Poverty & Politics

a Jesus thought...
Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. (Luke 18:14)

a Godly thought...
Our influential role in the renewal of Openshaw has not come about because we have a church building there, but because we are all local residents who understand the needs of the community. (p67 Bishop)

a leading thought...
When someone raises a question or challenges an assumption, leaders must be careful not to immediately begin arguing their point. Defensive leaders learn nothing. Listening leaders are constantly learning and growing. (p185 Blackaby)

a Dave thought...
In the past two decades, the number of people living on less than $US1 a day has fallen by 135 million. Since 2000 an extra 34 million more children have been able to go to primary school for the first time. Deaths from diseases such as measles have been halved. Further, debt relief has allowed 29 of the world's poorest countries to more than double their spending on health, education and other initiatives to reduce poverty.
Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd last month pledged to boost overseas aid spending to 0.5 per cent of GNI by 2015. If delivered, the extra aid could allow Australia to fund programs to achieve all of the following: reduce child deaths by 140,000 each year, cut maternal deaths by 4200, lead to at least 29,000 fewer deaths from AIDS and 31,000 fewer deaths from tuberculosis each year. It could also provide access to safe drinking water for almost 37 million people, and access to basic education for more than 200,000 children. (The Age)

How come most Christians vote liberal? Do we have a role to inform our congregations on how certain policies line up with scripture and others don't? We can Make Poverty History. We just need the political will to make it so.

Just a thought.