Eric Sandras and Jason Chatraw: May the attitudes behind the actions of Francis of Assisi inspire you in your journey

“What Francis did should never solely define who he was–for he was a man who believed in a God of love and action. His behaviors and attitudes must never be devoid of his passion for God. It was not our of his ambition to become a saint that he loved and served God, but rather it was out of his life-long struggle to love and serve God that he became a saint. He didn’t relinquish his earthly possessions in order to receive something from God, but rather he relinquished his earthly possessions so he could more fully embrace the love for God he already had. He didn’t care for the sick in order to gain Christ’s love, but rather he cared for the sick because of Christ’s love.”

Francis of Assisi (1181-1226) in Mystics, Mavericks & Miracle Workers: A 30-day Journey with Some Saints by Eric Sandras and Jason Chatraw (Boise: Ampelon, 2007) 46.

“Generosity is not foreign to Africa; it is part of our culture. And we know that one does not need to be rich to be generous. We share what little we have. There is even a proverb, ‘In friendship, even a crust of bread is shared.’

The African Christian should be the most generous of all Africans, for our generosity should not merely be cultural but should also be rooted in a heartfelt response to God’s generosity to us. We should model our generosity on the generosity of the Heavenly Father, who promises to provide our daily bread (Matt 6:11).

But this bread He supplies does not normally drop from heaven, as the manna did in the wilderness (Exod 16:4). Nor is His generosity limited to sharing a crust of bread, which merely staves off hunger. He created a world that would meet our needs for food (Gen 1:30).

Following His example, we must not just provide emergency food supplies, but must act to change the situation. We must empower the person who receives help to help others (2 Cor 1:4). And we must not insist on our own preconceived ideas as to how help is to be offered. Rather we must support the poor in the use of their own creativity and imagination to find a way out of poverty.”

Solomon Andria in “Generosity and Solidarity” in Africa Bible Commentary ed. by Tokunboh Adeyemo (AEA, 2006) 231.

“…the thing is to rely only on God. The time will come when you regard all this misery as a small price to pay for having been brought to the dependence. Meanwhile (don’t I know) the trouble is that relying on God has to begin all over again every day as if nothing had yet been done.”

C. S. Lewis (1898-1963) in “Letter to Mrs. Lockley: from Magdalen College” on 12 September 1949 in Letters of C.S. Lewis (Orlando, W.H. Lewis and Harcourt, 1966) 395.

Economic Poverty – Lack of resources

“The daily income generated by scavenging in the dump is on average less than $2.00, just enough for one meal, and a far cry from what is needed for access to basic human services.  At this rate, progress and growth are impossible and the scavengers never make it out of the “just living to make it through each day” reality.  Even if they did make enough to save a little, access to economical resources is basically a closed door for the scavengers because of lack of records and references.”

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

For more on what the Scriptures say on this form of poverty and combating it, see pages 20-21 of this Potter’s House document.

Poverty of Civic Involvement – Lack of concern for their neighbor or community

“Even within a family network, a human being needs more than social support to survive in the hard living conditions of the dump. In order for the much needed economical and social improvements to take place, society partnership is needed. When survival is the main concern of all involved, a work union or team of some sort could significantly help preserve basic human and labor rights, but this advantage is never realized for most scavengers.
Exploitation of the weak is rampant; children, women and teenagers are frequently used for others´ purposes.  The lack of a solid infrastructure is cause for many of the health and social problems in and around the dump, including a lack of electricity, running water, drainage, adequate roads and many others.  Cooperation in a communal effort would do much to improve these problems, but the idea of working as a community is altogether foreign to these people.”

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

For more on what the Scriptures say on this form of poverty and combating it, see pages 18-19 of this Potter’s House document.

Poverty of Support Network – Lack of Family or Support Group

“Every human being needs a small, intimate group of people for support.  The biological family is the natural network of support, but in an environment where a strong sense of family does not exist, we often hear: “I have no one to help me; I am alone in this world”.”

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

For more on what the Scriptures say on this form of poverty and combating it, see pages 16-17 of this Potter’s House document.

Physical Poverty – Lack of health

“Working in constant pollution and among infectious and sharp objects, the scavengers are in a clear state of permanent sickness.  Health is a very urgent concern.  The malnutrition, toxic waste, pathogens, filth and other high-risk aspects of scavenging cause severe respiratory and dermatological illnesses, along with a myriad of other health complications. The scavengers have almost no access to medical care services.  The public health system in Guatemala is completely inefficient.  Medical consults, lab exams and medications are totally out of the question for the scavengers.”

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

For more on what the Scriptures say on this form of poverty and combating it, see pages 14-15 of this Potter’s House document.

Poverty of the Will – Lack of self-control

“A world of chaos, without rules or standards, creates children of like characteristics.  Most of the people that live in the dump are born and pass through a wild, unstructured life onto death without ever knowing structure or rhythm and the peace these can bring. Alcoholism and drug addiction do incalculably much to worsen the already desperate situation. The Treasures need to be given the opportunity to make decisions that can change their lives and then to be guided in such a way that these changes can be realized.”

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

For more on what the Scriptures say on this form of poverty and combating it, see pages 12-13 of this Potter’s House document.

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.