Heart for the Poor: What is a Just City?
Last week I talked about our water being shut off, damaged telephone cables cut the phones to the TEAR Fund offices for four days that same week. During the night we were woken to plaintive dying beeps of our bedside phone as the battery failed due to a storm taking out the power in Mt Roskill. As I stumbled around in the dark looking for a transistor (you will laugh, the batteries in our cell phones and my wife’s watch had expired and I wanted to know the time) I thought this is unjust! Why does our part of town keep going down? The wind and rain was buffeting our house and setting off alarms in the street, sleep was out of the question so I made a cup of tea (we cook with gas) and pondered “what does justice have to do with a city and should planners take justice into account?”
I came across a lecture given by Susan Fainstein. She said the left has typically attacked planning for its class bias, for its anti-democratic character, and for not taking account of difference. The right sees planning as denying freedom and producing inefficiency and regards markets as the best allocators of urban space. Centrists consider planning undemocratic and unattainable and see efforts to redesign cities as indifferent to people’s comfort and desires. Phew! So how do we get the Auckland Supercity right?
One answer might be Amartya Sen’s capabilities approach. Capabilities are what people are able to do and be; not how they actually function but rather what they have the opportunity to do. According to this reasoning, each person must be treated as an end in themselves and not the means to the planners ends. It needs to be acknowledged that there is a line below which human functioning is not possible if they don’t have certain opportunities. It’s complicated though, in granting people the capability to do everything they want to, who is going to pay? I read this morning the cost of planning for the Supercity has blown out to $117m, how do we avoid imposing an unacceptable burden on the better-off? But then is it right to create a lively city with attractive amenities that only the well off can enjoy? How do we determine the payback for what is spent on things like roads, sports stadiums and rugby world cups? Some would say these calculations exaggerate benefits, underestimate costs but do not spell out who benefits.
What does the Bible say about “Just Cities”? Not a lot. We are given a model in the description of the new Jerusalem, but I am not sure how the Supercity planners would buy into “streets of gold” in their brief to turn out a new city in a few short months. The Bible does have a lot to say about justice though, and by looking at that we can gain insight into God’s priorities. On the bottom of TEAR Fund’s letter head is part of Isaiah 1:17 …learn to do right. Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.
This speaks to me of ensuring the vulnerable are protected. There are many non-government organisations that are doing a great job around the city in this area; the new council must continue to support their efforts. Having worked on TEAR Fund’s Microenterprise programme for the past 15 years, I say to the planners you must create the right environment for small as well as large businesses to flourish. I saw a presentation last night from the Auckland Regional Transport Authority who are suggesting that $21.5 billion be spent on public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure between now and 2040 because there will not be enough space on, or for, more roads to move people around in their cars. I believe a just city is one where everyone can get to where they want to go even if they don’t have a car. In case you were wondering the power came on again in time to make breakfast before pedalling off to work. I would be interested in your thoughts on what is a just city. Go to doingfreedom. WordPress.com
Prayer: Father God, you set priorities in your word that reflect your heart for the poor. We pray that these might emerge in the governance of our towns and cities. Grant our leaders wisdom as they make decisions that affect those they have responsibility for; inspire righteousness in the hearts of those making commercial decisions today. Give us the courage to seek justice and encourage the oppressed. Amen
Richard Barter
List of values that urbanists generally regard as goods and bads: Won’t mention these, but they will be uploaded with the notes.
1. public space
a. bad: lack of access, homogeneity
b. good: heterogeneity
2. quality of built environment
a. bad: inauthenticity, conformist architecture
b. good: historical accuracy; cutting edge architecture
3. planning
a. bad: rule of experts
b. good: citizen participation
4. social control
a. Bad: order/domination
b. Resistance/conflict
5. housing
a. bad: luxury dwellings
b. good: affordable units
6. segregation
a. bad: exclusion
b. good : mixing, even if conflictural
7. mega-projects
a. bad: large, top-down planned
b. good: popular, incremental, preservation
8. social services
a. bad: privatization, individualization
b. good: collective consumption
9. economic development
a. bad: entrepreneurial state
b. good: small business, cooperatives
10. environment
a. bad: laissez-faire
b. good: regulation; green development
Susan S. Fainstein, (April 29, 2006) Program in Urban Planning, Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, Columbia University. Conference on Searching for the Just City, GSAPP. Columbia University.
Heart for the Poor When the taps run dry
What no water in the tap! Impossible, but true. What do we do? Thank goodness I had a shower early. Bless some kind soul at Metrowater who responded to a neighbour’s plea and agreed to turn it back on for a few minutes before making repairs. So out came the containers, bucket and dipper in the bathroom. “Just like being in the third world” complained family members who had to wash in cold water. I remember staying in a Russian built concrete hotel in Kosovo just after the war there with my head under the tap in my room waiting for water. One could hear a whistling sound as it approached like a London Underground train, it exploded into my plugless sink with a furious gush, then nothing. Tricky, you had to choose which bit of you needed washing that day, teeth? feet? hair? because you only got 20 seconds or so of water at any one time.
Washing whenever we want to is a “right” we expect, as is access to clean drinking water. While this has improved some observers have estimated that by 2025, more than half of the world population will be facing water-based vulnerability. A recent report (November 2009) suggests that by 2030, in some developing regions of the world, water demand will exceed supply by 50%. Around New Zealand we have wet and dry regions. We have what we need even if perhaps some cannot buy what they want to irrigate land. Indexes are being created to indicate how much water it takes to produce things. Some claim it can take up to 5,000 litres of water to produce a hamburger, 6,800 litres to produce a pair of jeans.
Yet as I prepare for this talk it is pouring with rain here in Auckland. You could argue what is the problem with a litre of milk needing requiring 1,000 litres (some claim a lot more) of water to get it from the paddock to our fridge when rainwater disappears from site into the drain? The Bible has 722 references, images and verses about water. Among other things they speak to us of birth, the word of God and purification. Interestingly earth starts out covered in water, and in Rev 21:1 we are told the new heaven will have no sea.
For many the lack of water is a daily curse. I have been told of the shame associated with not being able to wash. We heard a few weeks ago on this session how the slum lords of Mumbai held slum dwellers to ransom over access to water. What can we do about all this? I suppose we could look at what we use, be prepared for it to be cut off, and maybe considers ways we can help those for whom access to water is a life or death issue. TEAR Fund’s partners are working on water issues in India, Somaliland, the Philippines, Indonesia to name a few places. Supporting them would be a start.
When our water came on again I was faced with the dilemma of what to do with the buckets of water in the bath, of course it was raining outside so the garden didn’t need it. I did put a full container in the cupboard for next time it is cut off.
Prayer: Father you started creation with water, you tidied things up with a flood, yet today so many lack it. Inspire us with ways we can make good use of what we have available for our use or is required for what we consume, and ways we can make a difference in the lives of those who are without. Amen.
Richard Barter
Heart for the Poor Finding God in the Thin Places
Our devotion this morning at TEAR Fund was led by Andrew Dallaston on Celtic Christianity. One of the mysterious concepts they embrace is that of meeting God in the “Thin Places”, by the sea, at the edge of the forest, on a mountain top. You know the feeling don’t you. Sometimes God seems so close you could reach out and touch him, and sometimes you can go back to that place and sense the same thing. I started thinking if God was somehow a little closer in the “thin places”, are there “thick places” where he might be harder to find? What might they look like? Could I suggest that when we are in the midst of busyness we can feel distant from God? Could I go one step further and suggest that the worry and time we spend on acquiring and managing our possessions might also create a thick place between us and God?
Now you may not agree, and it is unfair, because this is not talkback radio. Well, I would be interested in your comments on this, if you go to www.doingfreedom.wordpress.com you will find the notes from this talk and you can comment. Remember the story of the rich young man who when asking Jesus how he should get to heaven was told to sell all his possessions. Does this make the poor closer to God than we are because they don’t have possessions? I can hear you saying “Richard has really stepped over the mark now”. I am not going to press this only to say how much of our time do we spend working to pay off mortgages and other forms of debt for things we own? How much time do we spend getting them serviced, planning to replace them etc. etc? Now I can hear those of you who were listening last week saying “But last week you were talking about how great washing machines are at saving us time and letting us be productive in other ways”! You are right, I am contradicting myself here.
Let’s return to Celtic Christianity, and maybe we can find some answers. Those practicing Celtic Christianity had five values at the core of their beliefs; Simplicity, Inclusiveness, Community, Beauty and Learning. What can we learn from these things today? First on the list was simplicity. Having lots of stuff is not simple is it? Inclusiveness kind of goes with Community doesn’t it. Paul when talking in Acts 4:32 speaks of the believers sharing everything they had. Is that what we should be doing with our stuff? The last two values are beauty and learning, I love these. Appreciating God’s good creation and being lifelong learners can only enrich our existence.
So where are we going with this? We began by looking at those “thin places” where God seems to be easier to find, then moved on to “thick places” where he seems distant. I suggested that those thick places might be found in times of busyness and worry about possessions. We heard that Jesus suggested the rich young man sell his possession and give the money to the poor, and Paul encouraged the believers at the time to share their possessions. This could be taken a step further in 1John 3:17 we read “If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in him?” Then finally we heard how Celtic Christians valued along with other things a simple lifestyle. This all challenges me to question just what impact do my “things” have on my ability to connect with God. I don’t have a quick answer to that, maybe you do. Go to doingfreedom.wordpress.com and let me know your thoughts.
Prayer: Father God we want to be close to you, to encounter you, to dwell in your presence, shelter under your arm. Inspire within us ways we can find those thin places where you can be found, help us to be aware of those things we create that build walls between us and your glory. Help us to be a catalyst in the life of others that they too might come face to face with your majesty. Amen
Richard Barter
Heart for the Poor: Things, do we need them? May 4th 2010
Following a thorough examination, with sadness in his eye he gave us the diagnoses, after a long hard working life without complaints and only minor ailments our washing machine’s health was in terminal decline. We do take these things for granted don’t we? I remember an old wringer machine we had in my first flat; you either only put one hand in at a time or wore gumboots to avoid getting an electric shock. While we live modestly today, our house does have those basic labour saving devices that enable us to engage in a wide range of activities.
Just the difference they make is highlighted by the story of a woman I met in the Philippines called Rosal. Rosal’s Story is known to many as the late Linda Gollan along with Rob Harley documented the changes in her life in a DVD that thousands of TEAR Fund supporters have seen. Like the great majority of woman in the developing world Rosal was caught in a trap of domestic tasks that prevented her from contributing much to the family’s income. As a consequence they were always in debt coping under huge stress without any fallback position. Washing clothes in a bucket for her four children and husband took her hours.
Rosal dreamed of starting a small stall selling her well loved dish fried bananas. A small microenterprise loan from TEAR Fund’s partner CCT enabled her to set it up. Initially Rosal’s workload grew, running her business and her household. But the wonderful day came when she was able to buy a washing machine. Being able to put a load of clothes in to wash, then walk away and do something else was a huge improvement. Ultimately her business helped to fund her two oldest children into university breaking the family’s poverty trap forever.
CCT helps around 150,000 poor Filipino families like Rosal’s with small loans. Rosal joined a Trustbank where she along with the other members guaranteed each other’s loans. At their weekly meetings after repaying their loans and depositing savings, they study the Bible, worship and pray to God. What a cool concept, over 37,000 Filipino’s gave their hearts to Christ through this ministry last year. Another loan enabled Rosal’s husband to start a vehicle restoration business, he also helps around the house.
How much we rely on cars is a whole different story that will have to wait for another time but recently I spoke at a School Travel plan launch, I said that when I was a boy we all walked or cycled to school, it was normal. I asked them why they thought children didn’t walk or cycle to school today. One little lad sitting down the front answered, “Because they invented cars”! I wondered just how old he thought I was.
Prayer: Father God we thank you for those basic labour saving devices that we take for granted which enable us to be free from the tasks that hold so many back. Help us to use that time to create wealth and assist others to get the head start we enjoy each day. We acknowledge all we possess is because of your grace and generosity, inspire us in ways to extend these things to others today. Amen.
Richard Barter
Heart for the Poor: Many strands make a strong bungy chord
Its great when one has to entertain overseas visitors, you get to do all sorts of out of the box adventures. On Friday evening half a dozen TEAR Fund staff who are keen commuter cyclists accompanied two American guests by bicycle from our Mt Roskill office into the city, across the ferry then up to Glenfield for a Kiwi BBQ. One of them made the inaugural ride on the new TEAR Fund staff bicycle that was largely donated by Avantiplus Waipuna. Keeping him on the correct side of the road was lots of fun as we wove through the rush hour traffic. But standing on top of the Auckland Harbour Bridge structure late on Saturday afternoon was something different. So w holding on to the bottom edge of the clips ons as they moved 6” up and down with the traffic, something so big just shouldn’t move like that! We paused right across from where bungy jumpers launched them selves into space with a look of terror in their eyes that I will never forget. The precision of the bungy technology is such that they can set it up so that just your head gets dunked in the sea.
A bungy chord is around 35mm in diameter and consists of hundreds of 1mm thick strands of latex rubber in a nylon sheath. On their own each strand wouldn’t support the weight of a kitten. I watched two buxom kiwi lasses jump together and knew the chord could take several more without straining. I was reminded of a passage in the Bible I came across when on my first trip to Africa around 25 years ago to work in a slum in Uganda. Ecclesiastes 4:12 reads, “By yourself you are unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.” The meaning of this was not apparent at first. Like many before me when experiencing the enormity of the scale of poverty in Africa I was overwhelmed. I remember crying out to God, this is too big, what can I do to make a difference.
But that’s not the way God intended us to operate is it? 1st Corinthians 12:25 says “The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part…If one part hurts, every other part is involved in that hurt.” I eventually realized that sorting the world’s problems is not up to me alone, and that together, as the hands, feet, eyes, ears and mouth of God, we can overcome the terrible injustice of poverty. When thinking about those thin strands of latex, I thought of the dollar or so a day it takes to sponsor a child. That is so little out of what we spend, but if we all gave hope and a future to one young person from an impoverished family we could start some serious change making.
Our American visitors were from TEAR Fund’s Child Sponsorship partner Compassion International. They showed us a film of a stone quarry in India where generations of families have worked trying to pay off the debts of their forefathers. Each child that is sponsored from that community will be better placed to break that intergenerational chain of poverty and experience a life of dignity and freedom. All it takes is for us to step us to the edge like those bungy jumpers, trust God for support and just do it!
Prayer: Father you understand our individual weakness, our frailty and modest wealth. But your plan for us to work as one body is good! Your plan enables us to overcome injustice and poverty, that is good! Your plan to give us access to resources that when combined can make a difference is good! Grant us the boldness to set aside our differences and step out as one body, for your purposes. Amen.
Heart for the Poor ANZAC Day today April 20 2010
I have had the privilege of leading the Mt Roskill ANZAC Day services as the Chairman of the Community Board for a number of years now. In the past ANZAC Day commemorations have tended to reflect the prevailing mood of the day. In the 1940’s they were strongly focused on remembrance of the wars in which New Zealanders had taken part. The religious aspects of the day have caused contention. For a time the RSA wanted to remove religion from the ceremonies altogether. Roman Catholics were prevented by their own rules from attending such ecumenical services, and many Catholic and Jewish returned service personnel did not attended Anzac Day ceremonies. Protestant churches protested as the day was, in their view, already too secular, but in 1965 churches finally resolved their differences.
The 60s and 70s saw services caught up in Anti-war protests. In the 80s lobby groups such as feminists, gays, anti-nuclear peace protestors and Maori Activists all saw the day as an opportunity to promote their cause. Since then and with the passing on of veterans a new interest is emerging particularly from young people who will often be seen wearing their Granddad’s (or Grandma’s) medals at the dawn parade or ANZAC Day service. Why do they come? I believe we all seek to be part of a bigger story. In so doing, we have to grasp the meaning of that intangible concept “nationhood”.
What does it mean today to be a Kiwi? At our local Highschool in Mt Roskill there are over 100 languages spoken. Many students were born in countries that are today in great turmoil with their parents being forced to leave to ensure the safety of their families. When I attend Citizenship ceremonies genuine pride is evident as the folk recite the Oath of Citizenship “I [name] swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of New Zealand, Her heirs and successors according to law, and that I will faithfully observe the laws of New Zealand and fulfil my duties as a New Zealand citizen. So help me God. .” So help me God… New citizens then join in the singing of ‘God defend New Zealand’ before enjoying a cup of tea. There is a lot going on here isn’t there. Many of those making that commitment will not be Christian, yet the traditions of Christianity are written all over the event just as most ANZAC Day ceremonies are recognised with prayers, hymns and usually an address by a Minister. So can we say Nationhood in New Zealand includes concepts of Christian faith?
The ministry of Jesus was saturated with acts promoting Peace on Earth, goodwill amongst all men, being a servant, justice, righteousness and love. I give praise to God that these concepts are part of the faith still recognised as one of the building blocks of our nation. No one is alive today who actually fare welled their loved ones to fight for what was believed at the time was the right thing to do in Gallipoli. Does that mean the word sacrifice lacks meaning today? Kiwi’s are constantly leaving the comforts of home to serve their country or those in need. Some are in uniform, others are meeting humanitarian crises. One of these is TEAR Fund’s Senior Programme officer Ian McInnes who has gone to Haiti to head up our Disaster Relief programme there.
In closing listeners consider what it means to be a Christian New Zealander, and the role we have in bringing peace and goodwill to the world. Dwell on what those around you see of Christ in you. I will finish with a quote by Mother Teresa “Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you.” In doing this you will provide answers to the yearning I see in the eyes of those who attend the ANZAC Day.
Prayer: Father God this ANZAC Day we lift before you those who went to serve God, their King and country. We lift before you those who today are serving in uniform, or as part of humanitarian relief efforts. Grant them safety. We lift before you their families and loved ones, grant them peace of heart. Amen.
Richard Barter
Heart for the Poor From another’s perspective April 13 2010
Lately I have been posing a few questions to my friends on Facebook about their views on cycling and cyclists. There have been some great responses. To the question “What’s your first thought when you get held up by a cyclist?” responses ranged from being distracted by lycra clad thighs to shooting the offending rider! As you can imagine, drivers have a very different perspective to cyclists. I had a good lesson in perspectives on Saturday after exploring mountain bike trails around the edge of the Manukau Harbour. On the way home I was forced off the road by a passing bus.
From my perspective that huge wall of steel pushing me into the gutter was pretty terrifying. The bus driver would have seen my predicament from a very different perspective. Someone once said life is like a woven tapestry, we see the underside, but God can see the whole picture from the top. In Isaiah 55:8-9 we read “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Sometimes we have to get out of our comfort zone to see another’s perspective. Sue, one of my staff has just returned from visiting TEAR Fund projects in India. This was the first time she had been to the developing world. Meeting a group of women in a slum in Mumbai who had to queue each day for water not knowing if the truck was going to show up was a deeply moving experience. These women are trapped in a brutal, hot, crowded environment with out access to all the services we take for granted. Their only hope for a future was their involvement in the project we are supporting through a Christian organisation called Saahasee. They save a few rupees each week and eventually are able to apply for a business loan from the community savings fund. Sue’s perspective on the poor has been forever changed by going into their homes and hearing their stories.
Now I haven’t sat in a bus driver’s seat and had to deal with avoiding other road users. I wonder how that bus driver might feel swapping her bus with a bike for a day. Until we step in someone else’s shoes, it is hard to see the world through their eyes. I am grateful that I know Jesus understands my insignificant problems because while he didn’t ride a bicycle, he did become a man and went through all the challenges and more we grapple with.
Prayer: Father God, you have created us equal in your eyes, yet in the world some have power and some don’t. Give us the grace to pray for those in power that they might have compassion on the vulnerable. Give us the courage to confront injustice. Give us the desire to see things from the perspective of others in a way that reflects your love and glory. Amen
Richard Barter
Heart for the Poor. It can be tough at the beach. April 6th 2010
Our Easter weekend was spent at a friend’s bach in an archetypal Northland bay, the lovely beach fringed with Pohutakawas and rocky cliffs. There is nothing like being the first to walk the shoreline at sunrise, that mystical juncture of land, sea and sky poking at coloured shells and assorted detritus that has floated in on the tide overnight.
With little to do, observing the neighbours provides much entertainment. One is whistling away as he replaces part of the roof on his batch, next door is cutting the rampant kaikuia with his weed eater and a bronzed gentleman of advanced years is enjoying an outdoor shower directly across the small valley from our breakfast table, much to the blushing delight of my widowed mother in law.
Increasingly our seaside communities are starting to resemble upmarket city suburbs sporting large houses overflowing with boy’s toys. Yet many still choose to enjoy the simple pleasures of camping, carrying water, sharing communal facilities, queuing at the shop for a limited range of necessities. I was sent out over 6 kms of hilly gravel roads on my bicycle in search of fresh mint, real chicken stock and sesame seeds amongst other ingredients required for a recipe from a glossy women’s magazine.
Needless to say some creativity was required to cross everything off that list.
While we choose to get over the minor discomforts associated with camping, such conditions are thrust upon many after being forced to leave their homes due to civil unrest, war or famine. For a lot nothing has changed years after the film crews left and politicians have washed their hands of the refugees intractable problems. It is in these camps that TEAR Fund has for years supported the work of agencies such as Medair, TEAR Fund UK and Medical Teams International. It is understandably hard for us to keep interest in these seemingly unsolvable situations where corrupt governments and militias reportedly “confiscate” aid destined for the needy.
We read in Exodus the trials of Israel as for 40 years its people endured the desert after escaping captivity in Egypt. With no comforts they had to rely entirely on God’s provision. I believe that today we are called to provide for the necessities of life to those caught in such situations irrespective of the rights or wrongs of their predicament. This can be a challenge when we are continually being asked for help by legitimate causes here in New Zealand. What is the answer? Again I consider what would Jesus do when we are faced with stretching our few extra dollars around those calling for help. I believe he would ask us to consider each situation. What hope does a mother in a camp in Dafur, Sudan have in securing food and medicine for her children compared to a struggling mother in New Zealand? Yes there is real injustice and need occurring in New Zealand and we must help, but we must also assist that mother in Darfur.
In contrast, the limited product range in the Whananaki North Beach store meant we made do with instant chicken stock and dried mixed herbs; we didn’t miss the sesame seeds in the excellent dinner that resulted.
Prayer: Father God we cannot understand why there is so much beauty and abundance in this world particularly in our nation when there are such problems in other places. Why have you chosen to bless us? We may never know the answer, but we do thank you. Grant us wisdom as we reflect on the needs around us. Give us peace of heart as we struggle with balancing our requirements with those of others. Amen.
Richard Barter
Heart for the Poor March 30 2010 Being prepared for the Kingdom
Once a year the Hauraki Gulf Islands of Motutapu and Rangitoto linked by a narrow causeway are opened up to cyclists, walkers and runners for an event called the Dual Traverse. Excited I showed up to register knowing I was at the right place, the right time, and on the right date, but I was a month early! Returning last week, the young fit things at the desk looked at me and gave me the number 609, I am sure it was so it could be read when I was upside down in a ditch. Saturday was the day. We wound our way up the hills out of Home Bay in a huge bunch with frequent pile ups as the fitter and more confident sought to get ahead.
It didn’t take long before I passed a number of entrants broken down on the side of the track, “that could never happen to me” I thought. But while erratically navigating the steep rocky path down off the summit of Rangitoto I got a flat tyre. Hmmmm, after a kind soul gave me a pump, and another angel provided an inner tube, eventually I was underway. 200 metres further on my chain fell off! More angels appeared, one gifting a chain link and another, the use of a chain breaker. Talk about not being prepared!
But how prepared should one be in life, it comes down to what we can afford and what we are prepared to sacrifice to be sure we will be ok in the future. But what of our preparedness to face God when we have to give an account for our time here on planet Earth? Moving on from the debates over grace and or works, and even that we know our God is a loving God, how much is enough when preparing to meet our maker? The parable of the Virgins and the Lamps is to the point; Jesus said those without the oil missed out.
We will never know on this side of glory exactly what is required. The Pharisees spent a lot of time splitting hairs trying to work this out. It must be a guy thing, we like lists don’t we? Do this, do that, and you know where you stand. But somehow I am not sure if God works quite like that. So what is the answer then? Well, we do know that some things are very special to God as he gives so much space to them in the Bible. One of those things is his heart for the poor. I am not saying here that this is the only answer to assured salvation, but if we had to invest energy and time in something that might improve the odds, it might help. The bonus is that in doing it well, the lives of many who are suffering malnutrition, oppression, fear and illness could well end up in a better space.
As we prepare for Easter, we might ask the question, are we as prepared as Jesus was when he faced the cross. What would it take? What have we already invested in the Kingdom? At TEAR Fund we have chosen to invest in the work of Saahasee this Easter because we know they are helping widows and the orphans (being dear to the heart of God) who live in slums of Mumbai India. The worst that could have happened to me not adequately preparing for Saturdays ride was a long walk pushing my bike looking foolish. But when calamity befalls the Mumbai slum dwellers, being prepared can mean the difference between life and death.
Prayer: Father God, you prepared a beautiful planet for us with more than we could need for a full and abundant life. Thank you for that. You have given some the privilege of being able to direct resources to where they are most needed. Inspire us in ways this Easter we can give a hope and a future to those who for what ever reason are denied access to your provision. Amen.
Richard Barter
Heart for the Poor – Peace in the Slums March 23 2010
I was surprised recently when I did not get a response from a text message sent to a friend in Bali. The following day I sent it again, the reply was full of profuse apologies as the previous day had been a public holiday called the “Day of Silence”. It celebrates the start of the Hindu New Year. My friend’s phone was switched off; nobody was working, radios and TV’s silent, cars left on the footpath. Everyone stays quietly in their homes which have been cleaned and tidied for the New Year. The whole idea sounds great to me. I will probably get little sympathy from those who live south of the Bombay hills but according to a recent study the Auckland where I live in is growing by 50 people a day who need extra 21 houses and 35 more cars on our congested roads. Yes every day! That is a lot of buzz and activity.
Auckland’s woes are insignificant compared to the chronic overcrowding in the slums of Delhi. Fresh memories remain after my last visit meeting rural poor driven off their arid fields living in small shacks built to within millimeters of passing trains. Not once did I experience anything approaching silence in my time there. Not only do residents have to deal with a lack of water, sanitation, power and footpaths; they are charged high rents by unscrupulous slum lords who will bulldoze their shacks at the slightest provocation.
Organising access to water, sanitation and health services has been a focus of TEAR Fund’s Christian partner in Delhi, Asha. Dealing with the slum lords is harder as they work outside the law bribing police and local government officials in order to maximise their profits. Asha encourages residents to form self help groups. Once these groups are functioning training programmes are designed to match the needs of their community. The sessions might include tenant’s rights, negotiating with your local government office and accessing government services. The great thing is that when whole communities unite, they are able to stand up to violence, intimidation and extortion from the bully boys hired by the slum lords.
Asha’s Christian staff take seriously God’s command in Leviticus 19:33-34, “When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress them. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as a citizen among you; you shall love them as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.” Its true, we were all aliens once bringing our customs and celebrations to new lands. How well do we look after the migrants amongst us?
I don’t know how the Balinese manage to celebrate the “Day of Silence”, maybe they sleep all day, sounds great! The residents of Delhi’s slums do not have ghetto blasters, phones and TV’s, but their sheer numbers the hammering of local vehicle dismantling businesses, the roar of traffic and rumbling trains creates an incessant wall of noise.
However today because of the work of Asha migrant families sleep in peace knowing they are safe from the alienation they experienced when they arrived from their villages seeking a better life.
Prayer: Break our hearts over what breaks yours, Lord. For the rural poor driven to cities, who endure hostility and marginalisation simply on the basis of their religion or caste, we ask your strength. And for those of us, who call ourselves followers of the welcoming Christ, grant us the strength to stand with those who are equal in your eyes, even if they are not equals before the law or equals in the eyes of some. Amen.
