BREAK THE CHAINS OF OPPRESION AND THE YOKE OF ...

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Pov erty our doorstep as relatively poor, because with reference to the world as a whole any one who has less than $1 per day at her or his disposal counts as absolutely poor. The children in Germany are relatively poor. But this in itself is bitter: Their poverty is frequently not recognized as such. Here, however, the reasons for poverty are obvious. The most important causes: job problems such as (long-term) unemployment, low incomes, Hartz IV dependence, and social problems such as excessive debts, separation/divorce or handicap/illness. Of these it is above all immigrants, single parents and families with many children who are affected. Poor children have poor parents. And if nothing happens they remain poor. Relatively arm – these are children whose parents cannot afford lunch in the daynursery ofr in all-day schools; children who come to school in winter wearing sandals and thin coats; children who, in their shame, hide the fact that they cannot afford the class-outing nor private tuition; not to mention visits to the cinema, piano lessons, riding or ballet; children whose parents are so preoccupied with the daily battle and frustration that they no longer have any loving care left; children who are excluded from many of the usual things in our society; children who spend most of their free time in front of the television and are too overweight. Poverty denies these children their rightful place in our society. That is not only true for the present but also for the children’s prospects for their whole lives: The connection between poverty and educational success cannot be denied. At present it decides – and probably will to an even greater extent in the future – about sharing on equal �terms �in the economic, � social �and community � life in society. If nothing happens poor children remain captive in a vicious circle; no or only an inadequate educational qualification, no training, no job, no money, no prospects. Here one can only agree with the children: The grown-ups in church and society must do something! People who give poor children practical help and tackle their situation will at some point meet their own fears of impending poverty. Is one’s own family income sufficient to support one’s own children in a satisfactory way? How secure is one’s own job? Are provisions for old age and health insurance enough to guard against social relegation? The newspapers report that the middle class is crumbling. This raises fears even in our congregations and also among those who work in the church and social welfare organizations. This fear of social relegation is in the meantime almost omnipresent in our society. It prevents people from approaching the children affected in a respectful way and this hinders the necessary change in attitude. Engagement against child poverty demands that one tackles this fear. Where so- �� – AGAINST CHILD POVERTY – 197
Pov erty cial fears grow there also grows the tendency to dissociate oneself and exclude others. “Problem areas” are described in which those affected become unreachable. They are ever more seen as the cause of their own plight. The impression arises that one cannot do anything at all, and everything is only a drop in the ocean. Engagement against child poverty demands the courage to confront one’s own fear of poverty. This is also true for our congregations. It is also true in a figurative sense: Fear of the insignificance for society of our church life quickly leads to resignation in the face of socio-political challenges. By contrast effective help demands courage and the readiness to take risks. The Good Samaritan could only help the one who had fallen among thieves because he showed courage. He got down from his mount and entered the “area of risk” in which one must assume there were still other robbers. Tracking down such areas of risk in which involvement demands the courage to confront one’s own fears is a reliable direction-finder for the development of further effective projects against child poverty. Theological Approaches When the Evangelical Church of Westphalia now asks its congregations and church circles, works, associations and institutions to participate in a campaign against child poverty, it is not a question simply of a community or social welfare task. For the church it is the most elementary matter of faith. All church action is based on Jesus Christ’s command to missionize and baptize. A church which baptizes little children and in so doing receives them into the community of the faithful does not only take over responsibility for their religious upbringing �and �education. � She is also required � �to make participation in church and society possible for all, but particularly for the poor. With the heading “Option for the Poor” the Evangelical Church of Westphalia refers to central biblical traditions. In the Old Testament God’s proximity to the poor is constantly based on the primary experience of Israel, the liberation out of Egypt. Not only the Ten Commandments but also other social protective rights such as the care of the poor, of widows and orphans, of strangers are introduced or summarized by reference to this. In the New Testament Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born in a stable and grew up while fleeing. His appearance and proclamation were interpreted as a fulfilment of Old Testament promises (Luke 4:18-21). In the Parable of the Last Judgement (Mt. 25:31-46) the hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, the sick and prisoners were identified directly with Christ. Paul interprets his death on the Cross as a sign that God has chosen precisely what to the world seems of little importance, the weak (1 Cor 1:27f). �� 198 – AGAINST CHILD POVERTY –
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eak the chains of oppresion and the
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BREAK THE CHAINS OF OPRESSION AND T
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PContents REAChing Preface There is
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PREFA ce There is No Unjust Communi
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PREFA ce Let us remember: there sho
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PREFA ce ed, stripped bare, when th
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PREAChing 1 Preaching on Justice: T
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PREAChing message of the free grace
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PREAChing come aware of how abundan
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PREAChing I draw attention again to
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PREAChing who believe that “those
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EnGAGEMEnT 2 Commitment after Accra
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EnGAGEMEnT which has become spiritu
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EnGAGEMEnT worries more, is more ea
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Europe’s Discussion about Justice
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were being seen - because of this -
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Discus sion Church and State are fu
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The Reformed tradition with the ope
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DEMoc rAcy However democracy is sti
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DEMoc rAcy of the homo politicus -
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viewers, the programme is “cut to
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DEMoc rAcy Finally it would natural
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point modern democracies are open t
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DEMoc rAcy Naturally, in many cases
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cove nanTi ng 59 Europe’s Road to
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cove nanTi ng Western neighbor coun
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cove nanTi ng focused on. On the on
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5 pE o H 6 Theology of hope in time
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At the bottom of these enormous ent
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The question has to be raised wheth
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in the communio with Christ. In thi
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anity has been closely related to e
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world: the oppressed, the poor, the
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8 p EM ire 7 Empire - Provocation w
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EMpire thors also supply an ambitio
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EMpire Aspects of a difficult relat
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governments in southern countries e
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EMpire Talk of empire, as this exam
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EMpire hand, and realpolitik talk a
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Ethics two? Globethics.net proposes
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Ethics 2. Performance-related justi
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Ethics difficult to implement all o
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Ethics instrument, which correspond
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Ethics tice. In some cases it may s
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Ethics 6. The Principle of Transpar
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Ethics to others what we ourselves
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Litur gy 49 The Liturgy of Holy Com
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Litur gy chosen was that one of the
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Litur gy stronger weighting towards
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Litur gy It may be argued that few
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Litur gy but here particularly so.
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Litur gy turn out to be. For if we
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For the shaping of the liturgy the
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PRojec ts The scope of the children
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DiaLo g ic analyses which already e
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DiaLo g suppression as a power-alli
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DiaLo g Dreaming a Different World
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DiaLo g We remember together the in
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The Further Development of the Conc
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DiaLo g come to stand: do they belo
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DiaLo g dividuals who come into vie
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EXPLoita Tion formation and counsel
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there is emerging here a specific i
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EXPLoita Tion wealthier lands in No
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study 5 of children’s attitudes t
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EXPLoita Tion Christian understandi
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EXPLoita Tion gal prosecution of cr
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these questions. An approach that r
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of governments for the regular fina
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We recommend EXPLoita Tion The orga
Page 148 and 149: Hope in God’s Future: Christian D
Page 150 and 151: FuturE I Approaching God in the con
Page 152 and 153: FuturE All of these changes will ha
Page 154 and 155: FuturE ship; God’s sacrifice in C
Page 156 and 157: FuturE between rich and poor becomi
Page 158 and 159: FuturE Reflection 5 Low-lying count
Page 160 and 161: gry and those now first finding the
Page 162 and 163: FuturE Even to sinners like us, God
Page 164 and 165: FuturE UK Government Committee on C
Page 166 and 167: FuturE Reflection 11 “A commitmen
Page 168 and 169: FuturE Alertness to disproportionat
Page 170: FuturE set out on a journey of free
Page 173 and 174: seeking 2. It has become much more
Page 175 and 176: seeking tions and in the Synod, was
Page 177 and 178: LEArnin G Praying for growth Food,
Page 179 and 180: we, with 20% of world-population, a
Page 181 and 182: LEArnin G hunger, but sooner from a
Page 183 and 184: LEArnin G And they wonder: what doe
Page 185 and 186: LEArnin G The richer the USA and Eu
Page 188 and 189: A Globalance - Christian Perspectiv
Page 190 and 191: A GLoB LAncE uence on political and
Page 192 and 193: Recommendations The position paper
Page 194 and 195: Pov y ert 17 „Don’t Leave Us Ha
Page 196 and 197: Group Children’s Summit 2006” r
Page 200 and 201: Pov erty This well-founded option f
Page 202 and 203: All these rights could be provided
Page 204: Pov erty The action “Hiding is no
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