Its amazing to me how much I learn when I teach Bible Study... Some from my own preparation, some from the thoughts of the High Schoolers.
"Rabbi, who sinned here, this man or his parents that he was born blind."
We all have ways to deal with tragedy, sickness, poverty, and all the painful things of this world.
The Jews of Jesus day had their own ways. To them the book of Proverbs and the Old Testament Law lays things out pretty clearly.
Follow God's instructions = God will bless you.
If you do wrong = God will curse you. (Proverbs 3:13-35)
The mistake of the Jews was to flip this around:
You are Blessed = You are Godly
You are cursed = You are sinful.
Study Job's 3 friends for this argument. If you have pain in your life...God is punishing you for sin.
They Blamed the victim.
The Pharisees said the same thing, blaming the man who was blind from birth for his own blindness "You where born in utter sin, how dare you teach us" (John 9:34)
They Blamed the Victim
Jesus turns this on its head. He is what one of my students calls "an oddball, completely different from the world"
Jesus says "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" (John 9:3)
So, the situation of the man born blind:
Blindness = An opportunity for the work of God to be displayed.
The Blind Man lived his entire life blind, so that God could use him for one moment to show his Glory.
Growing up, many people talked about the people from neighborhoods like mine:
"If they would only get a job, they wouldn't have to live there"
"If that person didn't do drugs or alchohol he wouldn't be standing on the corner asking for change"
"Anyone can succeed, this is America"
"If she hadn't had pre-marital sex then she wouldn't be pregnant at 14"
"Why would they burn their own neighborhood after Martin Luther King Jr. was killed"
They Blamed the victim
Basically people look at impovershed neighborhoods, seeing the pain of it, they ask "Who sinned here, to cause this?...They must have"
We Blame the victim...it takes the responsibility off of us.
Perhaps, we have it backwards. My community, my neighbors, the drunk on the corner, the crack addict that wanders the street, the pregnant high schooler, the gang-bangers. "This happened so that the work of God might be displayed in their lives" (John 9:3)
When faced with the messiness of this world, do we to try to figure out who is to blame, who sinned. Or do we get our hands muddy, and literally touch the hurting...do we say with Jesus "As long as it is day we must do the work of Him who sent me" (John 9:6)
Perhaps we were created, lived our whole lives so that the work of God might be displayed in our lives. Afterall weren't we all "born in utter sin" (John 9:34)
Jesus called the pharisees blind, the religious people blind, would he also call the Christian Church blind because they only see our own righteousness and the sinfulness of others? (John 9:39)
Anyone have thoughts on the causes of poverty, our responsibility as Christians to the poor and hurting? Does this resonate with you? I know that I blame those in pain more often than I share the love of Christ by entering into it with them.
10 comments:
Noel I was touched by this post. I think that this post has alot in common with the conversation we had while I was in Chicago. You're right we place blame to take the blame/guilt away from us. It really makes me think twice about my thoughts and comments about those people less fortunate than myself and we should all strive to be like Jesus who never turned his back on sinners.....like me.
Noel, this is a great post. (And you know what, I just finished reading Come On People by Bill Cosby and that other guy (can't remember his name).)
I have a few questions, though, if that's ok. :) (I'm assuming you're saying, "Go ahead, dear sister. Fire away!")
Am I (both personally and figuratively) to blame for others being in poverty?
And what about personal responsibility? For example, being born blind is no fault of your own, but becoming pregnant is (and I guess I don't mean "fault" because aside from IVF, there really is only one way to become pregnant). Personal responsibility and blame, to me, are different things, I guess. :)
You said: Basically people look at impovershed neighborhoods, seeing the pain of it, they ask "Who sinned here, to cause this?...They must have"
We Blame the victim...it takes the responsibility off of us.
I guess I think, "Why aren't they getting out of it?" (Being honest here....) But I'm still not sure why I (both personally and figuratively) would be responsible.
Thanks, Noel. :)
Great questions Amanda!! Difficult ones too. im really excited that you are willing to talk with me about these issues they are very dear to my heart :) As are you and your husband and your son!
Let me see if I can recap your questions -
they are ones that I am still digesting myself.
What are the causes of poverty: personal decisions or systemic issues, or both?
Are we as middle-class americans to blame for or have any responsibility to the poor, especially those who have made bad decisions to lead them there?
Do we as Christians have any personal blame for or responsibility to the poor?
In our society, which provides many opportunities, why don't poor people get out of poverty?
Did I get them right? Let me know if I missed what you were asking :)
I am going out of town today, so I won't be able to send my thoughts until next week. Perhaps others have thoughts on those questions?
Amanda,
You offer some great questions. They are obviously very complex and cannot be given simple answers in this format, but I will give you a few thoughts.
You wondered:
"I guess I think, "Why aren't they getting out of it?" (Being honest here....) But I'm still not sure why I (both personally and figuratively) would be responsible."
One thought would be, how do you know so certainly that you would get out of poverty if you were in a similar situation. You wonder why others don't do it, but seem to assume that you would yourself.
You probably think: "well, I would work hard, I would do what it takes"
Part of the reason that you can see those answers and their results is because of the upbringing and environment you were raised in. You may not have been able to see a way out if you were raised in poverty.
It is often easy for us to see the path out for someone else of a situation that we have never been trapped in ourselves. It is much harder to be in the situation and find your way out. I hope that makes some sense.
You also asked several questions about how are you "personally" responsible. I think it is more about ackowledging that the society that we live in has some responsibility and then we are the people who make up that society. Seeing systemic issues and then as a part of that system beginning to address them.
If we passively accept an injust system, then we to some degree are all guilty of condoning it. If we see no injustice in the way this nation has prospered or in the lives of people today and we believe that everything is equal, then it is more an issue of being uninformed and misguided if not intentionally blinded.
I hope that some of these thoughts are helpful in some way. This is something that can take a lot of back and forth dialogue to flesh out, so I would encourage you to talk this out more with Noel and Ashley and others as you have opportunity. Grace and peace.
Yeah, I would add this:
First, I can't say how much it means that you guys are our faithful commenters!
Second: Corin, thanks for being willing to share and talk about different perspectives, I felt like we had a really great time with that when you were here too:)
Third: Amanda, yeah, I read your questions and was like, "those are totally appropriate questions." They make sense to ask. I was telling noel the other day that one of the amazing things about family is that we all stick around:) We're going to have a life time to know one another, talk, listen, etc. So thanks for entering a topic which we so often want to share, but rarely know how!
Thank you for not throwing tomatoes at me!! :D
Noel, I think you got the questions mostly right. :) I was asking if *we* (white, middle-class Christians) are to blame, not if we have a responsibility to those less fortunate (which I totally think we do). Thanks for not just blowing me off for not understanding... that speaks volumes about you.
KG, Thanks for interacting with me. I completely agree with you; I can't see well into these situations because I wasn't raised in those situations.
*We* need to be careful using the word *we*. Just because I'm a Christian doesn't mean I am responsible for the crusades and just because I'm an American doesn't mean I'm responsible for the Trail of Tears. But, that doesn't mean I shouldn't help alleviate the problems thereof, right? :)
I had another thought....
Is a disservice being done by labeling someone a "victim"?
Great thoughts everyone!!
Amanda, Corin, KG, Ashley, I appreciate all of you input on this one.
Some final thoughts to wrap this post up.
1. Amanda, great thought about labeling someone as as a vicitim. I agree that mentality can be very demeaning.
2. The causes of poverty are very complex. They involve both Personal Decisions and Systemic Issues. A discussion not including both is one sided. One of the best books talking about the history and causes of poverty in our country is "Just Generosity" by Ron Sider.
Amanda, I also appreciate your willingness to ask your questions. In our society and one who asks those questions is usually shouted down. I hope you always feel comfortable with to ask with us.
As for what is our blame. I agree that you or I have not individually caused someone to be in poverty. However, I think owning our history is really important, and recognizing how our racialized (racially separated) society still causes injustice. It's important to realize that we have a piece of that responsibility. One of the best books I have read on the issue is "Divided by Faith" by Emerson and Smith.
As for our responsibility. Whether a persons actions have driven them into poverty, or our society (its almost alwasy a combination of both. Jesus makes our responsibility clear.
"Love your neighbor as yourself." After being asked "Who is our neighbor," Jesus responded with the story of the good Samaritan, someone who obviously had no blame to the state of the jew on the side of the road. Jesus also talked about the actions that will separate the Sheep and the Goats. "34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Matt 25:32-26
Jesus made no mention whether the 'least of these' where to blame for their own situation. Whether the person imprisioned was there because he deserved it, or whether there was injustice. We are called to visit him. If thw hungry person blew her money on crack instead of groceries, or she is working 3 jobs and can keep up with the bills, it doesn't matter.
I guess what I am tryiing to say, is that we as Christians cannot look at individuals or communities, and think "I have no responsibility here" Wherever we see pain (self-inflicted or not) we are call to it.
Who is our neighbor?
Thanks, Noel. :)
Thanks Amanda,
and I should mention that I think I missed you question a little, and that I know that you and Tim both have hearts for the hurting and the broken. I know that you believe that as Christians we should love them, and I totally think your question about blame is appropriate. We live in a time that makes it so politically incorrect to really talk about Race and Poverty that we are afraid to ask the underlying questions that most of us have, I am thankful that you we willing to ask (although I don't know if I have any answers:))
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