Edgar and Gladys Güitz: #5 of 8 Forms of Poverty

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.

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).