“Regard it all as joy, my brothers, when you face various kinds of temptations; for you know that the testing of your trust produces perseverance.” –James 1:2

The short time spent in Haiti this past week was none too different than the time I spent in Africa last summer—and I suppose that’s how it should be. It was full of joy, excitement, ministering, discomfort, exhortation, perseverance, unfamiliarity, observation and investment of our time and prayers; it was, for me, also a time of comfort. On going home I noticed, once again, that life always seems easier when I’m away from my life. Not because I’m so busy at home, or because I have more redundant responsibilities at home, and especially not because my life is hard or difficult—it is far from any of those things. On the contrary, my life is incredibly blessed. Rather, it is because I feel farther from me. I’m taken out of my comfort zone, my schedule, the things that I am used to and tend to wrongly identify with, and I am placed in unfamiliar, unpredictable, and (in Haiti) dirty, hot, and sweaty circumstances. All of these to the typical person from any developed nation make for an undesirable predicament. But I have found in this situation, as any lover of Christ will, something far more desirable than my comforts of home—I have found the comfort of God. When I am in a situation that initially makes me uncomfortable I am forced to rely on God and his Spirit to comfort me. When I feel so physically hot, sticky, dirty, and maybe sick, I am reminded to pray and think how miniscule these temporary physical trials of mine are compared to the life-long ones of those around me, and I am reminded of the sufferings of Christ. He reminds me that this life is merely a vapor, that I am not only told I will suffer in life, but that I am called to suffer in this life. It is a privilege to suffer anything at all for the sake of his name, and so I am not only comforted but also overjoyed.

The mission field is a field of ministry to others, a field specifically to spread the Kingdom, a field of affliction and trials, and a field of growth. We grow when we suffer for Christ, and so suffering should be a road that we are more than glad to be on considering the destination to which it brings us. Christ suffered for us to bring eternal life, and we are called to share in that suffering as joint-heirs. The people of Haiti suffer everyday, some for Christ and some for themselves. When I saw people afflicted with starvation and poor water, disease and abuse, I remembered that this is why we are called to take care of the poor: to show the love of Christ by sharing in their sufferings and bearing their burdens. We suffer everyday, whether we are at home or in the mission field, and we are so blessed to have a church come along side of us and be the hands of Christ to hold us when we’re weak. So it is that we should be willing to give up our temporary comforts of air-conditioning, healthy food, clean water, and comfortable beds for a blessing and joy that is everlasting. That is what the team went to do in Haiti, and that is what every missionary trip aims to do. This is how they glorify our God—in sharing in His suffering. Paul said, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God; and if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ—provided we are suffering with him in order also to be glorified with him” (Romans 8:16,17).

As I exited the plane my senses were greeted with the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of a third world country in distress.  The smoke from the burning trash filling the air, United States Marines and U.N. Soldiers patrolling the dirt streets surrounding the airport; the crowds of locals in and around the airport shouting for the attention of the arriving passengers hoping to serve them in some capacity or perhaps sell them a small trinket.  Some laying claim to individual travelers and willing to defend their new found treasure from the other locals at all costs.  Generated by desperation, shouting and shoving amongst them breaks out and the police quickly step in and restore the peace; the opportunities to provide for themselves and their families are truly few and far between in this desperate place.

Traveling from the airport I scan the landscape before me and the question that I seem to carry with me on my travels confronts me yet again:  Why?  How is it that these people are born into all of this and I somehow grew up in Orange County in sunny Southern California not wanting for anything?

One of our missions on this short trip was to assist in completing the replacement housing for the 60 or so children of an orphanage that was destroyed in the earthquake.  Just the fact that these children were living in a Haitian orphanage indicates that many of them have already survived unspeakable tragedy; even before the events of January 2010 that took the life of the man that had cared for these children.  I did not know him but I learned that he was a local who lived the words of Jesus: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25).  He was not a man of means yet he gave all that he had for these children, he gave himself.

As I ponder the question I am reminded of the fact that the only hope to have a grasp of this is through God’s word.  I am reminded that I serve a perfect God whose ways are not my ways.  Through the tragedy I see a stage that is set where God is being glorified; God’s people coming from around the world to offer the people of Haiti relief from the unrelenting pain and with a message of hope.  When asked why they answer: “Because the love of God compels us” (2 Cor 5: 14).  Through this the change occurs that will make a real difference in the individual lives and thusly the country of Haiti as a whole.

God never promises to insulate anybody from difficult circumstances.  “The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him (Nah 1:7).  However, He does promise to “never leave us or forsake us” (2 Cor 13:5).  I believe that we as believers play a major role in God revealing Himself to those in time of need; not that God needs us to achieve this, but to allow us the privilege of participating in a fulfillment of His promise.

As I draft this entry for the Blog, Luke 12:48 resonates through my thoughts: “For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.”

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).

References:

Bible passages referred to are from the New King James Version, found at www.blueletterbible.org

This week has been a monumental one as my wife and I have been so blessed to bring our first little child into this world.  As a new father, I wonder how society will evolve; praying that our little boy would be shaped by a biblical worldview that upholds the unchanging gospel of Jesus Christ rather than the evolving secular worldviews of the moment.  Unfortunately, we see all too often how a secular or humanistic worldview can even shape the message of the gospel – causing global movements and trajectories towards wealth prosperity, liberation theology, or what appears to be a renewed emphasis upon the social gospel.

This past spring, we attended the Together for the Gospel (T4G) conference whose goal is “to reaffirm this central doctrine of the Christian faith and to encourage local churches to do the same.”  Underpinned by the conviction that “the gospel of Jesus Christ has been misrepresented, misunderstood, and marginalized in many churches and among those who proclaim the name of Christ”, T4G’s network of churches affirm the inerrancy of Scripture and the centrality of Christ in promulgating a gospel that is ‘unadjusted’ by the tides of popular social thought.

During the conference, Albert Mohler illuminated the trajectories of current societal movements that influence an ‘adjusted’ gospel in the United States in which my thoughts race towards how an ‘adjusted’ gospel extends its branches, globally, through the work of Western-based overseas ministries.  In serving the spiritual and physical needs of those living in impoverished countries, we must constantly ask what our gospel message is and whether it is in alignment with the inerrant, unchanging Word of God.

In John 6, Jesus proclaims Himself as the ‘bread of life” (verse 35), which is followed by a discourse on the true meaning of these words.  The Jews grumbled (verse 41) and eventually, “many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (verse 66).  Looking at the words of Jesus, it is clear that the followers had a much different expectation of what the Messiah’s purpose was.  Perhaps, they preferred to hear a liberation theology, expecting a political figure that would lead them in an earthly reign - “Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself” (verse 15).  Perhaps, they would have preferred to hear a wealth prosperity gospel in which Jesus’ purpose was to continuously give them their physical desires – “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” (verse 26).

Instead, Jesus gives us the words of eternal life that place Him at the center of the gospel – “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (verse 40).  It is a gospel that is pure, unaltered, unchanging, and everlasting!  Jesus was not concerned with impressive evangelistic numbers or man’s approval; He was concerned with the Truth of Himself.

As I look upon my newborn son, I am filled with an unbelievable joy knowing that the ‘unadjusted’ gospel of Jesus Christ transcends time, social movements, and differing cultures throughout the world.  I am excited for a renewed emphasis upon the purity of the gospel that is taking thousands of churches in this country by storm, and am eager to witness how it is already changing and will transform the work of global missions and development in impoverished regions throughout the world.

Links:

Together for the Gospel can be found at www.t4g.org

Albert Mohler’s, “How Does it Happen? Trajectories Toward an Adjusted Gospel” can be found at www.t4g.org/conference/t4g-2010

As Safe Harbor enters the blogging sphere with an emphasis upon addressing the deeper issues of poverty from a conservative evangelical perspective, it seems fitting that I might begin this quest with a hard look at how we define poverty.

Why is this important?  As believers who are passionate about sharing the Gospel and addressing the physical needs of the poor, we should continuously seek to grow in our biblical view of who the poor are so that we can better grasp God’s heart towards the poor and how He may be calling us to serve in His work concerning the poor.

Conventional definitions of poverty have varied greatly, and are primarily focused upon material and social deficits, such as World Bank’s poverty line of less than $1.25 earned per day (PPP); access to education, health, and sanitation; and political freedoms.  From a less academic perspective, anecdotal stories and personal experiences are the norm when it comes to defining who the 'poor' are.  Even among conservative evangelicals, common reflections from those who travel to the developing world are centered upon the material deprivations that are most visible to the human eye.  I have been there, and to a large extent I still am when I come face to face with significant material deprivation.

An interesting article was recently published by Dr. Connie Ostwald, who researched perceptions of poverty in the developing world by those considered ‘poor’ by development organizations.  Interestingly, the ‘poor’, in fact, brought a much different perspective to definitions of poverty and wealth.  For example, in Ethiopia, 3 pairs of oxen demonstrated status of wealth and in Sudan 2 pairs of oxen signified wealth.  For some, poverty was based on one’s knowledge of resources available or motivation to work.  For others, poverty was determined by one’s perception, i.e. two people of the same socio-economic status answered the question of poverty very differently.

I remember traveling to Haiti and Mozambique several years back, and was shocked at the sight of what I considered significantly impoverished areas.  Perhaps, the most poignant memory of my early travels involved visiting fellow Christians living at a government refugee camp outside of Khartoum. Their faith and joy in Christ was fantastic, absolutely blew me away!  Years later, I continue to reflect upon my time in Sudan as well as other regions, and often consider the following:

In places where it is more difficult for Christians to live, physically, there seems to be a marked depth of trust and joy in Jesus Christ that is not always seen in the West – presumably, due to a more vivid, pronounced utter dependence upon our all-sufficient Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  In the West, it may be much easier to live physically, which has appeared to cause material things and comforts to inhibit moment by moment, day by day trust and joy in Christ. So my question is who is really poorer in this world?

Are we to define the poor according to international groups, academics, or even the poor themselves?  Or, might we approach this topic biblically?  The latter is certainly where we should begin!

In Luke 6:20, Jesus looks upon His disciples and says, “Blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God”.  The Greek word for poor is ptōchos, meaning ‘beggars’ in both the physical and spiritual sense.  I suggest that we as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are called to be the poor, the ‘beggars’ in this world.  We are called to understand our absolute wickedness, despair, and depravity apart from Christ knowing that our very breath is upheld by the word of Christ’s power (Hebrews 1:3).  In stating this, I fully realize the graveness of abject poverty – people dying of hunger and malnutrition.  However, I suggest that our starting point for defining who the poor are must begin with the Gospel message of our own utter dependence upon Christ for our every need and hope – moment by moment, day by day.  And, therein lies the beautiful reality that we have infinitely more in common with our materially ‘poor’ brothers in Christ in impoverished regions than our rich neighbors here in the U.S. who have received their consolation in this world (Luke 6:24)!

So, what does our spiritual poverty have to do with defining the ‘poor’?

I suggest that we must realize our utter dependence upon Christ out of a place of poverty if we are to share the eternal, life saving hope of knowing Jesus Christ as Lord with those who are living in material poverty.  This is the ultimate Good News!  And sadly, we have NO news for the poor if we don’t first recognize our life of poverty before the face of God ourselves.  Furthermore, if we come to the poor out of a place of poverty, then we are positioned to serve the poor as those who are likewise created in the image of God rather than from a place of paternalism, pride, and self-righteousness.  To be poor is to be humble, and we are called to model the humility of our Servant-King, Jesus Christ.

Please feel free to share with our readers any insights and experiences that you may have regarding this topic - we'd love to hear from you!  To do so, simply click on "Comments" and submit a reflection.