This week I’m exploring the passage in Galatians 2 about remembering the poor. Here’s the passage from the Contemporary English Version:
“James, Peter, and John realized that God had given me the message about his undeserved kindness. And these men are supposed to be the backbone of the church. They even gave Barnabas and me a friendly handshake. This was to show that we would work with Gentiles and that they would work with Jews. They only asked us to remember the poor, and that was something I had always been eager to do.”
My first post identified the obvious lesson from that last sentence: when you go out into the world as a follower of Jesus, you must remember the poor.
My second post identified the less obvious lesson: we live in a spiritually poor place that needs the spiritual vitality often found in poverty stricken parts of the world.
Today I want to look at what it means to remember the poor as we live amidst wealth. In fact, we live in the wealthiest society in history.
The poor mentioned in Galatians were those Paul was leaving behind in Jerusalem and throughout Israel. Paul was actually going to the wealthy — or at least wealthy by the standards of the young Christian Church in Jerusalem. Paul went to share the Gospel, but also to tell the people that the poor in Jerusalem needed their help.
Paul, a Roman citizen with an impeccable academic pedigree, had access to key people that the other Church leaders could not even fathom. He took every opportunity to walk the corridors of power in Asia Minor, Athens, Rome and elsewhere. His lifelong goal seemed to be to appear before Caesar. His travels were meant to impact all people, but he clearly wanted to stand before the rulers and authorities.
It’s as if the Church leaders said to Paul, “Yes, go to the wealthy, the powerful, the principalities and powers of the world. But when you go, do not get caught up in their wealth and authority. Do not forget the poor and the meek. Advocate for them and raise awareness of their needs. Share the Gospel message, but also share the plight of the poor.”
This same mandate applies to us today. It certainly applies to me. My position as a person of privilege (and I say that lightly…most of my readers are people of privilege) allows me to engage various leaders that are often impossible for the poor to reach. That’s not to say that the White House takes my calls or that the IMF takes my loan advice, but I can still reach a lot of people. Or at least people who know people.
And if I am going to interact within that world, then I must never forget the poor. I am not to get caught up in the trappings of wealth and power. The suggestion to remember the poor applies to me as well as Paul.
Louis Wade, one of the best "translators" that I know.
I have long said that the world needs more translators of ideas, hopes, dreams and fears. When I stay overnight in a poor village (admittedly a rarity), I need to listen and learn from the poor as I also share my thoughts with them. And when I attend a country club or black tie type event, I need to be able to tell that group what it means to be poor as I also listen to them. That’s what I call being a translator. And the best translators find ways to express things in a culturally relevant context, without accusation or threats, so that the listener is honored even as he is challenged.
We need more translators who remember the poor.
So that wraps up my insights on “remembering the poor.” The passage in Galatians has impacted me in deep ways. I have a deeper understanding of how to serve the poor, when to remember the poor in spirit, and why I should translate between the worlds of the wealthy and the poor. Hopefully you found it helpful as well. Thoughts?