A global Biblical campaign on corruption and poverty

or Biblical foundations for advocacy in the areas

of corruption and poverty.

Dr. Dion Forster

Three important stories.

1. A global story: Why are we poor?

Philip’s story

hunger n.

1. the discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by a prolonged lack of food.2. to have a strong or compelling desire.

• Globally, 854 million people are undernourished.1

• Annually Americans spend $558 billion on takeout food.2

• And, $33 billion on weight loss products and diets.2

• A child dies every 5 seconds due to hunger related causes.1

• Half of the world’s population lives on less than $2 per day.2

• 1.6 billion people have no access to clean drinking water.2

• Each day 29000 children die from preventable diseases.3

• Providing malaria prevention to the developing world would only cost $4.2 billion.1

• $25 billion a year would be enough to give life saving medical services in low income countries.2

• The cost of eradicating Global Poverty is only 1% of Global Income.3

Listing the challenges:The Millennium Development goals•Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger•Achieve universal primary education•Promote gender equality and empower women•Reduce child mortality•Improve maternal health•Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases•Ensure environmental sustainability•Develop a global partnership for development

“We will spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, to which more than a billion of them are currently subjected.”

(Millennium Declaration Sept 2000)

hunger n.

1. the discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by a prolonged lack of food.2. to have a strong or compelling desire.

We have the knowledge and the resources to make a change…

hunger n.

1. the discomfort, weakness, or pain caused by a prolonged lack of food.2. to have a strong or compelling desire.

We have the knowledge and the resources to make a change…

But, do we have the HUNGER?

2. A Biblical story: God’s economy.

Economics: • Oikos (οἶκος)

– household• Nomos

(νόμος) – to manage

God’s economy and the economic systems of the world.

“Both religion and politics are concerned with how we should organize societies. Yet the tendency for Christians has often been to begin with the politics and work back- wards to find religious rationale for our political beliefs. As a result, most people read the Bible not to challenge our deeply held beliefs, but to affirm the decisions we've already made with our lives.”

(Tim Suttle God’s Politics)

Which Jesus shapes our faith and mission?

Is this how you view the Lord?

The challenge given to my Master of Theology students:

Read only the RED letters.

“When I give food to the poor they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food they call me a communist.”

Dom Helder Camara

Unearthing the real Jesus

HistoricalJesus

Pre-Pauline Jesus

Pauline Jesus

SynopticJesus

Apostolic Jesus

PopularJesus

Prayer and justiceGod’s ‘economy’

He has showed you, O man, 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)

But the Lord Almighty will be exalted by his justice,

and the holy God will show himself holy by his righteousness.

(Isaiah 5.16)

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of

sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the

Lord’s favor.”(Luke 4.18-19)

“Justification by faith leads to doing justice, and doing justice can make many seek to be justified by faith”

Tim Keller (Generous Justice p.140)

There can be no personal holiness without social holiness.

(John Wesley – founder of Methodism, social activist, revivalist)

"The chief political concern of the Scriptures is for God's wise and loving ordering of his world to be operative through humans who will share his priorities, especially his concern for the poor, the weak and the vulnerable. This concern was embodied by Jesus in his inauguration of 'God's kingdom' through his public career and especially his self-giving death, which together set the pattern for a radically redefined notion of power." — N.T. Wright, New Testament Scholar at

University of St. Andrews

"The chief political concern of the Bible is to worship God truly."

— Stanley Hauerwas, Theologian and ethicist at Duke Divinity School

"The chief political concern of the Bible is the restoration of God's shalom on the entire world: human and nonhuman, animate or

inanimate. That encompasses all aspects of the human polis and thus politics but also the

entirety of creation so that nothing is left outside this primal 'political' concern."

— Brent Strawn, Old Testament Scholar,

Candler School of Theology at Emory University

"I believe that the central political question is the management of public power in order that there should be an economically viable life for all members of the community. Thus justice is front and center and some texts, especially in

Deuteronomy, are for the distribution of wealth in order that all may be viable.

Obviously such justice is marked by mercy, compassion and generosity. The purpose is to

create a genuine neighborhood for all the neighbors.”

— Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament Scholar, Columbia Theological Seminary

"Shalom -- the well-ordered flourishing that God desires for all of creation, and that brings

God glory."

— James K.A. Smith, Professor of Philosophy and Congregational ministry,

Calvin College

"The vision of the city of God is the goal. We work for it not by forcing it down from heaven

to earth, but by treading in the footsteps of the crucified and resurrected Christ."

— Miroslav Volf, Systematic Theology, Yale Divinity School

"God's solidarity with the poor, oppressed, outcast and forgotten."

— Brian McLaren, Author and theologian

“[W]e may well be coming to the end of the era of the sovereign nation-state as we have

known it for the past three centuries. Economic, financial, and technical forces have

created a global system that is far more powerful than most existing states. The secular

powers shaping human life are increasingly transnational If the Church is to speak the

truth to Caesar, it is these powers that must be more and more in our sights.”

— Lesslie Newbigin, Truth to Tell: The Gospel as Public Truth p89

3. A new story: God’s story and our story.

Claude Nikondeha’s

story

The SAME mission in an ever CHANGING world

"The gospel must be constantly forwarded to a new address because the recipient is always changing his place of residence.” Helmuth Thielicke (German Theologian)

How do we do advocacy?

1. Have clear aims and objectives

• What do you dream of?• What ‘wrong’ do you want to change?• Is there a law, policy, group that is

key?• What steps will get you there?• What can be achieved in the next 18

months, 3 years?• What risks are there for individuals

and organisations? How could these be minimised?

2. Understand who you want as supporters (the pyramid of support)

3. Have activities to mobilize every level – be creative, don’t ask too much or too little of supporters.

4. Build key relationships/understand who to reach to have influence

5. Have clear asks

6. Communicate, tell stories, report back

7. Link advocacy to practical action – adds credibility and understanding

8. Assess/appraise – celebrate wins, be honest about failings

9. Be prepared to let the campaign go viral, work with others.

10. Keep praying

Prayerful

Prophetic

Positive

Persistent

Professional

A campaign that is:

EXPOSED – A global

Christian Story

Why EXPOSED?

EXPOSED is a global call to action against corruption and poverty. It is a response of the Christian Church inspired from the Bible and is committed to promote practical steps for ethical

behaviour in business, government and the Church. It aims to position Christians as advocates of justice and transformation in the nations we are

called to serve.

http://www.exposed2013.com

Corruption has a name.

Poverty has a face.

You have a voice.

“Do a little bit of good wherever you are; its those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world”

- Desmond Tutu