DEEPENING FAITH THROUGH

DEEPENING FAITH THROUGH

COMPASSION, SERVICE AND JUSTICE

WITH THE POOR

“Then Jesus looked up at his disciples and said, ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep not, for you will laugh.’” Luke 6:20-21

In the Hebrew scriptures there was a concept called Jubilee. Every fifty years a Jubilee would be proclaimed and all debt would be forgiven, the economic field would be leveled and everyone would start out equal again for a new generation. Our world, our culture, hasn’t practiced “Jubilee” for centuries. In our world, our culture, the rich generally get richer with each subsequent generation and the poor get poorer. Yes, there are exceptions, but in general, one generation inherits the economic privilege or debt of those who raised them.

Globally, countries are still experiencing the benefits or the devastation of colonialism. In the United States the historical economic burdens of land stolen from Native Americans in the 1800’s, African-American enslavement through the 1860’s, the loss of property and internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII, and the economic mistreatment of newly arrived immigrants of all backgrounds, continue to ripple down through generations. On top of those historic burdens are current economic factors including inflated housing costs, outrageous medical bills, a continuing economic divide between manual labor and high tech jobs, and small family owned farms and businesses being driven under by large companies.

Our churches are full of people barely keeping their heads above water, if they haven’t already gone under. Even churches that appear affluent have families struggling with mounting debt, families that secretly visit the “church food pantry”, teenagers living in someone else’s garage because money’s too tight to feed the whole family. As a youth minister you may or may not know who in your church is struggling financially.

Deepening Faith: Youth Ministry Resources and Some Miscellaneous Advice

Rev. Lizann Bassham, Front Porch Spirit Press