Poverty
While attending Greenbelt last week, I heard several talks from people representing the Trussell Trust, a charity which operates a large number of food banks around the UK. sadly, an assumption that seemed to be being made by the speakers was that poverty was exclusively an urban problem in the UK.
When I was on a mission placement at Bible college, I had a conversion experience. Growing up in a village I used to assume that poverty was something that people overseas experienced. We were encouraged in Sunday School to put our pennies in a money box for the “poor” children in Africa. In my early twenties I was on placement for three months in Toxteth in Liverpool and I came across real poverty for the first time. I found a common theme of people only turning on one bar of their gas heater in their living room because they wouldn’t be able to pay their heating bills, and often only one room was heated at a time, despite a particularly cold winter. People in Toxteth didn’t buy new clothes but rather second hand from jumble sales. Parents skipped meals in order that their children had enough to eat. This was a reality in eighties England. It came as a shock to me who went to a conservative Anglican church, in both a religious and political sense.
In the last decade, I have come to realise that this sort of poverty is not confined to so called “deprived urban areas”. Although it is true that urban areas experience larger percentages of poverty, the differences are not that big. A 2018 survey found that 17% of people living in urban areas are living on a low income (meaning 60% of the average national income) whereas in rural areas it is 14%. What is more shocking is the same survey from the Ministry of Rural Affairs discovered that 24% of children in rural areas are living in low-income households.
One of the main differences is that poverty in rural areas is often hidden. There could be several reasons for this. Lack of local amenities means that those who are struggling have no access to organised assistance in their locality. Poor public transport means that the cost of seeking help is greater and seasonal work means that income can be sporadic, with wages coming in some months and nothing at other times.
One aspect is that the stigma of poverty is greater in the countryside than it is in urban areas. Pretty country villages are seen as places of prosperity and community. One such area is the Cotswolds whose villages are seen as prosperous and desirable. Last year Coventry University did some research into deprivation in these picturesque villages. I had an opportunity to visit the exhibition of their findings earlier this year, called “Hidden Hardship” which I have written about before. And you can visit the website here if you would like to know more Hidden Hardship
One thing their researchers found that relieved the affects of poverty is community groups. This is one thing that churches in rural areas can help with.
There are two reasons why we, as followers of Jesus, should be concerned about those in our community that are experiencing poverty. The first is that it is a basic tenet of our Christian discipleship. In Matthew 22, we are told if we feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked and give rest to the homeless, we are doing it for Jesus. He himself, spoke often about the rich caring for the poor and demonstrated this through his healings and his teachings.
The book of James verses 15-22 says “Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”
The second reason that we should be concerned, is that we are called to be a community of Justice. “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8. Although there are many villages that have strong community spirit. Other rural communities have become mere dormitory villages where the residents sleep and eat but don’t engage. Often, a church is the only community building that exists in a small town or village. If anyone is going to revitalise the sense of community in our villages, it will have to be Christians fulfilling their calling to challenge injustice.
The research that Coventry University did uncovered many examples of churches already doing this. Examples included running a community café, coffee mornings, warm spaces, a local food bank, parent and toddlers groups, youth clubs, clubs for the elderly and other events. You and your church may already be doing some of these things, but are they members only or open to all? If they are, these programs could be a way of alleviating poverty and showing God’s love to others. The church has a significant opportunity to support those living in financial poverty.
Even if you feel that your church hasn’t got the space, the people or even the infrastructure to run activities there is still so much you can do as an individual Christian. You can be a good neighbour, visiting people who cannot get out, offering to babysit, offering lifts, just being aware of those needs in the community. Small, individual action is the building block for life in community.
The Hidden Hardship research reveals that community is the key to relieving poverty. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” This is not wishful thinking but a commission to care for the poor and challenge injustice.
