The Trap of Discrimination in Poverty Alleviation

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[“SHARE” JUL – SEP 2019 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE

Written by: Wance Kwan (Assistant Professor [Practical Studies], China Graduate School of Theology)

 

“If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:3-4)

 

If you are one of the few in your church who are involved in poverty alleviation work, you may be angry with the snobs in the scripture above. You might probably think that you would never be like them. However, have you ever thought that always putting the poor at the receiving end can also be considered as a form of discrimination? Such attitude of judging people by their outward appearances is being challenged in James 2:1 as favoritism.

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Resurrection and Integral Mission

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[“SHARE” APR – JUN 2019 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE

Written by: Au Bing Chung (Lecturer at the Christian Ministry Institute)

 

Resurrection is an eschatological idea, and Integral Mission addresses the responsibility and stewardship of Christians living on earth. Although there seems to be no apparent connection between the two, the eschatological view of Christians will affect how they interpret their missions. For instance, if a person believes that the world will be in ultimate destruction at the end days, he will put less effort in constructing a world that will be wiped out eventually. On the other hand, if the believers anticipate a forthcoming new world that is connected to and evolved from the present world, they will somehow attend to the world’s development and conservation.

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We Saw Clearly that the Lord Was With You (Genesis 26:1-32)

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[“SHARE” Oct – Dec 2017 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE

Written by: Pastor Daniel Ding

During the past 10 years, the Church was able to integrate into the Chinese community through the government’s social service policy which encouraged non-profits to reach its residents. Yunnan was one of the pilot areas. Pastor Daniel Ding, Social Ministry Officer of Yunnan Christian Council, stressed that integration does not mean altering the truth we preach to fit in, but the challenge is to find a way to let our core values prevail.

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Joseph: Human Trafficking Survivor (Genesis 37-50)

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[‘SHARE’ Jul – Sep 2017 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE

Author: Roger Seth

The Bible was written thousands of years ago but it has much to say about what we might see as a modern problem: human trafficking. We will look specifically at the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis, chapters 37–50. Make sure you are familiar with the story before reading this reflection or discussing it with a group.

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Transcending Borders and Time with Grace and Love—a Story of an Ethnic Woman’s Blessings to Foreign Lands

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[ ‘SHARE’ May-Jun 2017 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE

Author: Dr. Mok Chiu Yau (CEDAR China Programme Advisor)

In the OT, Ruth was the very definition of an underprivileged sojourner as she had to leave her home in Moab to Israel, an anti-Moabites community, to take care of her mother-in-law.

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Cared for by the Creation (Matthew 6:24-34)

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[ ‘SHARE’ Mar-Apr 2017 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE

Author: Dr. Bernard Wong (Assistant Professor (Theological Studies) & Associate Dean, China Graduate School of Theology; CEDAR Board Member)

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:24-34)

Jesus taught us to not worry over what to eat, drink, and wear, as God knows and will provide for our needs. He reminded us of our worth compared to birds of the air and flowers of the field, where we shall not have any doubts in God’s provision when even the birds and flowers were fed and clothed. He further reminded us that to worry and work solely for monetary gains is in fact serving money over God.

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