Jack,
I realize that I forgot to emphasize one very important point in all of my meanderings yesterday. Unlike the liberals in Washington, I do NOT believe that throwing money at the problem is ever the sole solution. Ultimately, the problems that people deal with when caught in poverty are spiritual/relational. When we began this blog I defined poverty as the breakdown of the relationship between self and God, self and others, self and world, and self and self. The root issues that cause chronic poverty -- things like broken families, drug and alcohol addiction, chronic unemployment, a culture of dependency, poor education, etc. -- are, in my opinion, more spiritual than physical (if that distinction can be made). That's why I became a pastor instead of a social worker. Therefore, the answer to the problems of the inner city is not money, but spiritual wholeness. I think that you would agree with me on that. I do still think that money is needed for basic necessities and for "bandaid" work, even if it isn't providing the ultimate cure. So, I'm just writing to be clear on that point. The ultimate answer is not money, even if it still does have an important role to play.
- Greg
I realize that I forgot to emphasize one very important point in all of my meanderings yesterday. Unlike the liberals in Washington, I do NOT believe that throwing money at the problem is ever the sole solution. Ultimately, the problems that people deal with when caught in poverty are spiritual/relational. When we began this blog I defined poverty as the breakdown of the relationship between self and God, self and others, self and world, and self and self. The root issues that cause chronic poverty -- things like broken families, drug and alcohol addiction, chronic unemployment, a culture of dependency, poor education, etc. -- are, in my opinion, more spiritual than physical (if that distinction can be made). That's why I became a pastor instead of a social worker. Therefore, the answer to the problems of the inner city is not money, but spiritual wholeness. I think that you would agree with me on that. I do still think that money is needed for basic necessities and for "bandaid" work, even if it isn't providing the ultimate cure. So, I'm just writing to be clear on that point. The ultimate answer is not money, even if it still does have an important role to play.
- Greg
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