Archives by: Gary Hoag

Poverty of Affection – Lack of love and distorted feelings due to negative experiences

“Treasures grow up in this gray environment of living to survive, where the rule is “fight or die”, where parents abuse their own children in every sense, and where there is almost no regard for one’s neighbor, makes for hard and deeply wounded people. Distrust is a necessary tool for survival.  Love and any sense of self- value or value of others is almost absent.”

Source: http://www.pottershouse.org.gt/poverty/poverty-of-affection/

For more on what the Scriptures say on this form of poverty and combating it, see pages 10-11 of this Potter’s House document.

Intellectual Poverty – Lack of access to knowledge or distorted knowledge

“Formal education is a luxury in the dump. Because each day presents the challenge of mere survival, the scavengers don’t have the opportunity to care about much else. Consequently, the majority has neither dreams nor plans of any kind outside of finding the meal of the day. The sad result of this lifestyle is the steady formation of three deeply embedded and widespread lies: “I can’t do it”, “I am trash”, and “I don’t know anything”.”

Source: http://www.pottershouse.org.gt/intellectual-poverty/

For more on what the Scriptures say on this form of poverty and combating it, see pages 8-9 of this Potter’s House document.

Spiritual Poverty – Lack of a relationship with God

“The daily urgent bodily needs make it nearly impossible for these tired people to take care of their souls and sprits. Therefore, they are left with a constant sense of lack of meaning in their lives, with little or no interest in moral or ethical issues. Many live with a real desire to die as a means of escape from their hard life of suffering. The majority of scavengers are not aware that, as human beings, they have the hope of eternal life after this earthly, troubled one. Also, they are not aware of the fact that there’s a living God who is the source of all life and who knows them each intimately.”

Source: http://www.pottershouse.org.gt/poverty/spiritual-poverty/

For more on what the Scriptures say on this form of poverty and combating it, see pages 6-7 of this Potter’s House document.

“There is a general lack of understanding of the Biblical approach to wealth, poverty, dependency, stewardship, generosity, and giving. These issues, together with a lack of teaching and preaching especially on giving as part of whole-life discipleship, were mentioned in all regions [of the globe] as barriers to giving.

Respondents to the questionnaire from richer countries mentioned wealth, materialism, and greed as barriers to giving in their countries while respondents from poorer countries mentioned poverty and dependency as barriers to giving.

There are limited, if any, resources on giving in most languages. Quite often Christian leaders do not know about resources such as teaching materials, ministries, and literature that encourage giving even if the resources are available.”

Sas Conradie on Global Trends in “Christian Generosity Trends and the Future of Christian Giving” in Lausanne Global Analysis 2:2.14.

“Just as Jesus was full of grace, so also we are called to be gracious to one another, generous with our compassion and understanding, forgiving, blessing others with our words and behavior.”

Mark McMinn and Clark Campbell in Integrative Psychotherapy: Toward a Comprehensive Christian Approach (Downer’s Grove: IVP, 2007) 353.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Acts 4:32-35

“Then, as you know, believers sold their possessions and brought the prices of them and laid them down at the apostles’ feet: a symbolic act designed to show that people must trample on covetousness.”

Jerome (347-420), One of the Four Doctors of the Western Church, Translator of the Latin Vulgate. Letter 71.4. ACCS.V.

“Whatever belongs to God belongs to all by our appropriation of it, nor it anyone kept from his benefits and gift, nor does anything prevent the whole human race from equally enjoying God’s goodness and generosity.”

Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage (c. 218-249), in Works and Almsgiving 25. (ACCS.V. Acts.57).

Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. Proverbs 11:28

“He who does not think of the future because he is longing for present goods will finally be lacking in both. But they who do good deeds in the present for the hope of future rewards will justly receive that for which they hope.”

The Venerable Bede (672-735), a monk at the Northumbrian Monastery, in Commentary on Proverbs 2.11.28. (ACCS.IX.PESOS-87).

“The confidence shown by the faithful toward the future does not lie in their own power but in God’s generosity.”

Cassiodorus (490-585) Historian, Statesman, Monk as recounted in Ancient Christian Commentary on 2 Timothy (Downers Grove: IVP, 2000) 264.

“When you give, give generously, with a joyous countenance, and give more than you are asked for…Do not separate the rich from the poor or try to discriminate the worthy from the unworthy, but let all persons be equal in your eyes for a good deed.”

Isaac of Nineveh (c. 700), Bishop of Nineveh and Monk, Ascetical Homilies 4. (ACCS.IX.PESOS-274).