When Robert Lupton came to town to talk about his book Toxic Charity at the Faith & Action event earlier this year, we all got a lesson on how not to be benevolent. Yes, you heard that right. You see them at the airport in matching t-shirs. Generous people flying off on well-intentioned forays with "hearts full of pity and suitcases bulging with gifts" off to help the disadvantaged in some corner of the world. Yet there are critics. Said one Nicaraguan leader, these missions are effectively "turning my people into beggars."
That doesn't sound right. Where's the gratitude? But read Lupton's book or listen to him talk and you'll change your mind. Over the 40 or so years he has worked in inner city neighborhoods he has experienced first hand how the good intentions of churches and charities can have unintended, yet very negative consequences. He talked about how free food and clothing distribution encourages ever-growing handout lines, which diminish the dignity of the poor while increasing people's dependency.
We converge on inner-city neighborhoods to plant flowers and pick up trash, thinking we are beautifying a neighborhood for its inhabitants, when in reality we are bruising the pride of residents who have the capacity and responsibility to beautify their own environment. In one personal example, he shared the story of an effort he was involved with where donated clothing was being offered to low income residents of an inner city neighborhood. The clothing was brought to a shop and people could come and get what they needed. But over time people began taking much more than they needed—often leaving a mess behind in the store. The clothes they decided they didn't want could sometimes be found discarded in the street. Finally and predictably the project failed.
But not for long. When neighborhood people were given management over the business, things changed. They hired local folks to run it, they charged a small amount for each item, they displayed clothing like any other clothing store would do. Resentment and misuse ended and a community asset was developed.
In 600 BC the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzo said, "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." It is my humble assumption that we all want to fish and we should all have the expectation of having to learn. Lupton is a veteran warrior in the fight against poverty and all its symptoms. His lessons on the subject of benevolence focus on the dignity of every person. Who can argue with that?
Peace,
Nancy
Purchase Toxic Charity: https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-Charity-Churches-Charities-Reverse/dp/0062076213/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508708375&sr=8-1&keywords=toxic+charity
