Prophet Isaiah talks about Biblical importance of breaking the chains of oppression. Our light only shines after we provide support to the most marginalized among us.
Wilberforce was relentless in his quest to end slave trade. We will need to become relentless in the same way to overcome poverty. But the question of poverty appears to be a Goliath. God has given us the stones like David to overcome poverty, but we need to overcome the paralysis presented by statistics.
37 million Americans live in poverty. 1/4 of African Americans, 21 percent of Latinos. 12.6 percent of total population. U.S. has the highest poverty rate of any industrialized nation.
Katrina pulled back the veil on poverty. In a recent survey, Americans are drawing the wrong lessons. Only a small increase in number of Americans aware of poverty. An increasing number of Americans drew the lesson that government can do no good. Katrina brought a teaching moment on poverty, but the window is closing.
A Covenant for a New America created to address issues of poverty in the country.
Immediately after Katrina, Congress wanted to cut services for the poor and taxes for the rich. Budget is a Moral Document campaign was a counter to this. But was reactive, not proactive.
The Covenant for a New America is an effort to put poverty at the top of the agenda by the 2008 elections. Poverty has become a missing item in our elections. Must change the nature of the conversation to do this.
In 2000, the Millenium Summit was held in New York to discuss the failures of globalization. The benefits of globalization were not going to those who needed it most. Decided on new partnership between wealthy and poor countries - created Millenium Development Goals, the biggest of which is to cut in half the number of people living on less than $1 per day. Others - every child has access to education, reverse AIDS pandemic, sustainable development, and so forth.
The vast majority of Americans didn’t know that the summit happened and that the U.S. signed up for this. Political leaders had no accountability to make the promise real. Our government hasn’t stepped up with a counterpart to the MDG for the U.S.
Three goals of covenant:
- Work needs to work in America. 9.2 million working families are still working below the poverty line. No increase in minimum wage for 9 years - which is $5900 below the poverty line. Dramatic increase in the cost of living - lack access to credit, pay more for basic needs. 47 million Americans lack access to health care. Goal is to increase the minimum wage to a living wage, affordable child care, available health care, lower transportation costs.
- Children should not be poor. 1/6 children grow up in poverty, 1/4 of black children. Can not break cycle of poverty when lack of opportunity is the ruling aspect of children’s lives. Goals - cut number of children in poverty in half over 10 years.
- Mobilize greater leadership to achieve MDG. Debt cancellation, trade justice. Farm subsidies go mostly to large corporations, not small farmers, but they have a powerful lobby.
<aside>Honestly, there doesn’t seem much that is new here. The answer to how we move beyond left and right seems to be “adopt the Covenant for a New America.” Sounds good to me as a liberal, but I’m not sure how it would be accepted by conservatives.</aside>
During the Pentecost conference this year, a spectrum of religious groups endorsed the covenant. But if there are not individuals on the ground doing the work, then the Covenant will not be implemented. How in the local context can we make this a reality? How to get it into the media and the public dialogue?
Good question from the audience - how can we get churches behind these goals when churches are so split politically?
Answer: Study guides. Christians and Poverty. Biblical View of Government. More conservative folks bring their ideological baggage along (<aside>But don’t liberals do this too?</aside>). Small group discussions to facilitate dialogue in a non-threatening way. We need to get folks to believe in overcoming poverty, not necessarily on the methods.
