Lausanne World Pulse – Themed Articles – The Least of These
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Rarely do the “systems” of the world treat those living in |
I was standing in the courtroom being tried for something I did not do. As I looked around, I desperately wanted to tell everyone who would listen that I was innocent of the charges against me. However, in that moment of desperation, I realized no one seemed to care enough to listen. I was no longer a person; I was the accused. I could have been a number and it would not have mattered. It seemed that no one person would determine my future—it was the “system” that would decide. It was all so dehumanizing and so hopeless.
That day in the courtroom I had the most helpless feeling I have ever had, yet I was not as helpless as many are in this world. I had resources, friends who believed in me and a good legal team. My thoughts quickly went to the poor of this world. I wondered if my feelings were close to the desperation that many of the poor feel.
Who cares for the least, the vulnerable and the needy? Who cares for approximately half of the world’s population that could, in some sense, be referred to as poor? Who cares for the one billion people who are the poorest of the poor? Thankfully, many are developing a growing concern; sadly, most remain indifferent.
Up to that ominous day in court, my concerns for the poor revolved around a paternalistic attitude and a judgmental spirit. I grew up in a family that had very little materially. We worked hard and had every intention of doing better, and we did. I believed most of the poor were in the same situation as my family but lacked the determination to do much about their situation. They needed our generosity I thought, but it was their responsibility to get themselves out of their own mess.
Our world is not very sympathetic to the needs of the poor. Genocide, disease, cycles of poverty, social injustice and natural disasters all contribute to poverty. Some poverty is caused by a lack of responsibility, but far more is caused by circumstances beyond the victim’s control.
The “systems” of the world often treat the poor as less than human. In a best-case scenario, they are treated as creatures who need our paternalistic help; in a worst-case situation, the poor are treated as something to be ignored or persecuted. Rarely are they treated with dignity and worth.
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Alan Andrews is the US director for The Navigators. Prior to his current position, he directed ministries in Canada, Asia and the US for The Navigators. |