Poverty

Yet another huge topic, but one that I think is a bit easier to explore in 300 words.

I think the standard definition of poverty as a lack of material wealth is one of the grossest understatements of all time.

One of the best explorations of poverty that I have come across is Bryant Myers' book 'Walking with the Poor'. In the book he outlines some ways poverty has been described. They are as follows:

- Poverty as deficit. This is a lack of something, clean water, money, education, etc.

- Poverty as entanglement. This is the idea of a poverty trap including: material poverty, vulnerability, physical weakness, isolation and spiritual poverty.

- Poverty as lack of access to social power. The poor are excluded and need to be empowered. There are a number of spheres of exclusion, the state, civil society, political community and corporate economy.

- Poverty as disempowerment. This idea builds on the previous two ideas and adds a spiritual dimension. The idea of poverty as a set of disempowering systems. The systems are worth highlighting. Cultural system, eg. Karma where the social structure is set before birth. Social system, the God complexes of the non-poor - using power systems to control the poor. Spiritual system, the idea that there is an evil force in the world that sustains poverty. Biophysical system - mind, body and spirit - undernourished bodies are unable to work. The personal system, poverty results in a marred identity.

- Poverty as a lack of freedom to grow. The poor are trapped in a series of limitations: mental, social, spiritual and physical.

I think all these are really helpful to our understanding of poverty. My working definition of poverty is:

"All that prevents people from achieving their potential as humans created in the image of God."