling during the pandemic. There continues to be opposition from Christians regarding social programs which would support and assist people out of poverty.

I don't think that's a coincidence. I think it goes back to this theology that "bad choices" leads to poverty, rather than social factors.

The Prosperity Gospel isn't as popular in certain countries in Africa or China or the Middle East - where, despite being under fire, sometimes quite literally, the Church is growing. The people are poor, marginalized, persecuted, and suffering, but they have placed their faith in Jesus. The message of the Gospel is spreading faster in many of these other countries than it is here, where we have religious freedom and yet the Church is shrinking.

Our theology isn't working.

The Prosperity Gospel* was birthed here in the US. It is a performance-based theology. Sometimes it is called a "getting paid" theology. It has grown through media and televangelists and megachurches. It may have been influenced by American capitalism. 

One of the biggest names in the Prosperity Gospel realm is Joel Osteen. He has books, podcasts, television appearances, and so forth. He's well-known and popular. His church has over 40,000 members. His personal net worth tops $40 million.

Which brings up an interesting question: Should Christians be wealthy?

Is it morally right for anyone to be wealthy? To hoard that much money when there are so many struggling merely to put food on the table? The world's eight richest men own over 426 billion dollars - as much as the 3.6 billion poorest people on Earth together. Six of them live in the U.S.

I think of the early church, where belongings were shared, where no one was without, where those who were alone and vulnerable were cared for.

I think of Jesus' words, "What you do for the least of these you do unto me". I think of the care He had for those in need around Him. The feeding of the 5000, for example. He didn't have to do that, but He did. We focus a lot on how He multiplied the fish and the bread to show His power, but... maybe He did it because they were hungry! Because He saw their need and met it.

Why is it so hard for us to do the same?

When I encouraged Christians to help those coming to the border, a Christian on social media replied, "We don't have enough resources to help them and our own people. We need to take care of our own first."

Funny. I don't remember reading that in the Bible.

Even in the Old Testament, when God had set apart the kingdom of Israel as His people, He still encouraged them to care for the sojourner among them. In fact, He had some pretty strong words about it:

"When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself" (Leviticus 19:33-34a, emphasis mine)

"...the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do." (Leviticus 14:29b)

"...I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and [against those who] do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts." (Malachi 3:5b, emphasis mine)

Quite opposite from the idea of "we need to care for our own".

I am reminded of the story of the widow who took in the prophet Elijah. When he asked to stay with her, she worried they would run out of food. He promised they would not. And in all the time he was there, the flour pot never went empty and the oil never ran dry. (See the story in 1 Kings 17.)

When we give, we also receive.

God takes care of those who in obedience give with open hands.

Not in a health and wealth way - we are not promised that.

But in a meeting of our needs.

If you were wondering, my response to the Christian who worried our country's "limited resources" would run dry if we helped others rather than "our own", was to point out that while individuals have limited resources, a community's resources are deeper and richer. When we come together as a community, we can meet the needs of others, and, in doing so, fulfill not only the commands of the Old Testament, but the very words of Jesus, as well.

She unfriended me after that, so maybe it wasn't the best answer, but it made sense to me. 

What do you think?

*Recommended Reading: "Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel" by Kate Bowler