The issue of money arises in Livermore’s Serving with Eyes Wide Open. He mentions the common feedback from short term missionaries relates to how poor people are in comparison to Americans. While this realization is often true from a financial standpoint, he suggests that the attitude that people are somehow lacking is faulty. Majority world people are wealthy in so many other ways. Livermore suggests that rather than treating them as objects of our great giving in their desperate need of rescue, we treat them as equals so that we relate to them, learn from them, and find mutual ways to benefit from one another.
The discussion certainly shapes how I think of those I’ll be serving. I’ve been trying to learn about Alaskans and Eskimos to be well prepared to relate to them. I’ve been functioning from the mindset that “I have something you need and I’m going to give it to you…aren’t I so wonderful.” I was planning to go and “do” things for people with the supposition they cannot do things for themselves. While in some cases this may be true, the idea that they need some grand human savior (never mind the faulty assumption that I could be that savior) is entirely erroneous. What they really need is a relationship with Jesus or some kind of healing of the heart to restore their relationship with him.
Our great judge will not do so by what he sees with his eyes (Isaiah 11:3-4).
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