This year the CTM team has been reading the book "When Helping Hurts" which is about seeking to do poverty alleviation without hurting the people you are trying to help or hurting yourself in the process (hence the title).  In the second chapter, the authors bring up the fact that there is poverty because of sin and the Fall in Genesis 3 and that sin has affected all of our relationships and brought much brokenness into the world.  They explain it in this way, "The Genesis account records that all four of Adam and Eve’s relationships immediately became distorted: their relationship with God was damaged, as their intimacy with Him was replaced with fear; their relationship with self was marred, as Adam and Eve developed a sense of shame; their relationship with others was broken, as Adam quickly blamed Eve for their sin; and their relationship with the rest of creation became distorted, as God cursed the ground and the childbearing process."  (When Helping Hurts, p. 61)  And when you reflect on that statement, you’ll find that it is true both here in America and anywhere else in the world.  Our broken relationship with God creates idolatry, with ourselves creates inferiority or superiority complexes, with others creates self-centeredness, and with creation creates laziness or workaholism.  And all these factors lead to a broken world full of broken people.  And trust me, the CTM staff is no exception, we are all working through different forms of brokenness that sin has created in our lives.  However, we have been combating that brokenness with a different sort of brokenness altogether.

In Colossians 1:13-23, we have a phenomenal passage regarding Christ’s deity, creativity, relationship to the Father, and purpose in coming into the world, "…to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross." (verse 20a, italics added)  The only way to truly alleviate poverty is to understand and apply the reconciliation of Christ’s cross.  In the book, the authors give the following definition of poverty alleviation, "Poverty alleviation is the ministry of reconciliation: moving people closer to glorifying God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation." (When Helping Hurts, page 78)  In our personal lives, we’ve been discussing and reflecting upon the love, grace, and mercy that the Lord has shown each of us corporately and individually.  Being reminded of familiar verses like Romans 5:8 which says, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  And Ephesians 2:1-10, specifically verses 1,4, and 5 which say, "And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…but God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He has loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…"  And 2 Corinthians 5:21, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  Look at those verses, what stands out the most?  The fact that we were unacceptable to God, sinners dead in our transgressions and sins.  But the amazing thing is…we are accepted.  God chose to send Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins on the cross and take away the wrath of God, that we might stand before Him blameless because of Christ’s sacrifice.

Tim Keller, a pastor and author from Redeemer Presbyterian church in New York City, makes this statement about the gospel, "The gospel of justifying faith means that while Christians are, in themselves still sinful and sinning, yet in Christ, in God’s sight, they are accepted and righteous.  So we can say that we are more wicked than we ever dared believe, but more loved and accepted in Christ than we ever dared hope — at the very same time.  This creates a radical new dynamic for personal growth.  It means that the more you see your own flaws and sins, the more precious, electrifying, and amazing God’s grace appears to you.  But on the other hand, the more aware you are of God’s grace and acceptance in Christ, the more able you are to drop your denials and self-defenses and admit the true dimensions and character of your sin."  Do you hear that?  We are more unloveable than we ever feared, but more loved than we ever hoped.  And reflecting on the fact of God’s love in Christ has brought about a different kind of brokenness in each of the CTM staff members which we are using to fight the paralyzing and crushing brokenness that sin brings.  When a parent is asked why they love their screaming, selfish, grumpy child anyhow, they will often respond with, "Because they are mine."  In our relationship with God, we are those children and one might ask, "Why does He continue to put up with us when we are so self-indulgent, ungrateful, and unwilling to give Him the glory He deserves?"  He responds with, "…I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine!" (Isaiah 43:1b)