Do you believe that it is possible to end extreme poverty? Or do you believe that the poor will always be with us? I was asked recently by the publisher to review a book entitled Fast Living: How the Church Will End Extreme Poverty by Scott C. Todd, PhD. The author’s main goal is to convince the reader that it is indeed possible to eradicate extreme poverty, even within the next 25 years. (Todd defines extreme poverty as life on less than $1.25 a day – not enough to meet basic human needs.).
Todd seeks to accomplish this task by raising the readers expectations as many good people doubt that the weight of poverty can be lifted. Certainly, “[y]ou can’t expect what you don’t believe is possible.” And if our expectations are low, so will be our motivation to get involved in the war on poverty. Conversely, as stated by Todd, “High expectations innovate. High expectations persevere. High expectations don’t quit until they’re satisfied.”
Why do we have low expectations? Todd traces the root to a misinterpretation of Jesus’ words in Matthew 26:11. I think most of us are familiar with this Scripture where Jesus himself said, “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me.” On it’s surface, this statement seems to settle the issue that we will always have the poor with us. But as Todd points out, Jesus was speaking specifically to His disciples and not to us today. The second clause of the sentence affirms this finding as Jesus said “you will not always have me.” We know that Jesus could not have been talking to us today because He said elsewhere that He would never leave us, nor forsake us. Instead, Jesus was telling His disciples that He would no longer be physically in their presence as He had been for the previous three and a half years. He was also telling them that, in their day, the poor would always be with them for them to minister to.
So with a clear understanding of this Scripture, is it possible to end extreme poverty or is the task too great a challenge? Todd says “yes” and lays out in his book very encouraging statistics that clearly indicate it is possible and we are well on our way. For instance:
- In the past eight years, the number of kids dying from measles has declined by 78 percent.
- Twenty-two countries have cut their malaria rate in half in only six years.
- The number of children dying before their fifth birthday has been cut in half in just one generation.
- Every day nineteen thousand fewer children die of preventable causes.
- In 1981, 52 percent of the world’s population (1.4 billion people) were living in extreme poverty. Today that number has been cut down to 26 percent.
So the question is no longer can we end extreme poverty, but how fast. The answer to this question is left up to you and I. A world-renowned economist estimates that ending extreme poverty would require seventy three billion dollars per year over a span of ten years. A lot of money to be sure, but we have it collectively. As stated by Todd, “[i]f American Christians (not all of them, just the 138 million who attend church at least twice per month) were to tithe (give 10 percent), it would result in two hundred and fifty billion dollars per year in philanthropy.” Seventy three billion doesn’t sound like such a insurmountable number now, does it?! And this is just considering the American church. Imagine if the universal body of Christ world wide contributed their share. Extreme poverty could be wiped out in one generation.
I ask you today, are you doing your part? Poverty kills nearly eight million children each year. Let us band together and put an end to deplorable statistics such as this. Jesus said that we would do even greater things than He did when on the earth. Although God, He was limited by being one man who could be in one place at a time to minister help, hope and healing to the poor. Now that he has been glorified, His body, the church universal, is made up of many members. Together we can do this. May the world know us by our love.
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