Dignity

Dignity.

This is the one word I want people to remember when they think about the plight of the poorest in our neighborhood, in our country and in our world.

It is a shame that we continue to overlook the gifts and talents of those who are poor. We still see them as lazy, uneducated, always making bad choices, needing our help to survive. This view of the poor is simply wrong. The description of the poor I have just given describes me and many of my friends and colleagues on occasion.

So, why is it that as Christians we sometimes see the poor as a group of people that need us to solve their problems? In graduate school, we called this the “Messiah” complex. It’s like taking an old saying and putting a twist to it, “We are from an affluent church and we are here to help.”

Does help mean giving out plastic sunglasses to children in a village in Sudan when they have little to eat? Is throwing candy to a group of children from a bus that is leaving a village really a smart idea. Some think it’s cute to watch these children scramble and then devour the treats. I think it’s demeaning. And, quite frankly, I am tired of seeing these kinds of things over and over again.

What about a development project that doesn’t involve any of the people in the community only those coming from the outside? How about building a school and never involving the local labor who are desperate for work and actually have the right knowledge?

During the summer, a rival clan, who had some disagreements over cattle, burned down a village in the Wau district of Sudan. Five Talents International along with the Episcopal Diocese of Wau and several other international organizations, including World Relief and World Concern, had established a microcredit and savings program in this village. More than 350 members had saved about 10,000 US dollars over about 18 months in their village bank. When the clan burned down the village, one of the buildings left standing was the bank and the money was safe. Why?

The primary reason was because it was their money and it was their bank. We didn’t put any outside loan capital into the bank; they owned it all. The consortium of organizations only assisted with training to start the group savings project and mentor them as it grew.

I believe, as does everyone else associated with the program, that if the outsiders had controlled the program, dictated the design of the program and put all the money into it without involving the community - the money and the bank would have disappeared when the village was raided.

Santino, the chairman of the village bank, said this. “If you grow your own grain, you will be careful how you use it. If the grain is given to you, you can finish it in a few days.”

Independence creates dignity not dependency. Ownership creates opportunity for the poor to develop their own skills and talents.

On Nov. 16, many congregations in most of the mainline denominations will read the parable of the talent (Matthew 25:14-30). The second verse in that parable is, “And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability.”

This is a very powerful statement, “each according to his own ability.” I am convinced that this passage says that God gives us all abilities and that we are to use them to help ourselves, our families and our communities. This is a very liberating message for the destitute and really for all of us.

When we give away things to the poor, when we run the project for them instead of with them, I believe we are crushing this important message of empowerment. We leave instead the poor dependent and feeling unworthy and demeaned.

I hope you will think and reflect upon this parable Nov. 16, which we have called Five Talents Sunday. We have developed curriculum for Sunday Schools and other materials for those interested in finding ways to serve with the poor instead of doing everything for the poor.

Craig Cole is the Executive Director of Five Talents International, a member of the Diocese of Virginia's Mission Commission and an EGR board member.