Get angry about poverty. It's the Christian thing to do

Poverty is evil. That might seem like a bold, uncomfortable statement, but it’s true. Poverty was never meant to exist – it’s one of the consequences of the Fall. When sin came into the world, evil was unleashed, bringing with it the potential for every kind of misery, pain and brokenness. If you look through the first few chapters of Genesis, you’ll find that it didn’t take long for violence, greed, famine, slavery and poverty to become a tragic reality, tainting the perfect world God had created and called “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Lately I’ve been wondering: if poverty is evil, why aren’t we more outraged by it? In the UK, the percentage of people in poverty has barely changed in two decades. In response to the rioting last summer, there was urgent action – within a week the government enacted a national violent disorder programme. This is good – but where’s the national plan to urgently help the 14 million people living in poverty in the UK today?

While we might have become comfortable with poverty, God hasn’t. The Bible says that how we treat those in poverty is connected to how we treat God (see Proverbs 14:31; Matthew 25:34-46). It also says that how we treat those in poverty affects how God treats us (see Psalm 41:1-3; Isaiah 58:6-12).

When some Christians think of evil, their minds are drawn to sexual sin and stories such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. But in Ezekiel 16:49, God says: “Behold, this was the guilt of…Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy” (ESV).

Who have you shown the kindness of God to this week?

God takes poverty seriously. When John the Baptist called people to repentance, and they asked what they should do, he told them to share their clothing and food, not “extort money” and “be content with [their] pay” (Luke 3:10-14). When Paul gave the church in Rome a long list of “every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity”, he also pointed out that they showed “no kindness or mercy to others” (Romans 1:29-31).

Jesus repeatedly proclaimed the nearness of God’s kingdom. When he came to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29), he also began to roll back the effects of sin. That’s why he healed the sick and raised the dead, but it’s also why his gospel is good news to those in poverty.

Jesus’ followers are called to become like him. Poverty is an evil that should not exist and, like Jesus, we need to play our part in rolling it back. If we take this seriously, it will affect our heart, our attitude and our actions, as we give our time, energy, skills, money and possessions for the good of those in need.

If you know you don’t care about poverty as much as you should, then pray. God will delight to give you his heart for people in hardship. If you’re reading this and nodding in agreement, who can you disciple into mercy? I have been discipling a now 25-year-old for many years. One question I ask them frequently is: “Who have you shown the kindness of God to this week?”

We have the incredible privilege of reflecting the heart of God to those around us. That surely includes doing good to those most in need.