Quote of the Week

"We should essentially establish the elimination of child poverty as a great national objective, not unlike what we did with the case of the deficit."

-Paul Martin, Federal Minister of Finance

In a world where social justice issues seem to press in on us from every possible angle, it can be exhausting to decide where to channel one’s energy. But when it comes to matters of finance and the common good, who sets our priorities?

The government holds great potential as a vehicle for change; but it often places little value on the voices of the poor and weak in our midst, despite their real and ever-growing needs. Take the Canadian healthcare system, the source of pride among so many national citizens. Despite this renown, a recent study by researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital found that 1 in 6 people experiencing homelessness in Toronto suffered from unmet healthcare needs over the course of the past year.

Perhaps we ought to take another look at just who benefits from this supposedly ‘universal’ system, and how that system responds to those who have fallen between the cracks. The painfully biased priorities of the Canadian government are also evident in its recent decision to shut down the federal prison farms program, rejecting a system of rehabilitation and sustainable, restorative justice in favour of prison cells and punitive action.

Jesus called for us to walk compassionately with the weak, the ill, the prisoners, the poor. Surely the plight of our neighbours ought be a national objective which carries the same weight as the government’s pledge to balance its books from year to year.

If we speak out and demand that our government tackle poverty with the same determination that it expends on its own internal priorities, perhaps we can start down the path toward a truly equal system.
 
*For more information or to get involved in the fight for the prison farms, check out the movement's website: Save Our Prison Farms.

Quote of the Week

“When the church hears the cry of the oppressed it cannot but denounce the social structures that give rise to and perpetuate the misery from which the cry arises.”

-Archbishop Oscar Romero

We’ve all heard the ancient proverb ‘ignorance is bliss’. Yet however much easier it might be for us if we could simply tune out the realities of urban poverty, it’s difficult to remain truly ignorant when we come face to face with social inequality every time we walk down a city street.

Many of those in our midst struggle to understand the causes of suffering that leave so many of our fellow people in despair. What are the causes at the root of homelessness and urban poverty, and how can we respond to these structural issues, which are often so complex and difficult to grasp?

The history of suffering is complex, and every individual’s story is unique. Yet as anti-poverty activist Mike Creek points out in a recent Toronto Star article, current government programs often serve as a “trap” that can hinder, rather than assist, those struggling to rise out of poverty.

We can’t feign ignorance. At the same time, we cannot condemn the social structures from which inequalities arise without recognizing our own role in perpetuating them. As many have said before, inaction is a form of action: if we do nothing to work for social change, then we are accepting and affirming the system as it currently exists.

We have heard the cry of the oppressed- and we, the church, must respond.

Going 'Behind the Scenes'

“My TOOLS weekend was really awesome! It opened my eyes to the reality of it all. I always knew there were homeless people and that there were shelters available to them, but this weekend I realized just how much work goes into running a shelter. There's so much that needs to be done, and so many people that work behind the scenes.

If we all did our part to help the homeless through shelters or just talking to them and giving support I'm sure the world would be a much better place for everyone! Not just the homeless, but the caregivers as well. Giving time and help feels great and is very rewarding!

Thanks for guiding me and my youth group around Toronto and the great talks we had. We all enjoyed the weekend and learned a lot.”

-Julianne Janzen, Vineland United Mennonite Church

Quote of the Week

“But if we mean it, if we do believe the biblical doctrine that God and his people have a special concern for the poor and the oppressed, we must teach it and live it in a world of injustice and starvation.”

-Ronald J. Sider,

author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger

In reflecting on the word of God and the teachings of Jesus Christ, believers and non-believers alike speak often of the ‘radical’ nature of the Christian faith. Jesus speaks again and again about radical political concepts: redistribution of wealth and the rejection of unjust laws, among others.

As we struggle to live out our faith through everyday acts of love and kindness, however small and humble, we clearly express our strong belief and commitment to Jesus’ teachings. Yet how willing are we, as Christians and as citizens, to truly engage in the sort of radical political and social actions that can challenge these systems of oppression at their core?

As our TOOLS participants have seen, the causes of urban poverty and homelessness extend far beyond the simple lack of food or of a bed. Structural violence is a major player in the sequence of events and oppressive circumstances that continue to leave thousands of people living on the streets in Toronto and around the world.

As Jack Layton, leader of the federal New Democratic Party, emphasizes, “Eliminating poverty in Toronto will take collective action. The province, the city and the federal government must all do their part. But they won’t always be willing participants and it’s up to each citizen of our city to demand that more is done.”

We are Christians-- and we are also citizens. In a secularized society characterized by the separation of church and state, how does our faith define our political identity? How radical are we prepared to be in our response to the structures and systems that govern life beyond the ‘day-to-day’?

On Being Grateful

“I really enjoyed doing the street walk on Friday night, to put ourselves in the situation of people who find themselves on the streets- just to see how hard it would be just to find a place to sleep, food to eat, and even clean water to drink.

I also really enjoyed listening to Steve’s story about how he became homeless, and how his life pretty much just got thrown away- but then it was amazing how God worked in his life just so that he could live a “normal” life again.

I think that we learned a lot this weekend. I especially learned that none of us should be complaining that we don’t have enough, because we actually have more than enough. Unlike the people experiencing homelessness, we actually have houses to live in, more than one set of clothes to wear, food to eat, water to drink and lots more. So we should all be very grateful for what God has given to us.

I really hope that we can have another experience like this again sometime.”

-Lorissa Brubacher, Alma Bible Church

God at Work

“We learned and experienced much during our TOOLS weekend. I particularly enjoyed connecting with one of the street people who came to the Church of the Holy Trinity on Sunday morning for breakfast. She was very free in her conversation with me, and shared a lot of her life experiences.

When she thanked me for talking with her because it helped her feel “normal”, I was impacted by the realization that just by offering myself, my time, my attention, that this is a gift in itself, and the love of God can impact another through me.

Amazing how God works. He has put in all of our paths people who desperately need input, and His love to be shown in a very practical sense.”

-Sandra Brubacher, Alma Bible Church

Quote of the Week

We feel that as a care giving organization, it is not fair to our people if we only address their needs. If people are only asked what their needs are, they begin to only think of themselves as needy. But if we begin to ask what they can offer through their gifts, they begin to realize they have value and that they are worth something. Jesus said 'it is more blessed to give then receive'. (Acts 20:35) In many ways, caregivers have made people needy so that they could receive the blessing of giving. However, we need to turn the tables and provide opportunities for our residents to give so that they too can receive that blessing.

-Mission Statement, The Salvation Army Gateway

As we think about issues of urban poverty and homelessness, it can be very easy to put the problem before the person. It can be easy to forget that people, whatever their circumstances, are much bigger than the problems in their lives.

Nobody likes the idea of receiving ‘handouts’. However well-meant a gift may be, there is often a sense of helplessness associated with receiving something that you feel unable to reciprocate in any way. ‘Handouts’ are often seen as impersonal, discouraging, and limited in their ability to really foster any meaningful change for the better in peoples’ lives.

We are all equal in the eyes of God; by meeting people on equal ground and inviting them to share their gifts with us, we stand to learn a valuable lesson about the meaning of service.

Service is not just a one-way street. Sometimes we can serve better simply by accepting the blessings and service of others. In so doing, we can offer a great deal more than just a ‘handout’- we can make it possible for people to empower themselves.