Becoming Unified with the Poor

Becoming Unified with the Poor

Poverty is one of many major problems in today’s country and world. The world is very sharply divided between the rich and the poor. There are many reasons behind the causes of this, but one fact is definite; poverty exits because people in the developed world are unwilling to change the way they live. The meaning of the term “poverty” can be defined in numerous ways. One definition of the term “poverty” is, “The state of being without enough food or money”. There are two types of poverty that run rapid across the world. There is the type of poverty where you don’t have the essential things to live such as water, food, and shelter. Then there is when the person is poor in comparison to the rest of society, but maybe not in global terms. Being unified with the poor is a symbol of building a closer relationship with God and destroying the devastating rich/poor gap.

All Christian churches today emphasize the need for people to share and lend a helping hand to others. The bible is the main source of textual authority for many Christians today; it teaches Christians about many concepts including poverty and wealth. The bible tells Christians that caring for the poor is one of the most important ways of showing their love for God. The parable of the sheep and the goats which can be found in (Matthew 25:31-46) is where Jesus explains how God will judge people and some people will be rewarded and others will be punished. The same way a farmer separates sheep and goats is the same way Christians believe that their actions relating to how they treat people less fortunate than themselves have implications after they die. For example God acts as judge i.e. farmer, and divides the good and the bad (goats and sheep).

Typically, society faults or view people suffering from poverty as sloppy, lazy, and irresponsible. However, the truth is that there are many people who have jobs and are not on drugs or alcoholics; and

they still remain homeless.. Instead of judging people on how they got into the misfortunate lifestyle, society should remain concerned with the common good of all and how to help resolve poverty. Jesus taught Christians to treat others how they would wish to be treated themselves, even those less fortunate (Matthew 7:12). In Genesis, Christians are told men and women are created equally, and that all life is sacred. This should be put into practice in everyday life.

“Love thy neighbour” (Luke 10:25-37), is a very powerful phrase also called the principle of agape. Jesus preached that people, should show their love for God by being accepting towards others. When he says the word “neighbours”, he meant everyone, even strangers or enemies. It is a form of unconditional love. In (John 17:20-23), Jesus prayed for unity among those that believe in him. We see them as a crowd, a collective entity; we call them the homeless,