The Good News (You Haven't Heard)

The Good News (You Haven't Heard)

Walk by any airport duty-free shop lined with provocative ads, and it's hard to miss that sex sells perfume. But pick up the latest brochure from most humanitarian aid organizations and you'll notice that extreme human need sells too. We are wired by God to feel compassion when presented with human suffering. The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University found that human need is the greatest motivator for those in America to give.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of this approach. I'm tired of simply highlighting the bad news. Although the story about human suffering is true-there still remains an incredible amount of very real pain and suffering in this world-it's incomplete. Simply looking at the marketing material of many relief and development organizations, you would begin to think that we have taken steps backward. But that's not reality.

According to the Brookings Institute, seventy million people-approximately the number of the population of Turkey-are being lifted out of poverty every year. Between 1981 and 2005, the 58 Campaign reports that the number of people living in extreme poverty (or living on $1.25 or less) diminished from 52% to 26%. In one generation, poverty has been cut in half.

Even though we read about our global economic crisis in the headlines, the percentage of people lifted out of poverty has continued to increase in the 21st century. The greatest untold story is that in the past five years poverty is being alleviated at the fastest rate it ever has in history.

Unleashing Entrepreneurial Enterprise

Quality of life has been significantly impacted by many different approaches to philanthropic aid, foreign government assistance, and Hollywood-endorsed initiatives. But what led to the significant decrease in global poverty have been expanded economic opportunities.

China, Brazil and India have blazoned the path, lifting millions of people out of poverty. In 1981, 84% of China's population was living below the poverty line-only four other countries in the world had a greater percentage of people living on less than $1.25 a day-but by 2005 it had been reduced to 25%, according to World Bank. During this timeframe, China's GDP increased tenfold. Brazil and India followed the same path as their poverty rates were cut from 17% to 8% and 60% to 40% respectively between 1981 and 2005, fueled by economic growth.

Not only is economic development changing the social and economic climate of China, Africa is also reaping the benefits of business. Between 2003 and 2010, 1.7 million jobs were created through foreign direct investment, according to The New Africa: Emerging Opportunities for Business and Africa.

The Greatest News

If business is transforming the world from a place of poverty to a state of hope, then why isn't the church at the front lines of this movement, especially when so many tools are available to the Church to participate in Christ-centered poverty alleviation?

The Chalmers Center has demonstrated the power of savings by providing training for savings groups, initiatives where individuals eager to escape poverty come to save as little as 5 cents weekly or monthly. HOPE International has illustrated that when people in poverty receive biblical training and access to microloans to start or expand a business, entire communities can be transformed. Business Professional Network has exhibited how training and mentoring, alongside equity investments, can promote small and medium enterprises-which build a flourishing middle class. SpringHill Equity Partners and Karisimbi Business Partners are showing how larger investments and mentoring can create successful, large-scale enterprises. Many other organizations are modeling how business training paired with access to financial services can change the global landscape.

As we see such incredible progress in the decrease of global poverty, Jesus has ushered the greatest news of all-reconciliation to God through Christ. With such a great hope as this, I believe the Church is poised to join the Great Commandment with the Great Commission and see unprecedented financial and spiritual restoration. It's time to celebrate the very positive story that is happening around the world and to get involved.

 

1 Comment »

1. Congratulations Peter on putting in writing some important perspectives on human need and Christian ministry. I would add that the ethics we offer as Christians, or perhaps I should say, what Scripture offers, is key to the progress of any country. Capitalism in and of itself offers no ethics except the dollar bill. The self centered ethics of working for only money leads to corruption and many other ills.  Unless economic progress is coupled with adequate ethics, society will self destruct and any economic progress is meaningless.
     A compassionate response to human need interjects an essential ethic without which our society looses its bearings. Jesus points this out when he says that we, his followers, are the salt and light. Unless we live out the profound ethics of Scripture our whole society is doomed to rot and decay.

   Comment by Bruce Rydbeck - Dec 12, 2011 @ 04:58 PM

Sorry, but commenting is no longer available for this post.