When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brain Fikkert addresses the core problems concerning poverty while teaching how to help poverty without worsening their problems.

 

Part One- Foundational Concepts for Helping Without Hurting

• This part focuses on the root problem of poverty and Jesus's response to the problem. Through analysis of the Bible, it simplifies the cause of poverty to being broken relationships between God, others, and one's self, caused by the fall of man.

• Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?

  • "The task of God's people is rooted in Christ's mission. Simply stated, Jesus preached the good news of the kingdom in world and in deed, so the church must do the same."

  • "There should be no poor among you," Deut. 15:4

  • "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:16-18

  • "We are to embody Jesus Christ by doing what He did and what He continues to do through us: declare - using both words and deeds - that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords who is bringing in a kingdom of righteousness, justice, and peace. And the church needs to do this where Jesus did it, among the blind, the lame, the sick and outcas, and the poor."

• What's The Problem?

  • "Poor people typically talk in terms of shame, inferiority, powerlessness, humiliation, fear, hopelessness, depression, social isolation, and voicelessness. North American audiences tend to emphasize a lack of material things such as food, money, clean water, medicine, housing, ect."

  • "If we treat only the symptoms or if we misdiagnose the underlying problem, we will not improve their situation, and we might actually make their lives worse."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • The above diagram illustrates man's four foundational relationships and how these relationships are the foundation for his systems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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  • The above diagram illustrates how the fall of man affects man's relationships which in turn effects systems.

  • "The fall really happened, and it is wreaking havoc in all of our lives. We are all broken, just in different ways."

• Are We There Yet?

  • "We are not the reconciler; Jesus is. However, we are are His ambassadors, representing His kingdom and all that it entails to a broken world, which leads to the following definition of poverty alleviation: Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation."

  • Proverty alleviation is about people and processes, not projects and products.

Part Two- General Principles for Helping Without Hurting

• Not All Poverty Is Created Equal

  • "A helpful first step in thinking about working with the poor in any context is to discern whether the situation calls for relief, rehabilitation, or development."

  • Relief - the urgent and temporary provision of emergency aid to reduce immediate suffering from a natural or man-made crisis. Ex: The Good Samaritan

  • Rehabilitation - begins as soon as the bleeding stops; it seeks to restore people and their communities to the positive elements of their precrisis conditions.

  • Development - a process of ongoing change that moves all the people involved - both the helpers and the helped - closer to being in right relationship with God, self, others, and the rest of creation. It is not done to people or for people but with people.

  • Avoid paternalism - do not do things for people that they can do for themselves.

• Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, And Their Assets

  • Asset-based community development puts emphasis on what materially poor people already have and asks them to consider from the outset, "What is right with you? What gifts has God given you that you can use to improve your life and that of your neighbors? How can the individuals and organizations in your community work together to improve your community?"

  • Asset-based approaches to poverty alleviation should not be seen as denying the fact that low-income people - like all of us - have glaring needs.

  • It is crucial that outside resources do not undermine the willingness or ability of the poor individual or community to be stewards of their own gifts and resources.