When is Charity Not a Good Thing?
Charity alone is not enough.
For a group such as ours, claiming to have compassion for the poor it may seem like a strange thing to knock charitable efforts. That’s most definitely not what this article intends to do. But it is the focus of this group to urge our members and others to go beyond charity or mercy and do justice. To do justice we must examine the systemic causes of poverty and examine how our own lives are linked to the systemic causes of poverty. We must then use whatever tools we have been blessed with to change the systemic causes of poverty, (such as poor health education and provision, poor hygiene, lack of education, lack of accessible clean water, gender inequality, unfair trade practices, lack of entrepreneurial opportunity, and unsustainable farming practices.)
Working for justice is far less rewarding than charity. There are no quick fixes,and the most common reason for quitting is discouragement. But we do not have a choice. God has clearly stated that He requires us to not only have mercy, but to do justice (Micah 6:8) Without working for justice the systemic causes of poverty will continue to exist, and the need for charity endless.
So, can charity be a bad thing? Only when it gets in the way of doing justice. When we become so focused on our charitable efforts that we have no time or energy left for advocating for change to the system that creates poverty. When charity becomes the only element in the equation then it is a problem. When a charitable act makes you feel like you’ve ‘done your part” and have no need to do anything further, then charity is a bad thing.
So we urge you to examine the way you use your time and energy. Is your equation balanced? Or is your commitment to charity an obstacle to your doing justice?
One way, and a very simple way, in which some people do justice, is to use their blessings (literacy, democracy,etc) to write letters of concern and encouragement to our elected representatives. We can express concern about issues that cause systemic poverty and encourage action on our behalf in support of poverty focused aid. This year, the advocacy group, Bread for the World is urging letters to representatives and senators in support of the Global Poverty Act. It takes about 5 minutes to write a letter and costs only 41c. for the stamp. This is not much more time than it takes to write a check for your favorite charity and certainly cheaper. Why not try doing justice in this way? Go to the Bread site for more information and sample letters.
If you think you are too busy or letter writing is not effective, watch this!
