Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:12-14
“Faith in God puts courage, compassion, and determination into the hearts of men. These are the qualities that conquer poverty and solve other social problems. It is the business of the Church to mobilize spiritual power. By doing so, it can solve our perplexing social and economic ills.”
Carl F. H. Henry in “Evangelicals in the Social Struggle,” Christianity Today 10 (8 October 1965: 3-11) as recounted in The Tragedy of American Compassion by Marvin Olasky (Washington DC: Regnery, 2022) 172.
The Christmas season is a time for rich conversations. Sometimes people talk about the troubles of the world and suggest ways to solve the world’s problems.
Henry rightly notes that the best way to “solve” the world’s problems is to not try to solve the world’s problems but have faith in God.
We as Christians are the Church. By focusing together on clothing ourselves with virtues, we play our role as the Church and mobilize spiritual power that solves so many problems.
Many people (wrongly!) think generosity will solve the world’s problems. Generosity only flows out of deep faith in God. We only give when we know and believe God will care for us.
Perhaps the most rewarding part of the GTP Palmful of Maize work in Malawi is that we are not giving them anything material. The training grows their faith in God, and they are solving their own problems.
Glory to God in the highest!