Abolish Poverty, End Suffering — Part Three
In our previous two articles we explored the idea that: “Community of Christ pursues Christ’s mission to abolish poverty and end suffering (#AbolishPovertyEndSuffering). This profound call is deeply rooted in Judeo-Christian teachings and scripture related to justice for the poor.” Using a brief review of scripture, part one looked at the Hebrew Scriptures and part two looked at the New Testament to find foundations for the mission initiative “Abolish Poverty, End Suffering.” In our third and final installment in the series (for now), we will look at recent sections of the Community of Christ document “Doctrine and Covenants” to see how these threads of the Judeo-Christian ethic of the poor have been articulated in inspired ways by Steve Veazey, President of the Community of Christ.
The call to “Abolish Poverty, End Suffering” was established as one of five mission initiatives for the church by President Veazey and the World Church Leadership Council. It follows the first mission initiative to “Invite People to Christ” and the other initiatives to “Pursue Peace on Earth”, “Develop Disciples to Serve” and “Experience Congregations in Mission.”
The mission initiative to “Abolish Poverty, End Suffering” is very much aligned with the Biblical principles in the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament as discussed in parts one and two of this series. President Veazey felt inspired to articulate this initiative in the Doctrine and Covenants Section 165:d(1):
Undertake compassionate and just actions to abolish poverty and end needless suffering. …
It is important to acknowledge that this emphasis on serving the poor has been elevated to a higher level of attention under the leadership of Steve Veazey. President Veazey paralleled the ethical teachings of Matthew 25 when in 2007 he wrote:
163:4 a. God, the Eternal Creator, weeps for the poor, displaced, mistreated, and diseased of the world because of their unnecessary suffering. Such conditions are not God’s will. Open your ears to hear the pleading of mothers and fathers in all nations who desperately seek a future of hope for their children. Do not turn away from them. For in their welfare resides your welfare.
Focusing the attention of the church on poverty and suffering has been a part of each section of the Doctrine and Covenants written by President Veazey. In Section 149, which covered a number of ecclesiastical and ethical issues, he concludes with a return to hopeful and elevated language that makes clear that the mission of Jesus Christ calls the church to embody the passion of the Christ and relieve physical and spiritual suffering:
164:9 a. Beloved children of the Restoration, your continuing faith adventure with God has been divinely led, eventful, challenging, and sometimes surprising to you. By the grace of God, you are poised to fulfill God’s ultimate vision for the church.
b. When your willingness to live in sacred community as Christ’s new creation exceeds your natural fear of spiritual and relational transformation, you will become who you are called to be. The rise of Zion the beautiful, the peaceful reign of Christ, awaits your whole-hearted response to the call to make and steadfastly hold to God’s covenant of peace in Jesus Christ.
c. This covenant entails sacramental living that respects and reveals God’s presence and reconciling activity in creation. It requires whole-life stewardship dedicated to expanding the church’s restoring ministries, especially those devoted to asserting the worth of persons, protecting the sacredness of creation, and relieving physical and spiritual suffering.
d. If you truly would be Community of Christ, then embody and live the concerns and passion of Christ.
e. The challenges and opportunities are momentous. Will you remain hesitant in the shadows of your fears, insecurities, and competing loyalties? Or will you move forward in the light of your divinely instilled call and vision?
f. The mission of Jesus Christ is what matters most for the journey ahead.
Download or open the Community of Christ app on your smartphone or visit www.cofchrist.org to read today’s Daily Bread and Prayer for Peace. After reading the Daily Bread, consider these questions:
What do you recall about your first encounter with the Holy Spirit?
As you listen to the sound of your own breathing, consider the prayer phrase “God of scripture…”
Pray: God of all, who calls us to abolish poverty and end human suffering, help us to see what is possible in relationship to you. Forgive us when we doubt the power of good. Restore our thoughts to believe in your presence within us that enables us to minister to the poor even when we ourselves are poor. Shower spiritual blessings upon the poor and enable us to minister to them on your behalf. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Read Luke:
Then he looked up at his disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ‘Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. ‘Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.—Luke 6:20-21
What word or phrase caught your attention in this passage?
Read the passage again. How is this passage speaking to you today?
Pray the Mission Prayer: God, where will your Spirit lead today? Help me be fully awake and ready to respond. Grant me the courage to risk something new and become a blessing of your love and peace. Amen.
2021 Guiding Question: Are we moving towards Jesus, the peaceful One?
Conclusion. Part 3 of 3.