The Importance of the Gospel

About a year and a half ago, I wrote a post about the real antidote to poverty, namely, having the Gospel preached to the poor. Today, I got some reinforcement for that point.

For You, O God, have tested us;
You had refined us as silver is refined.
You brought us into the net;
You laid affliction on our backs.
You have caused men to ride over our heads;
We went through fire and through water;
But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.
-- Psalm 68:10-12

The Psalm tells is that it's God who brings us into trials: even the deepest muck, the worst disasters, are His doing, in order to test us; and then He brings us out the other side better than before, coming closer to the greatness that God wants for us.

All of us.

The thing is, people in places like the Downtown East Side are dogged by a wonky theology: that somehow, they deserve to be in a place of poverty and despair and that God is punishing them for something they've done in the past.

Not according to the Psalm. God sends us into the fire and the net, lays affliction on us and allows us to be subdued by others in order to refine us. The Gospel supports that message, telling us about the infinite Love and Grace that is God and the sacrifice of His Son. When people even begin to grasp that, they start to see hope, and hope (as I've said I don't know how many times before) is the rarest commodity in the area.

Sadly, the best the world can offer is programs and experiments in "reducing harm", continuing the oppression and despair that holds people down. About God, all they hear is, "You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs," and they don't catch the rest of it.

Let's hope this knowledge and wisdom encourages all in ministry, particularly when dealing wit the poor.