The Richness of the Poor: What I've learned from people who have little.

This is the first of several reflections about what I learned working and worshiping with people who are poor economically, during my years as Minister of Music at The United Methodist Church for All People (C4AP), and now doing a music ministry at Church of the Village. Names are changed to protect privacy.

#1: Generosity

Luke 21:1-4
He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.’

Dave was a homeless vet who began to do some cleaning at C4AP and its Free Store clothing pantry. Over time, he began accumulating a snazzy wardrobe –a new pair of jeans, a couple of new shirts, and his most prized possessions – two pairs of running shoes, brand new, that came into the Free Store and were exactly his size.  He was wearing one pair and keeping the other, his Air Jordans, for a backup pair.

One day another homeless man came into the store who needed shoes.  When Mike learned the man wore his size, he brought out the Air Jordans and gave them to him without hesitation.

I have been blown away, over and over again, at the generosity of people who have next to nothing. Time and again, people would find things they thought I might like and bring me gifts.   People with little income pledged to C4AP every year in small amounts - $1.00 a week or even a quarter a week. It was really moving to count the offering and find 7 beat-up pennies in an offering envelope.

Too often, our ministries focus on economic poverty and forget other measurements of health, such as a generous heart.  I have been held accountable over and over for my poverty in generosity.

The Down Side

Every gift or personality trait has its other side.   We also saw people preying on each other as soon as checks came in, and people making loans or gifts to another person that they could ill afford to make.   Financial planning is an important skill that many people in economic poverty do not have. A friend at C4AP took a "Faith and Finances" course there, and began to save for a project.  I was delighted to learn he then accomplished what he set out to do!

What We Can Learn

I'm convinced that one of the reasons that C4AP has been successful is that the organization has expected, from the beginning, that EVERYONE can participate the the economic support of the organization.  It has empowered us to be partners and pledge our financial support.   In it's first year, C4AP had a higher per capita level of giving than the large suburban church I had previously attended.

In working with people in economic poverty, we should respect that they can, should, and WANT TO contribute to the programs that help people in need - both monetarily and in action.  Programs like Faith and Finance can provide tools to aid in economic stability.

Those of us who are giving a small amount out of our abundance, can learn to reduce our poverty of generosity and grow in this spiritual gift.