The myth and the antimyth [of the American Dream] parallel the conservative Republican and the liberal Democratic sides of the debate over poverty. This is a sterile game of blame. Conservatives tend to see individuals and families as responsible for their own predicaments; liberals often fault the private sector and government alone. Conservatives have their pieces of the jigsaw puzzle, the internal individual and family dysfunctions, and liberals have theirs, the external failed institutions. Imagine if, in this age of political stalemate between the extremes, conservatives who care and liberals who dare to listen would each bring their pieces of the puzzle to the table and assemble them all together. Then they would have a full picture of the problems of poverty. You cannot solve a problem without defining it, and if you don't allow yourself a complete definition, you will never approach a thorough solution. Connect the dots. - David K. Shipler
I am still in the beginning, but I would invite everyone who wants to have a more informed understanding of the nature of and potential solutions for poverty in America to join me in the reading. It feels a bit like a domestic version of Jeffrey Sach's The End of Poverty.
I still have a number of questions and doubts as I begin to read the book. For one thing, I'm not so sure the American Dream with its materialistic center is really the ultimate goal we should all be striving for. There's also this dangerous element of yearning to go back to the way things used to be, but that can never be. We live in a different world today, and we better be prepared to adjust to these new realities. Also, I'm not sure if we have the personal and national will to make the kind of decisions and sacrifices we really need to make to ensure a brighter future.
By the way, I went to the Mustard Seed to kill some time yesterday evening. They were closing so I didn't get a chance to ask at the counter, but I did not see a single book on poverty in the store. How far have the interests of the church strayed from those of Paul?
All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do. - Galatians 2:10
2 comments:
This is definitely one of the best posts I've read in a while. Aside from the fact that my heart is warmed that you are reading something John Edwards edited (and I hope will grow to realize why I adore him), I think you hit a key note when you wrote about the Mustard Seed not having a single book on poverty. I truly do not believe that you can be a Christian if you care not for the poor. That is why the Bush Administration has upset me so (among other reasons but that is a big one). I don't like folks who wear their faith on their sleeves yet don't care about the least among us. It's very troubling.
I apologize, this is a tad long.
Something bothers me with the perception of "caring" or "not caring" - as if one can attribute emotional intent to the mindless bureaucratic machine that is government.
Altruism is generosity that is truly selfless, expects no reward, and has no ulterior motive.
I am eternally suspicious of government intervention, no matter which administration is in the driver's seat. They tend to expect compensation in terms of votes - be that public or corporate welfare.
Charity to the poor should include a pathway to self-reliance and self-sufficiency, rather than a path to dependency. Teach a man to fish... ie. Sojourners Place, Sunday Breakfast Mission, or even ARC for the developmentally disabled.
I'm of the mind that if both families and churches were stronger, we would not need government intervention. Hard to say whether pre-depression era charity did better or worse than what we have now.
I like the Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative that engages churches and helps them to supply clean water to Africa, provide medicine to those with AIDS and malaria, keep kids from dropping out of school, reintegrate prisoners into society, and even support recovering addicts.
However, by accepting these funds, the opportunity to proselytize is somewhat limited and, according to a friend of mine, Sunday Breakfast mission does not accept federal help.
(Obviously, Bush wears his faith on his sleeve and doesn't care for the least among us.)
For me, I trust that men of faith would use my tithe more wisely for the poor before the men of power whose primary goal is to remain in power.
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